The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1896-07-29

The platform adopted by the
tlon meets my hearty approval. and
though based on the single Issue is in
reality sufficiently broad to nllow all TO
stand on 1t who arc opposed TO the sa-
loon and its consequent evils. regard
less OF their views on any OF the other
public questions OF the day.
il IL true that no thinking man. re-
cardless OF his surroundings or resi-
dence, al for a moment doubt It. that
very many of the people OF u belov-
ed land. and especially those engaged
In induCtrlal and farming pursuits, are
suffering from the general depression
so widely prevalent at present, and also
that there has o been q time since the
memorable days Just preceding the
breaking out OF the civil war. when
these difficulties weighed so heavily up
on the. people, or when there was so
much unrest and dire forebodIng for the
future aS exist to-day.
The products OF the soll-the mainstay
Of the nations prosperity and wealth
are 80 low In value In many instances as
not 10 pay the cost OF production. leav-
Ing nothing for the labor OF the tOllcr
or for the capital invested. Many per-
OiiG llulN lIlt bllIllOlI luiL lIlt cause IN
ovcr-productlOn. But can such an eX-
PLANTATION be true? Is not the thought
an implous one? Can any one who be-
lieveS In a honefCcnt Creator believe
that He bestOwS bOuntlful harvcsts to
be n curse rather than a blessing to
mankind? No, no. Perish the thought.
The reason Of all the prevalent trouble
In our fair land to-day Is not O%ver-prO-
ductlon, but under-consumption. That
being so, where IS there Il Gauge which
prevents the consumption OF the neCcs-
sarlGg, to say nothing Of the luxuriCs Of
life. comparable with the liquor traffic?
We are told by the advocates OF one
Of the political parties that n high tariff
Is the panacca OF all our Ills. and yet the
average annual receipts from customs
for the three years ending June 20. 1894.
when the Mckinley tariff bill was In
operation, were only III million dollars,
less than two dollars and Il half per
capita of our population. Others tell us
TINT the free and unlimited coinuge Of
silver will be the curc-all OF the evils nf-
nicting our people. II Is strange such
an idea should be entertained when the
fact Is recalled that the totnl output Of
silver In this country for the last year
was only sixty million dollars. n sum
much less than the annual product OF
the familiar barn yard fowl.
How utterly insignificant are either OF
these figures compared to the n bill"
lon. two hundred million dollars, which
1t Is reliably estimated IN the direct
yearly tribute the people OF this coun-
try pay to the support OF the liquor traf-
fic. A ]stupcndOus sun and so large ns
TO be difficult Of realization. 1t Is near
Is twice rs large Ms the aggregated cap
ital OF all our national banks, or 10 state
It more plainly. II Is equal to about 10
per cent Of the entire money, gold. sill
yer md paper currency OF tho United
States. Let this vast sun OF money
which IS now spent yearly IN this way.
and for which no value liz received, but
on the contrary Is only adding to the
suffering Of the people in varied and
. manifold forms. be turned into the
channels OF legitimate trndc. In the pur-
chase OF those things which Will bring
comfort and happiness TO the home and
family. Then, ] believe, the troubles
which arc now Weighing 80 heavily upon
them will he largely things of the past,
and until IL Is done no real relief Gun
be expected.