The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1895-07-31
MISLEADING STATEMENTS.

National Waterman, Washington, D. G.
Secretary Carlisle in a recent speech
made the following statement: "There
never was time in the history of the
world when the workingman's dollar
would buy as much of the necessaries and
comforts of life as it will buy now. II
can buy more with a dollar today than
I ever could" or II can buy more with
a days work than ever BEFORE" are also
expressions familiar to almost every one.
These misleading and thoroughly vicious
statements have contributed more toward
bringing about and fastening upon the
people that blighting ignorance which
now stands in the way of financial reform
than all the arguments ever produced in
favor of less money and lower prices. The
mechanic seems delighted that he can buy
six pounds of butter for 81, where he
could buy but four pounds for the same
money a few years previous. And the
farmers wife is pleased beyond measure
to buy twenty yards of muslin for 81,
when a few years before she could buy
only ten. Both seem satisfied with the
situation and really believe that times
are. improving. The man with his 81
day can buy as much cloth, flour, and
other necessaries as he formerly could
when his wages were nearly if not double.
He seems content with the situation and
unthinkingly keeps on his way. Just so
with the farmer; he exchanges his crops
for as much of the products Of the mills
and factories as ever, and he thinks the
exchange about even and goes on toiling
and sweating and wondering sometimes
why things don't come around as they
used to.
Somehow the interest on the mortgage
gets heavier, and the payments become
more difficult to meet, the days work
becomes less and less in demand, and no
matter how cheap the necessities of life
are, it becomes yearly more difficult to
earn them. Bye and bye, as is the case
now, the mortgage is foreclosed in spite
Of harder work, more rigid economy, and
an increased gross production. On the
other hand, the mechanic is unable to
meet his rent and provide for his family,
and is turned into the street. These two
victims Of the same cause may chance to
meet the one going into the city for work,
and the other fleeing into the country for
food and shelter. If they would sit down
and consider carefully the situation they
would soon discover they were the victims
of each others ignorance. That with a
full knowledge of the situation and a
unity Of action, the disasters which had
overtaken them and millions of their kind,
might have been prevented. They would
learn the truth of this proverb "that moth
ing is cheap to one producer that Is made
so at the expense of another producer"
When the good wife bought cloth or any
other product of the mechanics skill and
labor cheap, she must expect that these
mechanics must in turn buy her butter,
eggs, and other products of the farm at
similar reduced rates. The natural re-
suits Of such a suicidal policy is to make
the good wife buy less cloth and the me-
chanics less butter. This in turn brings
about surplus of cloth and surplus of
butter.
The remedies usually applied for such
condition has been to stop producing
cloth by shutting the factories, and there
by throwing the mechanics out of all en-
ployment, rendering them incapable OF
buying any butter. And the good wife
on the other hand is unable to sell her
butter at any price which makes the COWS
an expense instead Of profit, and this
condition with others makes the payment
of the mortgage impossible. This is the
case at present, idle machinery and sur
plus Of products, and starving operatives
stand facing the toiling farmer, with his
half clad family, bountiful harvests, and
unpaid debts, and all seem ignorant Of the
causes of their misfortune. The money
owner, however, is happy. Where it once
took the interest on $1,000 to buy his