Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1895-01-19
SIGNS or THE TIMES.
Startling Conditions Which Confront
the peopfe.

Here are some figures which show
20 a limited extent whore the wealth
Of the working men goes and who is
keeping them Que OF IT, The census
of 1890 shows the wealth Of the Uni
ted in round numbers to be nearly
s6I ,000, 000, 900 at low estimate. Sew.
evety i've per cent OF this latter sum,
or $39, 900 000, 900, is invested either
In business or in loans drawing inter.
est. At six per cent this would give
en annual interest account Of S2,liO,-
100000. The average rate of wages
in the state OF Massachusetts, Que Of
OF the most favored in the nation, lie
seven dollars per week, or one dollar
per day for 365 year In order
10 pay the interest to this 120lh OF
the population at this average rate OF
wages requires the earnings 6,3S3, sos
working 365 with no allowance at all
for their maintenance.
This amount is two and one hall
times the entire amount paid for
wages in the entire manufacturing
industries Of the United States for
1880 (the returns for 1890 are not yet
available. The increase OF wealth
in the United States in the decade
from 1880 to 1890 was $22 600, 600, 600.
This interest account alone absorbs
over twenty-three billion dollars, or
one billion dollars more than the in
crease OF wealth.
The amount of English capital in
vested in the United States, according
TO British statistics in 1895, was
twelve billion dollars, drawing a rev.
enue from tQis country OF seven hun
dred and twenty seven million dollars.
This requires working army OF near
ly two million OF men laboring under
the conditions named above. From
these two sources OF interest paying
alone there is annual drain OF over
three billion dollars per year, or thirty
billion for the decade and an excess
over the increase OF wealth during the
same period Of over eight billion dol.
lars and requiring Qor the decade) the
entire wages OF eightty-four million of
men for one year.
The expense of running the federal,
state, county and municipal govern
ments of the United Stgtes is in
round numbers more team eight hun
dred million annually, exclusive of the
interest OF the national and municipal
debt. This requires the wages Of
2,17l ,76S men working as above emu
merated. This gives us grand total
of $500, 009, 600 per annum in inter
est and expense account from three
sources alone, and requires wages OF
10,500,000 men working 800 days in
the year--one-half of the entire work
ing force of the nation, who must be
clothed, fed and sheltered from the
wages OF the other half. This is
thirty-eight billion dollars for the de.
cade, or sixteen billion dollars more
than the increase Of wealth. A gnl.
den strear Of $l0,500 900 per day for
every day in the year flowing into a
bottomless reservoir where it is stored
70 become n tax on generations yet
unborn.
And yet some people wonder where
the money goes and who is keeping it
from the working people. Statesmen,
politicians, inancieFs and economists
search in vain for the underlying
cause OF that ever recurring phenom.
enon--universal financial depression
and panics, each being more violent,
widespread and longer in duration, as
the wealth of the country becomes
moro and more centralized. Reeolleet
that this vast sum goes 10 lees than
one two hundred and for,ieth Of the
population of the country, as our trib-
ute TO foreign capitalists, and TO sup
port our system OF government. Are
they not expensive luxuries Would
not this golden reservoir flowing into
the homes Of the people, diiruso
plenty through smiling lands
But by far the worst of this iniqui
tous system is the idea that it must 60
on forever, increasing and conoen;ra-
ting its wealth so that every child born
into the world OF the working people
has virtually collar around his neck
and shackles on his feet. The only
thing lacking is that he is not labeled
ms belonging to any one special mil
lionaire.
The contribution OF money for cam
paign purposes, for the control OF cleo
tions, for purchase OF high places of
political trust OF by direct bribery for
Offices OF the highest dignity and in
finence, by those who have aecumu.
lated enormous fortunes, that their
hireIings may burden industry with
system OF taxation which will enable
them 20 add millions TO their already
ersnwn.nus wealth il nm ininuifv which