Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1896-07-10

why England should want it done. She
stood alone on her gold pedestal As silver
was at or above par in Europe and Amer
lea, she could not procure it without pay
ing its value or a premium for it, She was
prominently the creditor nation of the
world. The amount of money (gold) she
draws as interest from the other nations of
the earth, annually. is enormous. Her
claws are at the Threats of every weaker
nation, and her greed is Unsuitable. We
owe her about S., 100000, 600 which we
agreed to pay in gold, the annual interest
of which, at 4 per cent, is $500, 900, 900,
also in gold. Gold Gold Oh that she
might be cursed like King Midas of old,
with the golden touch, so that she
could no longer feed upon us. Where are
we to get the gold to feed this octopus?
Issue more bonds? Put ourselves into her
mouth and let her devour us, or make us
her tributary for all time? How shall we
escape from the claws of the monster?
We have seen the values of the products
of labor steadily falling till no one will
dare to manufacture Our agricultural
products are so low that the farmer cannot
realize the interest on the mortgage on his
farm. Let us look at a few OF our staples.
Wheat, in 1859 the average price was S1.l0.
per bushel, 1872 it was S1.40, in 1885 "a,
was Sc, in 1898 1t was IS, and now abeou'
80 Cotton. 1859, 1909: in 1872 it. was
is, in 1885 it was 1906, in 1898 it was -
and its price now l cannot find equoVeu'
Cut nails, 1859, per 100 lbs, S'o'oVi ~
1892 S1.S3, now about 81. Pig Hron' 1917
S233s per ton: in 1892 S15.72I' anu now
about SIP, and many others heeu no'
quote; we all know it. WYaere Is any en-
couragement for manufacGlIe, agriculture
or labor? Consequently, AooI Is uheil
ployed. and what is employed al wages SC
low as to cause discCJhlenl' slrIkes' IIo'
and destruction of pV operty. ,.,-.-,
sult re ',At Democratic tariff reform CT
b''., our country is flooded with imported
/ goods which undersell us. But such is
not the case. The receipts of customs dc
not show il, land how is it that this state o.
affairs has been going on 20 years before
the passage of the tariff reform bill:
Doubtless it had a disturbing effect, but
nothing that the country could not easily
adapt itself to- In a great many thing:
we can undersell England in her own mar
kets, foreign and domestic. Some ascribt
il TO increased facilities for production
over-production, etc, etc. But that is
bosh. What are the increased facilities
for production of wheat cotton, corn. etc
since 1873? None perceptble, and as foi
over-production, the laboring and produc
ing classes know from bitter experience il
is under-consumption, not having thu
means to buy all they ought to consume
But there are some things that have not
declined: the national debt, our private
and corporate debts, our city, town an'
village debts, our taxes, the salaries of al
the army of United States officials, rail
way fares, hotel bills, and many othe
things which now demand the exchange o
twice as much property to get the dollar
to pay them. Now if restoring silver t,
its place in the monetary system as j
was prior to 1873 will remedy these evils
in the name of humanity and our believe,
country, let us try it. Germany, Austria
France, Holland, Belgium and Others ar
ready and willing to Join us. They, too
have had bitter experience from their er
ror. If England won't join Us, let he
stay out. We can live without her. W.
have lived in spite OF her and can do s.
again. MY country, It's for thee,
think and pray, not England.
g. b. KTEWAN.