Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1896-09-17
WHY PROSPERITY HAlTs.
What 1t Costs the People to Maintain
the Gold Standard.

as brightly and the rains are just as re- /
freshing. Our housewives are far more /
economical and the opportunities for I,
lettering our condition should not be |
fewer.
Still, prices are falling. Real estate |
is a poor investment. Business enter
prises far more of receiverships than
profits. Mortgages are being fore
closed and deficiency judgments en-
tered. The courts are busy running
bankrupt railroads at the instance Of
bondholders. Money at interest at
three per cent. is more profitable than
in employing labor in industrial en-
terprises. The nation is constant bor-
rover, and, although taxes are an eX-
cessive burden from the national gov
eminent down to our municipalities,
the public revenue is insufficient.
This sort of thing has been going on
for more than 20 years.
Unless things change there is no GER
tainty for the future but universal
bankruptcy
The excuse given for the deplorable
state of affairs by those who advocate
the gold standard is that there has been
oyerproduction. In other words, we
have been made poor by reason of haS-
ing because they have too much to eat.
Railroads are going into bankruptcy
because there are too large crops to
move. Men are in rags because the
sheep have produced too much wool.
The conditions that exist are these:
All men would like to have on hand
plenty of -four. From the gold mems
statistics the supply of wheat seems to
I, ,6a he he
wheat would like to exchange it for
money, but the people who need the
wheat have no money to give in ex-
| change. Real estate has fallen in valus
until no one can readily tell what it is
| worth. There are numberless people
who would like to own homes, and
there are plenty of people who would
like to sell land. But the people who
want homes cannot raise the money to
| exchange for the land, and the result is
very unsatisfactory to both parties.
| There are hundreds of thousands of IN
dustrious men and women who would
like to make an exchange of their Ia Dor
for money, in order TO exchange the
| money thus received for things which
they really need, but the owners of
| money cannot find profitable invest
ments upon falling market and hence
hoard it in banks or loan it at interest
and the working men aud the working
women go without employment. Horses
are ridiculohsly cheap, and many people
would prefer riding to walking. The
men who own the horses need money
and would like to sell, but the mass OF
the people keep on tramping, for some
could not afford horse, even if be
could be purchased for two bits.
We have, then, plenty of labor which
is seeking market. We have manifold
opportunities awaiting the touch OF
money to spring into benefcent life
We have an amply supply of the necessi-
ties of life, and yet, with bursting
granaries, there are needed more pau.
per houses. With ample wealth on every
hand there is a demand for more police
men to club down crime born of squalol
and misery.
On the other hand, gigantic fortunes
have been accumulated in the hands OF
few people. While hundreds of thou.
sands suffer, it is possible for Whitney
through the magic of his wealth, to
transform 1000 acres of wild land into
pleasure garden for his children in
less than 20 days. Impecunious lords OF
the old world have no difficulty in ex
changing their titles for the daughters
of our millionaires, while many honest
workingmen cannot sell their labor al
any price. The beneficiaries of this
vicious condition insist that it shall
continue upon the false plea of honest
money" The peculiar advantages which
they secure may be the real reason why
they denounce their suffering fellow
countrymen as anarchists" and VIC
lently rail because a cry of distress
sometimes rings above the chink OF
their gold. AS other people suffer they
gain. The distress of the government is
their source of profit. Take, as an illus
tration, the story of the great bond syn
dictate, as told by gold paper of New
York city on February 81, 1895. The re.
suit of the figures produced is astound
ing. This is how the account stands
between the government, the represcn
tatives of the people and the syndicate:
Face of loan ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 315 90
Syndicate premium at 104. 49. ....... 2. s79i
Syn tHe a proft to ii250.. g az q
What inside jobbers pay........... 69, 1873 SO
Inside tobbers profit to 11S. 3,5S3, IL
The public pay and the United
States should have received. - 81 10
United states iost,... S.41S,7a
PROFIT AND LOSS.
Belmont & Morgan buy So. 315 600
/ | at Ie4- AZ -$60, IL. 81