The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1896-09-19
TIE UNRULY AMERICANS
What English Bankers Have Recently
Said About This
Country.
THE BRlqoH is now AT THE TRUTH

Gold Men In a Combine to Defeat
The Common
People.
The following article, mighty good read
ing at this juncture, was published in the
London Daily Chronicle. on page 8, third
column, OF the issue OF August Is, 1896.
1t bore this caption: "Silver in America;
on the Verge of Financial Revolution.
Presidential Chances. (From our Special
Correspondent
Chicago, ILL.,, Aug. As Before
the Chicago convention was held the odds
in favor Of Mckinley and against Bryan
were ninety to one Today no one comedies
McKiniey's election as being certain, and
surface indications are in favor of his op-
ponent.
What has brought about this revolution?
I will endeayor to show the readers of the
Chronicle, and I think it will be OF inter-
est to them, as / do not believe the present
political situation IS fully comprehended
by many intelligent E1glishmen. The Snort
cable dispatches of the progress OF the
campaign cannot convey an intelligibsa
idea of the conditions now prevailing.
In the first place let it be understood
that America stands today on the verge OF
a great social revolution-a revolution 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 mas ever known.
WAGES WE'RE HIGH--FOOLlSHLY
H1GH--WORK WAS PLENTIFUL, COM
N1ODITIES COMMANDED EXORBIT-
ANT FIGURES, AND THE TREMEN-
EOUS AREA OF UNOCCUPIED LAND
AFFORDED FARMS AND HOMES FOR
EVERY MAN WILLING TO WORK,
AND OFFERED INDUCEMENTS TO I'M
MIGRANTS FROM EVERY QUARTER
OF THE GLOBE. It was an era Of rail-
road building, OF speculation, of extrava-
giant living. The war was partly response
BILE for this. After four years, of industrial
stagnat:on, of commerce brought almost to
a standstill, of uncertainty and distress, OF
disordered finances, peace gave a tremen-
deus stimulus to every branch Of trade,
to every line of endeavor. Money was
plentiful, the government had f1oated It's
bonds, and no man felt any doubt as to its
meeting it's obligations. Europe apprecl-
ated the possibilities which this country af-
forded, and capital for any enterprise could
be had for the asking. America was the
paradise of the Spectator and the pro-
moter, as well as the mechanic and the
shreWd business man engaged in legitimate
commercial transactions. Since 1873 we
have seen in this country !eveling down
process which has brought us more nearly
to the conditions prevailing in European
countries. {. 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 industrial
and social conditions in this country one
must not forget that the United States
is largely an agricultural country, and ON
THE PRICE OF CEREALS AND OTHER
IMPORTANT AGRICULTURAL PRO
DUCTS DEPEND TO A GREAT Elk
TENT THE GENERAL PROSPERITY.
WHILE TODAY THE FARMER is PAY
ING 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 gradu-
ally falling. He remembers when he was
paid 81 bushel for his wheat, and he com
pares it with the go cents he now gets. 1t
requires no stretch of his Imagination TO
recall those figures.
While it is true that the American
worlxingman 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 IN
CREASED ALARMINGLY, AND 1T
HAS CAUSED GREAT Discomfort
THE MASSES OF WORRYING
MEN. ONE THING MUST ALSO BE
BORNE IN MIND. TRUSTS AND MO-
EXIST IN THIS COUNTRY,
AS THEY DO NOWHERE ELSE.
MR.. BAYARD, IN HIS SPEECH FOR
WHICH HE WAS so SAVAGELY CRIT
ICIS1ED BY CONGRESS-, CHARAC-
TERIZES THE PEOPLE OF THIS
COUNTRY AS BEING UNRULY. THE
WAS EXACT. AMERI-
CANS ARE UNRULY AND IN A CON-
SLANT STATE OF FERMENT. With
no traditions to serve as sheet anchor
and instiH that spirit Of conservatism
which is the saving grace of a nation,
with social and economic conditions to
tempt the venturesome and incite the
man of audacity to make some great coup,
with system of education which makes
men superficial thinkers, and with exam
pies at every hand to show that no man
need be content to remain in that station
of life in which it has pleased God to call
him, it is little wonder that the spirit
Of unrest pervades this country. The
Americans are not as yet homogen-
eous people. The mixture of races and
blood have not gone through the set
Ting process of ages and evolved dis
tinct race or type. The American has
of the best qualities Of the race
from which he has sprung, and the in
fusions which have come from inter-
and intimate associations. But
like chemical elements in themselves
harmless, when combined the solution is
dangerous. IN EUROPE THE MASSES
ARE CONTENT TO HAVE THEIR
THINKING DONE FOR THEM BY
MEN WHOSE BUSINESS 1T is TO
STATESMEN, BY WRIT
ERS, BY PROFESSORS LEARNED IN
THEIR ARTS AND SCIENCES. IN
AMERICA EVERY NAN Is HIS OWN