The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1896-11-20
BILL ARP'S LETTER.
MONEY AND NERVE ARE DEN-
uCAL N THEIR EFFECTS
Plenty Of "F1thy Lucre," But Il Is
Not Circulating Freely.

The doctors tell us that paralysis is
the loss of the function Of motion from
an interruption Of nervous influence.
Trade, commerce aud industrial pur.
suits have nerves, too, bat they seem
to be paralyzed. The spinal marrow
is diseased and muscular power haa be-
come stagnant. What has caused this
unnatural condition We know not with
any certainty. for the political doctors
Disagree, but II Is believed by many
that it is owing TO the lack OF orcula-
tion of the blood-that is Of money,
and that the demonetizalion Of silver
Is at the bottom Of It. Whatever It is,
the patient is in bad FIX. The other
day / rode out with a lady friend in
tho suburbs of Atlanta 20 look at some
OF the cottage homes. She wanted to
buy q home for herself, and We spent
parts Of three days in examining and
pricing properties. There were hun
dreds Of them aud they we're cheap
enough, but what struck me was that
building aud loan company had more
for sale than anybody. This company
had loaned money four aud five years
ago to improve suburban lots. They
loaned not exceeding one-half the
value Of the vacant lot and have had
J to foreclose their mortgages because
the borrower could no longer pay
the interest, and so they bid in
the property and have held It,
hoping to get their money back,
but they can't and are now seeking
buyers at less than the property cost
them, and in some cases less than the
original loan. A lot thas four OF FIVE
years ago was worth 81 900 and has
on it q house that cost 5000 OF $500 is
offered for 81 200, and perhaps 81, 600
would buy it, The company can stand
it, but what has become of the poor fell,
low and his family, l know not. They
had hopes and were looking forward
to the time when their humble home
would be paid for, but this paralisys
overlook them and swept their home
and their hopes away. The Merchants
bank has long been regarded as one of
the solid, conservative institutions of
Atlanta, but it advanced money on
real estate and could not realize. This
IS the condition all over the country.
Trade is para!yzed, especially in real
estate. Financiers tell us that there
is as much money in the country as
there ever was but it does not move
The stagnatlon not only continues, but
it gets worse. Three years ago man
offered 81, 500 for an eligible town lot
in Gainesville. A year later he bought
it for $500, and now he could not get
$500 for it if he wished to sell. Is it
any wonder that the people have lost
confidence and are willing to make
any change that is offered The patient
is awful sick and will even take strych-
nine If it is prescribed.
But the long agony is nearly over
and we shall see what we shall see.
The people are ready for the ballot
and the ballot will settle the nations
will. 1t is the masses against the
classes.-the same old story, "And
David fled from Saul to the cause Of
Adullum and all who were discomfort
ed or in debt or distress joined him
there" That was sorry lot to fght
king, but in course of time they were
victorious.
But don't believe that capital is al
much alarmed as it was month ago
The banks have hedged and are pre-
pared for the change if any comes
Certain it is there will be no COLLAPSE
if Bryan is elected and there will b,
no reliefif Mckinley is. This govern
ment can't be ruined by a change o
rulers. The civil war cleaned NJ
the south pretty we'll, but il
ten years it had rallied and il
fifteen years hardly a trace of tn
war could be found. Then let us no
he alarmed at the situation. ii Nc
Kinley is elected and Republican
congress, and something is not done tt
relieve the people they will be igno
miniously hurled from power fou
years hence. Distress aud disconten
are growing things. While capital j
. all the time concentrating t
the few, debt and disconten
is spreading to the many. Capita
, will not turn q wheel as long as it cal
be loaned on mortgages at good pc
cent. A few months age some of GU
/ public spirited citizens determined t
build a cotton mill that would give EN-
ployment to the children of the poor
The stock was all subscribed, but be
Q fore any contracts were made the time
got harder and money more valuable
and so one by one the stakeholder
dropped out and the mill died in chill
birth.
But why worry about these things
b There is no Good sense in hrnndin