The Monitor-register., 1896-08-07
Over Production versus Under Con-
sumption.

sumption.
Extract from oshua Levering's letter of
acceptance)
1t is true, and no thinking man, re
| gardless of his surroundings or residence,
can for a moment doubt it, that very
many of the people of our beloved land,
and especially those engaged in industrial
and farming pursuits. are suffering from
the general depression so widely prevs
lent at present, and also that there has
not been time since the memorable days
just preceding the breaking out of the
civil war, when these difficulties weighed
so heavily upon the people, or when there
was so much unrest and dire foreboding
for the future as exist to day.
The products of the soil-the mainstay
of the nations prosperity and wealth
are so low in value in many instances as
not to pay the cost of production. leaving
nothing for the labor of the toiler or for
the capital invested. Many persons hold
the opinion that the cause of all this is
over production. But can s1ch an
explanation be true? Is not the thought
an impious one Can any one who
believes in benefcent Creator believe
that he bestows bountiful harvests to be
a curse rather than blessing to man
kind No, no; perish the thought. The
reason of all the prevalent trouble in our
fair land to-day is not over. production,
but under consumption. That being SO,
where is there cause which prevents tue
consumption of the necessaries, to say
| nothing of the luxuries of life, oompar-
able to the liquor traffic?
We are told by the advocates of one of
the political parties that high tariff is
the panacea of all our ills, and yet the
average annual receipts from customs for
the three years ending June 80, 1894,
when the Mckinley tariff bill was in
operation. were only $171, 900, 900, less
50 so per capita of our population. Others
tell us that the free and unlimited coin.
age of silver will be the cure-all of the
evils affecting our people. 1t is strange
such an idea should be entertained when
the fact is recalled that the total OUTPUT
of silver in this country for last year was
only $50, 600, 900, sum much less than
the annual product of the familiar barn
yard fowl. How utterly insignificant are
either of these figures compared to the
81, 200, 000, 900, which it is reliably esti-
mated is the direct yearly tribute the
people of this country pay to the support
of the liquor traffic. A stupendous sum
and so large as to be difficult of compre
heusiop. 1t is nearly twice as large as
the aggregated capital of all our national
banks, or, to state it more plainly, it is
equal to about rs per cent of the entire
money, gold, silver and paper currency
of the United States. Let this vast sum
of money, which is now spent yearly in
this way and for which no value is
received, but on the CT ntrary is only add.
ing to the suffering of the people in
varied and manifold forms, be turned into
the channels of legitimate trade, in the
purchase of those things which will
bring comfort and happiness to the home
and family; then believe, the troubles
which are weighing SO heavily upon them
will be largely things of the past, and
until it is done no real relief can be
expected.
The Prohibition party, assured OF the
sincerity of its purpose. and the spirit of
unselfsbness which has been it's domi.
nant principle, pledges itself as soon as
the power Of legislation is given to it, to
act on all these matters as the existing
circumstances aud welfare of the whole
people may demand. In view, therefore,
of the utter failure of the other parties to
properly legislate on these matters when
in noUar I hold that tho finn n @ q r~,val