The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1896-04-22

HOW THEY HUMBUG US.
THE BOGUS REPORTS ABOUT I'M
MENSE GOLD DISCOVERIES.
The Liars Should Get Together and
Agree to Tell the Same Lie.
THE INCREASE OF CRIMES AND
SUICIDES.

SUICIDES.
Mr.. J. H. Beadle the able editor Of
the Helena News, writes to his paper
from Washington, D. c.. under date
of March 9th.
have long had little thermometer
which shows me Just what goldbugs
really think, and whenever the call
for an international monetary confer
ence grows loud l know at once that
the silver sentiment is gaining or the
goldbugs think it is. Representative
Shafroth. of Colorado, the other day
called my atten tion to what he thinks
a much better indicator. Whenever.
says he, silver gains point, we soon
hear from every part of the world
most amazing accounts of gold discov-
cries, and on looking over some news
paper files am surprised to find how
correct his statement is. From every
corner Of the world just now the news
of great gold discoveries is filling the
columns Of papers interested in that
subject, and-a most suspicious fact
all the reports are favorable without
regard to geology. From Alaska's icy
mountains to India's coral strand.
where Russia's Ural fountains roll
down their golden sand: from Cripple
Creek and Kaffir land, Dahomey and
Peru. they promise gold by billions in
another year or two.
Why, ii half these fellows tell where
true, gold would soon be as silver was
alleged to be in Jerusalem in the days
of Solomon and so cheap that it would
be vulgar to wear it as an ornament.
In that case of course the capitalists
would insist upon'a curruncy OF plati-
mum, Osmium, vanadium or some 9TH
rof the metals more precious than
gold. Mr.. Shafroth. said that In all
the accounts he had looked over he
couldn't find report that was unfa-
vora ble; the diggerS were finding
great gobs Of gold regardless of geol-
ogy and mineralogy, finding it in
sandstone. sOapstOne and pipe clay,
in Oriskany ,buhrstOne and blue mud.
Curious on this subject, l read two
mining issues Of the New York Sun
which gives page to that subject
every week or fortnight. and, sure
enough, in seven columns Of closely
printed matter I found mention of
but one camp which acknowledged a
failure. Tie Colorado dispatch
ranged from $100 ton up and from
big deposits to inexhaustible tissure
veins, and one fellow writes to min
ing organ of lode supposed to run
clear across the range and having a
vein three feet wide with ore carrying
$3.50 to the ton. Practical miner; will
see the joke. Such property would
be deg cheap at 81. zoe, ,00o,0)0.
1t struck me as comical fact that
in one OF these issues OF The Sun was
an article by Matthew Marshall to the
effect that prices are rising and farm
ers are prospering, that the burden OF
debt has grown lighter and the price
of. land advanced, and that conse-
quently "the silver cloud which has
for so many years hardened the finan-
cial sky is beginning to break" while
in the issue of The Tribune for the
same day was an ella borate, land l must
say very able, financial article showing
that prices are declining and the pro
duccrs growing more miserable. The
gold bugs really ought to hold con
vention TO the end that, as we used tt
say in the preliminary caucus in In
diana, "they can understand each 9TH
er and tell the same lie." AS tonic
| add some figures from the very
latest official documents. 1t appears
that in the year since February. 1895
live stock Of every kind but one ha.
decreased in number and at the same
time declined greatly in value: SO tha'
| the aggregate value has gone down
II IA nor popf for hnrcnc nvnr
per cent for sheep, some Is per cen
| for hogs. and so on. In fact, thu
grand total for live stock lacks bu
little Of having declined an ever
| $1OO, ,OO0, 900. 1t ,also appears, accord
| ing to the Chicago Tribune's annua
| tabulation, which is thought here tt
be as good as if official, that in tiv'
years the numbers of murders ant
suicides in the country have mor'
than doubled and that Of lynchings
has increased 80 per cent. In 1890
says The Tribune, there were 4,29t
murders: in 1892, 6.794, and in 1895
| 10. 500, while the suicides for the same
years were respectively 2,040, 1850 ant
5,759 Turning again to the Officia
reports, it appears that for some tw'
years we have exported about twice a
much gold as we produced, and, add
ing the export of Cleveland's golt
bonds, which is just the same, as the
constitute a fund abroad to draw
against, we are doing cOnsiderabl
worse in that line than in the wOrS
! year of the civil war.
AS 10 the causes there is fine vari
etv of opinions. Many are saying tha
it is because the revenue is too small
That may have been potent factor
but.it is no longer. as a revenue is fas
gaining on the expenditure, and b
the close Of this fiscal year will doubt
less equal or exceed it. There is ais
the usual clap-trap about the adverS
balance Of trade, which is just now a
false at it is foolish, for the so-calle
balance was against us but yer
short time, and has for two month
been very heavily in our favor, a
heavily, in fact, as at any time in ou
history AS to the claptrap abOu
European lack OF confidence
trust every reader knows just wha
that means. It simply means tina