Weekly independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1887-1914, 1896-06-21

OF his operations. Profits vanish; all
hope OF them vanish. To get out
even is now his forlorn hope. Ans
other merchant sells his goods out at
auction al sacriiicial prices. The
bank or the wholesale dealer who has
trusted him presses for the payment
OF all notes given. The merchants
goods must so upon the falling mar
ket. Buckle and tongue will not
meet. The merchant fails.
The manufacturer depends upon
the merchant. What use to make
goods il Il merchant can not buy ut a
profit to the maker? What use for
the merchant to buy il he can not sell
mt a profit to himself? The c%ontagion
Of the paralysis passes from the mer-
chant to the the manufacturer. He
reduces wages, he cuts close and pays
lesser prices for his raw meterial.
But rs the contraction of the currency
continues prices Of all products go
lower and lower; the prices paid for
tAiAo sNhi WI iGuNS Lp uiuiS III III IIOlll
for the next year. Tho manufacturer
gets desperate: his factory closes; his
machinery rusts: his plant decays;
his enterprise fails.
Meanwhile wages decliue. The de-
mand for labor decreases us enter
prise decreases, and wages decrease
rs demand for labor decreases. The
laborers can not be paid ut the old
rates when property declines; idle
laborers a get 10 work. or must take
any Job they can get at any price that
will hold soul and body together.
The mechanics wife stares starvation
i'll the face; his children can not keep
up decent appearance in the public
schools, or lind work for their fingers.
There are strikes and lockouts; then
come the tramp Of soldicry and men
acing steel. The capitalist, il he is
oblivious Of this, sits back in his easy
chair and says: "We must have a big
army and II strong Government; the
days of Jetfersonian Democracy have
gone by, and Macaulay's letter 10
Randall WIS Il true forshadowing OF
our future; the old idea that Il Presi-
dent should never fill the chair but
twice belongs to Il time of incXperi-
ence and adolescence. Suicides i'll
crease, burglaries increase, failures
increase. Money now buys more than
it ever wonld before; the usurcr
thrivcs; the ~demagoguc stands out
before the poor man. and with subtle
flattery for his vanity tells him that
he wants the poor man to have us
good Il dollar rs the rich man, and the
best money i'll the world. The poor
man meantime. who has few dollars Of
any kind and little or no work Of any
kind. looks up with Il dubious scowl
upon his face and marvels much mt
this expression Of disintercsted benev-
olence. But money is getting dear
or and dearcr; it buys more and more:
and the self.complacent capitalist.
who is getting richer and richer on
other mems ruin, declares that times
are prosperous, and that the discon-
tent is all due to the agitation Of the
silver question!
Want of confidence is now loudly
proclaimed to he the cause of the dis
turbance by the superficial observers
who witness the panorama before
them, and who can see plainly that
want OF confidence is an attendant
circumstance. They have mistaken
an effect for Il cause. "Restorc conf
dence' is at once the mace pre-
scribed rs Il sure cure for the evil.
Tho unlhiuking and the crafty are
alike fond of this vague phrase-for
1t cOnceals the lack Of ideas OF the
n class. and the subtle designs OF
the other class. Want of confidence
has existed with all the monetary
pnnics that aver visited the earth.
-Io restore confidence. has been the
desire OF every person who ever pre-
scribcd for the intirmitics OF society.
But want OF confidence il always nm
elect before il becomes u cause: and
the want OF confidence that comes af-
ter every contraction Of the currency
IS always the effect Of the declining
values produced by that contraction.
and it can be cured while the
cause il operative. TO restore cJnfi-
dcncc without removing the cause il
impossible; and he who clamors for
confidence while contraction is under
mining the property on which il ia
based might ms we'll cry ont against
buildings falling down when the
foundations are crumbling beneath
them.
, What has become of the farmer in
this process of stagnatioD and rom
Traction! lilo is ut the bottom Of the
list. He comes last. He does more
Tor the Government and receives less
from the Government than any other
portion OF ~ constituents. Feeding
the world, La 10 driven by the world
To- the point ~ starvation. II il Inc
who furnish,s the bOunteOus crops.
but not he no enjoys the benefit
thereof. In li7e hIs land produced
Sl2 worth per Il 'rc-now bnt half TINT
sum. This il largely the fruit of con-
traction. lilo works as hard as those
who work hardes, to get their daily
bread; but he is not classcd among
INC InDOrllg men aud wage carnCrs
who sbnrc the benefits OF the protcc-
tive policica Of taxation. lilo must be
II business maj Of knowledge. alert
ness. and application Of method and
sngacity: but he is not classcd ;s n
business man by the dealers of tho
exchange. Tho Republican marty
aroused the Indignation of the people
in lSJO, when 1t summoned tho man
u~iacturots TO Washington and allow.