The Coconino weekly sun., 1895-02-28
COST OF THE DEMOCRACY.
Enormous Losses Sustained Through In.
 competency.

Enormous Losses Sustained Through In.
 competency.
 "Democracy is too expensive for me-" said sensible worker. Bat who can tell how expensive? What has been the cost of a democratic victory so far? The average price of railroad stocks has declined SIS per share since Jan uary, 1893, or about Sl,0o0, ,OO0, ,OO0, and bonds probably half as much more The shrinkage in that kind of prop crty, not far from a sixth of all the property of the country, has been more than a quarter of its former value, but has other property shrunk in like proportion? Wages have fallen 21.77 per cent, and the aggregate sum paid yearly in 1892 was about $10,000,- 100000. But two years of such loss have meant to the wage-earners no less than S4,35o,o0o,0o0. During years of prosperity the deposits in saw ings banks were increasing at the rate of s9O,000,0OO yearly for 4,5oo, ,oO0 depositors, and at the same rate the savings of all wage-earners would not be far from S4s0, 900, 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 S1, ,25O, 900, 900 yearly, but there is every reason to believe that since that time there has been no addition, but a large actual decrease in other as well as railroad property. Certain it is that $2,50O, 100000 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 inaugura. tion these payments were S62, ,459,- COG, O,0O0; in twelve months after they were $50, 5sO, 900, 900, and in the twelve months which will end March l the aggregate will be about S46, ,000, 900, 900. If these sums were about five times the actual production, the aggregate for the two years nearly ended would be S19, ,316, GOO, 900, while for two years like 1892 it would be S25, 900, 900, 900, difference of S5,Gs4, 100000, or S2,s42,- 900, 900 yearly.
 But the national debt at it's maxi mum, in August, 1865, was only 2,756,- COG, 900. 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 50-cent wheat, Scent cotton, and wool 30 per cent lower than two years | ago. It 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 la. bor 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 22 per cent, the loss is tangible enough if not relatively so great.
 It 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 Sl,040, 900, ,000, or less than S15 per capita. Out of S55 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.