New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1896-09-30

a LONDON RESPONDENT.
lGlves bis impression ii the london 0hron.
icle Of the American Campaign
Bold Admissions that America Is In tht
Throes Of Financial Revolution.
BE Tells Many Plain Truths and Admit,
Bryan's Election.
a London correspondent sends to the
London Chronicle from Chicago the fol.
lowing interesting letter:
Before the Chicago convention wa
held the odds in favor Of Mckinley and
against Bryan were ninety to one. To
day no one comedies Mckinley election
as being certain, and surface Indications
= { - .sr 4
are in favor of bis opponent.
What has brought about this revo1u.
tion7 will endeavor to show the read.
ers of the Chronicle, and I think it will
be of interest to them, as do not be.
lleve the present political situation is
fully comprehended by many intelligent
Englishmen. The short cable dispatches
of the progress Of the campaign cannot
convey an ineligible idea Of the condi-
tons now prevailing.
In the first place let it be understood
that America stands today on the verge
Of a great social revolutions revolu-
ton so mighty that compared to it the
uprisings the world has already seen are
as nothing. From the close of the civil
war until 1870 and 1871 this country
enjoyed prosperity such as no country
has ever known. Wages were high
foolishly high-work was plentiful, COM
modities commanded exorbitant figures,
and the tremendous area of unoccupied
land afforded farms and homes for every
man willing to work, and offered induce
ments to immi grants from every quarter
of the Globe. 1t was an era of railroad
building, of speculation, of extravagant
living. The war was partly responsible
for this. After four years of industrial
stagnation, of commerce brought almost
to Il standstilI, cf uncertainty and dis
tress, of disordered finances, peace gave
d Tremendous stimulus to every branch
of trade, to every line of endeavor. Mon
ey was plentiful, the government had
floated it's bonds, and no man felt any
doubt as to its meeting it's obligations.
Europe appreciated the possibilities
which this country afforded: and capital
for any enterprise could be had for the
asking. America was the paradise of the
Spectator and the promoter, as we'll as
the mechanic and the shrewd business
man engaged in legitimate commercial
Since 1878 we have seen
in this country a leyeling down process
which has brought US more nearly to.the
conditions prevailing in European coun-
tries. During this time the
prices of all commodities have fallen, but
wages have advanced not relatively but
actually. Hence one would say that the
working man is great deal better off
today, than he was in ''good times"
This is very true, but in studying the in
dustrial and social conditions in this
country one must not forget that the
United States is largely all agricultural
country, and on the price of cereals and
other important agricultural products
depend to a great extent the general
prosperity. While today the farmer is
paying much less for everything that he
consumes and wears as compared with
war times, he is also getting much less
for what he produces. He has seen the
price of his wheat and corn, gradually
falling. He remembers when he was
paid 81 bushel for his wheat, and he
compares it with the 60 cents he now
gets. It requires no stretch of his ina
g1nation to recall those figures.
While it is true that the American
workingman is today better off than he
has ever been, in that his wages are high
er, his hours of labor shorter, and his
cost Of living less his struggle for exist,
ence is sharp and great. *...=
In the last few years the number Of
unemployed has increased alarmingly
and it has caused great discomfort among
the masses Of workingmen. One thing
must also b. borne in mind. Trusts anC
monopolies exist in this country, as the.
do nowhere else. X
] MI. D,-onJ -, ~