The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1896-08-21
[ Written for "Th. E"qmfrST. |
CAMPAIGN TALK.

About twenty-five years ago the writer
met a very intelligent Englishman in Eu-
rope who was largely interested in ships.
The Englshman said, You Americans
are curious kind of people | asked
him, In what respect" Then he pro-
ceeded to explain He said the newspapers
and public speakers in this country were
asserting and repeating that the Confeder-
ate Irivateers, fitted out In England, had
destroyed the American shipping interest.
He said this was not true and that he did
not believe that the men who said so be-
lieved it themselves Then he went on to
give the reason for the destruction of this
interest, which was unquestionablv the
true reason and which every honest and
impartial man who is competent to form
judgment must admit to be the true one.
He said
1.-The Yankees are quick to preceive the
best investme mt for their money and they
never let Il chance slip to change from a
less profitable to more profitable invest
ment. British ship-owncrs are well salts
fled to net four per cent. profits with all
their care and trouble. Will the Yankee
invest his money to compete with us.
where, at the outside and with the best
lnck his profits cannot exceed four per
ent.-wiil he do this. when he can buy a
non-taxable United States bond and make
two per cent. more-siN per cent.-with
no other tr uble than to clip coupons:
And, besides this, with the privilege of
earning at least per cent more i'll the
banking business from the same capital,
would he 90 into ships at 4 per cent
This explains the whole situation
Money is always placed where it will
Weld the largest return. 1t has been. and
is now, yielding larger profits from invest
| ments in United States bonds than from
any other investments. And what has been
put in bonds has not only been taken
away from shipbuilding but from manu-
| featuring mining, railroad construction.
| buving and improving farms and thou
sand other industries in which labor would
| be employed These bonds are a dead
| drag and dead expense. They not only
| bury that much money and keep it out of
| circulation but the people are taxed to pay
the interest on them, Then, why in the
name of common sense and common JUS
ticc and the common prosperity of the
| country, does not the government make
| and issue the paper at once and on its own
account instead of making and issuing it
/ to the bond holders and giving the banks
"a bounty and monopoly for issuing paper
money. What is the difference between
one thousand promises to pay of the
| United States Government of one dollar
each, and one promise to pay" of one
| thousand dollars? SO far as the security
and safety of the obligation is concerned
there is no difference at all. But there is
| a very great difference with regard 70 the
general prosperity of the country. When
the government issues the thousand dollar
bond it is locked up, goes out of circula
ton, becomes dead capital and the people
are taxed to pay interest on it. On the
other hand; when the government issues
and paws out the small bills direct to the
people, then this becomes active money, il
pays debts, it buys property, it makes i'm
provements, pays hands and employees
and there is no tax to pay or interest on it
Every body knows that this is best for the
interests of the country and the people Il,
large. But unfortunately, 'the people al
large" have no say in the matter: their in
terests are not consulted. 1t is the golt
kings of London at the head and the Wal
street gang of sharpers at the tail who
manage the money affairs of the country
and have been doing it for thirty years, il
whichtime they have transferred more thar
three, fOurths of what should now be thu
property of the people into their owl
pockets. The Congress of the United
States has been their great business agenc,
and they have paid their agents, who tn,
people, in their simplicity, thought wer,
their representatives, for managing theil
business in Congress. They have paiC
them well. They have kept them ther,
year after year and made millionaires O.
them. Grover Cleveland has fattene(
faster than Poland China since his own
ers penned him. The people. Who arr
the people? Let the people be damned,
says hog fattener and New York million
aire, and the people are damned.
The Chicago platform protests agains
any more issues of bonds and demands
when money is obliged to be had for tn
government, that small bills shall be is
sued Immediately to the people, which put
money in circulation and gives every on
a chance to get some, which costs the gov
eminent no interest as the bonds do, ant
which relieves the people Of being at tn
mercy of the banks-of the banks whiCl
are now threatening all the dire and hor
rible calamities which they will intlic
upon the people, if not allowed to hav
their own way as they have had heretofore
Surely these very threats which the bank
are using to intimidate the people and con
troll their votes is of itself a sufficien
ground for breaking up the banks as
perpetual menace to free government.
G.