Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1895-05-15
NOTES AND COMMENTS.

NOTES AND COMMENTS.
Carnegie and Frick have advanced
the wages of employees, but at the same
time advanced rents. When Rockefel-
Ter endows college or builds church
the price of coal oil is advanced, but
he is counted philanthropist.
The command of the plutocracy to
poor people as pictured in cartoons in
recent years, to Get off the earthp'
is being complied with. A company Of
New York capitalists has been formed
to erect extensive floating tenement
houses to be moored on East river and
rented to families. The same scheme
is in operation on the Thames, near
London. Many families live on boats
in the vicinity of ST. Louis. 1t is true
that the psalmist says, THE earth is
the Lords and the fullness thereof"
but David was not acquainted with the
modern landlord.
Forty cents day is the average
wages of more than 10000 women in
the city of New York, and this accounts
for the fact that there are 10000 prosti-
tutes in that city. Is it possible that
these conditions can exist under the
eyes of millions of Christian people
and they will still go on voting to per-
petuate them?
By vote of 20 to the New York
legislature passed bill submitting to
the voters of New York city, Brooklyn
and Buffalo the question of municipal
ownerships of street railways. In Eng
land one-third of the street railway
mileage is owned by cities, and it is
said the service is so much better and
cheaper that it is merely a question
of short time when corporate or pri-
vate ownership will be driven out.
There is one thing that can be said
to President Cleveland's credit that
cannot be said of his party. We always
know Just where to find him. There
is nothing wishy-washy about his de-
clarations. 1t was the widest stretch
of the imagination when anybody ever
dreamed that he was the least bit
friendly to silver. He was made popu-
lar by Wall street at SO much a line
in the newspapers, but that was not his
fault. Grover Cleveland is just what he
is, and his actions or the silver Ques-
tion are in entire accord with his let
/ ters and messages during his first ad-
ministration. If he has blocked silver
legislation, it is the fault of the party
that nominated him twice after he de-
clared his position on that question,
and not his.
The total capital stock Of both the
national and private banks in the Unit
ed States is 81, ,O67 ,597 ,2S7, and the total
loans $4,140, 751, 1859, according to the
report of the comptroller of the cur
rency. In other words the banks have
loaned out more than four times the
amount of their capital. This is money
deposited in the banks by the people
who have but little or no security fol
it. The profits Of the banks consist
in interest on loans and discounts
Then three-fourths of their profit;
consis, IN intorest on money which
they owe. That is the banker lives and
thrives on the interest of what he owes
A great banking system, this!
If the people would adopt the polio!
of the bankers and demand gold for al
their transactions it would bankrup
the country within thirty days. Or,
they would even refuse to take banl
notes it would give the banks AM
business men dose Of their own medi
cine that would soon make them sic
of the gold fallacy. In fact IL the peo
pie would act as selfishly as the bank
ers do in these matters the-governmen
would be forced into sensible finan
cial policy over which the banks woul
have no control.
i Do not be surprised that you NEE
i with opposition in this reform move
} ment, and that men are slow to accer
| the truth. No reform has ever bee
} effected without opposition-in fac
: no innovation in science, in the field {
5 invention, religious or political reform
{ have ever been readily accepted by II
world. Every reformer. every inyel
TOR or great oiscoverer has encounters