Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1896-02-14
FINANCIAL PITFALLS.


of events, and every promise made by the gold
standard men has been broken, and to-day we
stand face-to-face with greater government
evils than have, as yet, threatened American
prosperity. Our national government is on the
road to bankruptcy or reputation. 1t is not
within the scope of this article to go into de-
tails of false theories and broken promises. 1t
is enough to know that the last bubble of false
hood has been punctured, and the government
is the helpless prey of the Rothschilds and
Morgans Under the tutelage OF Sherman,
Carlisle has attempted to redeem greenbacks
with gold, and, within the space of one year,
our national debt has increase two hundred and
6ftv million dollars-and the end is not in
sight Gold has gone to premium. PARTY
of our money has gone the way of predicted
ssprosperity," and the worst has not come-in
fact, has only set in, for, if the government
persists in redeeming greenbacks III gold,
Soc, 1000, 900 gold bonds will not relieve the
United States treasury On the contrary, the
more gold bonds, the more certainly will gold
command premium.
A whole lot of ''me-too'' Republicans and
cuckoo OeIllOCIdlS HdNS liS ILL PiSo"iOii 'ii''s
the tariff is to blame for our financial situation
They are the blind followers of the blind.
To-day, the government cannot collect single
cent of its duties on imports or internal taxes
in gold, and so our great "tinanciers" have
created an obligation, and have no way to meet
the obligation except by creating another,
greater in extent, and similar in requirements;
II, IL, ,oc1 n oO1
and no plan to obtain gold but by borrowing It,
Now that the government has assumed gold
obligations, it is on the horns of dilemma
If it demands gold in payment OF duties or
taxes. the holders of gold will demand pre-
MUM of importers, or persons liable to inter
nal tax. If the government borrows gold, the
holders of gold ask premium, as now of those
who wish to purchase gold bonds; and later, II
there is no change, gold will command pre-
MUM that may remind us of war times.
Parity is on the ragged edge of an unrneas-
ured precipice, and prosperity is i'll the guilt OF
despair. Low tariff or high tariff cannot re-
lieve the situation.
It was Sherman who first accepted green
backs in payment of duties on imports, when
he was United States treasurer, and it was not
until preenbacks were thus accepted that this
money advanced to par with gold. Since that
time. duties have been paid in the money most
convenient to the importer. AS long as the
limited States treasurer had money to place in
net banks, the 800, 900, 900 gold reserve snug
oiled neacefullv in the bosom of Uncle Sans
vaults.
The Democrats cut down the big surplus to
SLIGHT deficiency, and then came the raid on
the gold reserve.
Gold, doubtless, was purposely withheld in
payment of duties, and at the same time,
preenbacks were presented at the United States
sub-treasuries for redemption. Carlisle could
have paid silver, butt as he was not friend of
the taxpayers, chose to pay gold
There is deal somewhere, and if it
could be exposed it would be found that
GREAT "6nanciers'' in both parties are in it,
for II would be humiliating circumstance
to find that our statesmen are SO grossly
IGNORANT as to bunder into such serious finan-
cial pitfalls.
From the latest treasury report, there are I73
million dollars in the United States treasury.
of that amount, fifty million is gold, and is
considered as belonging to the gold reserve,
though there is no law for it. Now we behold
the spectacle of the treasurer of great nation
and of free people borrowing gold, loading
the taxpayers with debt without the shadow
of a lawful excuse for such action. So far as
: we Isee, any dollar of the I73 million dollars
,,,,;;oht be paid out to meet current expenses