Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1896-09-03
FREE SILVER I'm THE SOUTH

last, and that not for the better. READ
Of large export orders, and Of 2OO-car
orders,at one mill for yard stock, etc, etc.,
but u recent visit TO the mills satisfied me
that stocks are increasing. not deereas-
ing, aud ] know that prices. are below
the actual cost of manufacture of nearly
everything on the list My acquaintance
with several Of the, proprietors of the
larger mills is of srch a character as to
warrant me in believing that such infor-
nation as they give me is straight
goods" and when they say: MY trade
so far in 1896 is the smallest !. have ever
had" and I'VE don't ask any price. we
let the buyer do that know il is true.
] also know that have been offered small
dimension stuff In the last thirty days at
delivered prices that would net the manu-
facturcr S4 per thousand, accompanied
by the intimation that IL anyone else made
lower prices they would be met. i also
know that | did not buy, even at these
very tempting prices, for the very good
reason that the retail yards have neither
prospective nor present demand for lum-
her, and | do not anticipate any for the
next four months at least. am the UNI
fortunate proprietor of, three yards, and
my sales during the last two years have
run to nearly $4,000 per annum, but
commencing with the first of July, judy
ing from the present outlook, | shall be
doing well If sell per cent of that
amount in the next four months.
Now. why should this condition exist?
The section in which am located is in
no wise affected by the cotton crop, as
am in the finest fruit country i'm the world
trfx 1ax nYn my Nc
fair for good trade this fall. Parties
had prepared their plans, and decided
to build homes and improve properties.
Lumber was cheap, labor reasonable.
and it seemed like better time for build
ing could not have been selected. But,
alas the nomination of Bryan fell like II
pail upon my fair prospects. at once
felt that Grown of thorns" pressed upon
my brow, and while have not as yet
been ''crucifed upon a cross of gold"
have been impaled upon n spear of silver
violently thrust into my business vitals.
Never having been cruciiied upon a cross
of gold, | cannot well imagine what
amount of suffering such treatment might
cause, but if it is any greater than that
resulting from being tr;tnsfxed by a
silver spear, have great pity for the
victim of cricitixion.
| Don't think for moment because an
writing in the first person. that | am /;
solitary victim, because that would be q
mistake. Every business interest il
Southeast Texas, and l presume else
| where, is suffering from the same blow
The same complaint comes from the lips
of the Dago, who, on the street corner
nrranges his fruit to cunningly concea
its decayed parts, and from the merchan
in the five or six story building, who ha,
its floors covered with goods that he cal
find no sale for. The universal cry |,
stagnation in business. What follows
Retrenchment, and reduction of OK
penses in every kind of business. Thi
means the discharge of those upon whom
are dependent wives, children, mother
and sisters for support. The silver spea
is piercing them all, and to many it mean
physical us well as business death
Fortunate is he who is forehanded enough
to see his way clear TO provide for til
loved ones and self for the next fou
months. Some may think this an over
drawn picture, but Il know it to be true
l have had to discharge men from IN
employ, and l know of others doing TIL
same, and L feel certain that what |
being done here is also being done else
! where
For the existing conditions there is II
remedy. The blight is upon us. TIL
politicians are in the saddle, and til
people are carrying their burdens. Blu
what will be the state of affairs afte
November 3, if the free silver craze shoul
be triumphant. Already the rumbings @
the COMING storm, rn haino bnapd Ia
few localities the lenders of money hav
openly notified their patrons not to expet
extensions of their paper when due. Note
must be paid. 1t is not a question of til
value of securities; it is a simple tleman
for what is their own. An assault
being made upon the value of the none
now in use, and the nearer the time al
p. proaches for the assault to culminat
the more anxious will be those who hay
money to gather it in out of the storm
and to place il. temporarily at least. whcl
:, the assault cannot reach it. Many wi
!, not be able To do this. but that all wi
try to do so is II foregone conclusion, an
who can blame them?
What will be the condition of this coul
try during the months following Bryan
election, if the majority of the vote
should so determine? Can any huma
being forecast the exact result? "
2 know that the savings banks alone ov
: their depostors over eighteen hundr,
!, million dollars. How much of tn
a amount will he voluntarily left on d
= post when each depositor understan,
that in n short time they will receive on
= money with greatly reduced purcha
ing capacity? Will there not be a stru
gle on the part of this army of creditor
numbering nearly 5.000.OOO individual
:, to secure gold or its equivalent? Take Il
:, national and individual banks of the cou
try, that owe their depositors over So, 0OC
0OO,0O0, will not each one of these depos
tors use the utmost efforts to secure ii
!, best money possible before the chan;
, comes? What will necessarily result b
y the general suspension of all banking !
T. situations? And what will as certain
follow as the general suspension of
e kinds of business throughout the countr,
y l am no calamity bowler, but these a
questions that every business man, al
% for that matter every voter, should n
e and find some reply to before deciding f
whom he shall vote. know that Sc
y TENDER 10, 1892. the comptroller of i
u currency requested from the nation
y banks in twenty-three principal cities, nj
y elsewhere, statement of their ayera
" daily receipts, and that it reached t
II enormous sum of 1891 ,205, 213. 1t
'e true that slightly over 80 per cent W
u received in the shape of checks, but tn
u left the sum $33,000,000. received daily
II actual money. Is it to be supposed for
u, moment that such receipts and corr,
IS ponding disbursements will continue d,
Is ing the months when everybody. banke