The Dalles times-mountaineer. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1882-1904, 1896-10-17

the domination OF Great Britain, and |
while there are British banking houses
in Japan and some British merchants
who deplore the fact that Japan viii
not adopt the gold standard and thus
reduce the circulating medium one
half, in the interest Of their country,
yet no japanese business man can be
found who will favor it. On the other
hand they have gone to work building
factor les to produce everything they
need, which they now import, and in
stead of being dependent on other
countries. they build their own rail-
roads and factories and keep their
money at home and sell their rice, tea
aud silk, and are now building their
own ships to carry the same to market,
thus making themselves Independent
and prosperous, as they are. No idle
people here: all have plenty to do and
plenty to eat, OF food they prefer. No
foreign debt, no payment OF interest in
gold to impoverish them and compel
the treasury of the nation to hold one
sixth of the standard currency to pre-
vent a raid on the treasury they could
not meet, as is the condition of our un-
fortunate country at the present time.
1t may be said: "Do you want our
people reduced to the manner Of living
of the japanese? Do you want our
people to work for the wages paid in
Japan 10 workmen?" In reply | will
say: "Here every person has plenty
of work to do. They are paid low
price, it is true, but they have plenty
to eat and wear; they are given an edu-
cation: newspapers are as plentiful as
at home, and everybody can read them,
men and women" A few days before
1 left Portland a man whom I h I'd
known for many years as a hard-work-
ing, honest, sober man, said to me:
II will work for you for year for 60
cents day, for one years steady
work" Ireplied: 81 have no work
to do; am employing some men and
am giving them more wages, but 1 do
not want to discharge them without
cause, to give place to another; be-
sides, you can't support your family
on 80 cents a day." He replied: 81
can live better on so cents day than
on no pay at all For two years past
have not had more than three months
work to do, and I have used every
exertion to obtain work."
No such condition of affairs exists in
this country of low wages and low
price of living. There must be rem
edy in our country by legislation for
this condition of agairs. There must
be less legislation for the "business
men," such as Drexel, Morgan g. Co.,
the Chicago stock exchange, the bank
ers of Wall street, the sugar trust and
similar corporations, and more legisla-
tion in the interest of the business
men who till the farms, work in the
factories, and constitute nineteen
twentieths of the people who create
the wealth of our country. No private
contracts should be made by the secre-
tary of the treasury with private bank
ing corporations for the sale of govern
ment bonds at 104, when they could be
and were sold by popular subscription
to common people at III, as was done
last year by Mr.. Carlisle in selling the
amount of S64. 900, 900 to the syndicate
to obtain money with which to replen
ish the gold reserve.
Th"se bonds of Japan would have
been sold at home, and the people
would have the benefit of the loan,
and the interest would have remained
at home and it would not have to be
paid in gold either, but in the currency
provided by the constitution-gold
and silver. am quite sure that after
years of careful trial and with the ex.
ample Of our country during the past
four years of business prostration,
there is no country not on gold basis
could be induced to place itself in that
condition, but would, like japan and
Mexico. retain free and untram
meled the money of the con-
stitutiou, with free and equal coinage
for both gold and silver.
d. P. THOMPSON.