The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1895-03-01
WHAT DEMOCRACY COSTS.
Enormous Losses Sustained Through In
comUeteucy.


Enormous Losses Sustained Through In
competency.
Democracy is too expensive for me-"
said sensible worker. But who can
tell how expensive? What has been
the cost of democratic victory so fart
The average price of railroad stocks
has declined SIS per share since jan
uary, 1893, or about $1,000, 900, 900, and
bonds probably half as much more.
The shrinkage in that kind of prop
erty, not far from a sixth of all the
property of the country, has been
more thar a quarter of its former
value, but has other property shrunk
in like proportion? Wages have fallen
2l.7T per cent. and the aggregate sum
paid yearly in 1892 was about S1O,OOO,'
| 100000. But two years of such loss
have meant to the wage-earners no less
than 81. $50, 100000. During years OF
prosperity the deposits in saw
ings banks were increasing at the
rate of s9O,OOO.OOO yearly for 4,5OO,OOd
depOsitors, and at the same rate the
savings of all wage-earners would not
be far from $3.50, 900 yearly, but for
the last two years there have been
at the savings banks losses instead of
gains, except for interest on previous
! deposits.
These items only give some glimpse
of the enormous losses sustained. The
entire addition to the wealth of the
country two years ago was more than
| 81 $50, COG, 900 yearly, but there is every
reason to believe that since that time
there has been no addition, but
| large actual decrease in other as well
as railroad property. Certain it il
that So, 500, OOO.O 900 does not measure
nearly the whole of the loss in actual
value of property during two years,
while the sum distributed in wages
| has decreased much more. A rough
estimate of the entire decrease in pro-
duction of wealth can be drawn from
the record of payments through all
/ clearing houses, which bear about the
same proportion each year to the pro-
duction. In the twelve months pre-
ceding President Cleveland's Inaugural
ton these payments were SG2, 49,
| DOC, 900: in twelve months after they
were $50, $50. 200, 900, and i the twelve
months which will end March l the
| aggregate will be about SAG, 900, 600, 900.
If these sums were about five times
the actual production, the aggregate
for the two years nearly ended would
be SIS, 316, OOO, 900, while for two years
like 1892 it would be SOS, OOo, 900, 900,
difference of S5,6s4, 600, 900, or s., s42..
OOO, 900 yearly.
But the national debt at IT'S maxi.
mum, in August, 1865, was only 81, $780,
| 100000. Democratic rebellion was
costly, and had created that debt in
four years, but each year of demo-
cratic government costs the people
more. Part of the decrease, men will
say, is ''Only in the prices Of products"
but that is exactly where the shoe
pinches for the farmers, who have to
sell 5O-cent wheat, scent cotton, and
wool 80 per cent. lower than two years
ago. 1t brings home to them not
merely their fair share of the general
loss, but considerably more, that they
can get no better returns for their Ia
Dor and their land, and about half OF
the people in the country, it must be
remembered, depend directly upon the
prosperity of the farmers. For the
rest of the people, whose wages have
fallen nearly % per cent, the loss is
tangible enough if not relatively SO
great.
1t will have to be set down as an
economic fact of some consequence
that democratic party in power costs
the country little more than the en-,
tire national debt at its biggest, or in
every year not far from $40 for every
man, woman and child. According TO
the census, the entire cost of all forms
of government, national, state, county
and city, was about S1,O4O.OOO,O 900, o;
less than SIS per capita Out of S5l
for every person. the present loss and
expense of government, we have to
charge $40 to democratic foolishness,
and the rest is the cost of all services
rendered.-N. Y. Tribune.