Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1896-11-02
LOSSES INFLICTED BY THE GOLD
STANDARD.
WASHINGTON, d. O., Oct. 5


In Senator Morean's thoughtful al.
dress at Alexandria on the 29th he
made a strong but not exaggerated
showing of the terrible and gigantic
losses inflicted upon the farmers Of the
South and West by the gold standard
which has been forced upon Us, not by
law or by the decision of the people,
but by fraud and executive usurpation.
He said that the gold standard had rob-
bed the people OF the South and West
by depreciation in farm values and the
fall in the price Of farm products in
1898 '94'95 of not less than one thous.
and million dollars-a sum equal to the
indemnity that Germany demanded
from France on account of the Franco
Prussia war. | find this fact well
known to many persons confirmed by a
statement made the other day by MIR.
NJ. l.. Stewart, of Ohio, in respect TO
the losses of the Ohio farmers 1t ap-
pears that the average price Of farm
lands in Ohio in 1882 was sos % per
acre. In the year 1892, despite the
fact that the Mckinley tariff had been
in operation year and more, these
lands had fallen to $3.50 per
acre. Prior TO the Mckinley law
the average value was SD %. The ag
gregate loss to the State in farm values
in two years was Sl72, ,6S9, ,999 10. So
the Mckinley protection policy did
nothing to avert this fall which | feel
sure has proceeded steadily with the
lands of the West and South up to the
present time. leave it to any Virgin
i. farmer to say whether there has been
any Improvement in the value of his
lands since the enemies OF silver accom-
pIished the repeal of the Sherman pur-
chasing act some three years ago. lu
all that time matters have gone on from
bad to worse with the farmer. The
Mckinley bill did not help him. The
reform revenue tariff bill of 1894 has
also failed TO counteract in any marked
degree the evi conse quences OF the gold
standard forced on the country by Har-
rison, Foster, Carlisle and Cleveland.
a contracted and contracting circuln-
ton of specie money is an evil which
no protective or free trade tariff can Sc.
riously diminish or mitigate.
| believe that the losses Inflicted on
this country alone by the sdoption OF
the gold standard would exceed those
of any war in human history. The
pluuder of the producing classes by the
gold standard for the benefit Of the
creditor class ard those who deal in
money would far exceed in volume aud
amount the wastage Of Italy by the ir-
ruptions of the Goths and Wand. AIS.
The gold standard is simply the most
cunning and effective of all the de-
vices employed by the capitalistic class
to secure for themselves an undue
share Of the profits and earnings of la
Dor and production, leaving to the pro
ducing classes Of farmers and laborers
bare subsistence, and very often
hardly that. That is what the gold
standard meaus 1t is obvious that we
are rapidly approaching European con-
dtions as the result Of adopting the
British system of finance. Ii there can
be more direct road than this TO the
overthrow of our free institutions and
to revolution and anarchy fail 10 see
it. The man who loudly announces a
programme of anarchy may be bad
man, or fool, but is not necessari-
Is dangerous. That man or thu
party is indeed dangerous which de-
hberately prepares the conditions OF
misery which force revolution and con-
sequent anarchy as the only way by
which human nature trampled into
intolerable suffering can vindica!e
its wrongs.
If the gold standard be fastened on
the country next Tuesday by the vot IS
of the republicans and their allies, aid
ed by an enormous corruption fund,
and bv the coercion Of the labor vote,
the farmers of the country must ex-
pect no relief from existing conditions.
Increased taxation as proposed by Nc
Kiuley may alleviate to some extent
the condition of the eastern manuiac-
turer but it will be at the expense OF
the farmer and the laborer. 1t is idle
to suppose that the farming interest
can be baukrupted and destroyed with
out all classes of society feeling the
blow. Even the capitalistic class, cruel
as they are and blinded by avarice and
greed, will in the end discover that the
ruin OF the farmer is not the best way to
enhance their profits and wealth.
If the farmers and laborers are true
t" themselves next Tuesday they will
Lave future. If they neglect this op.
portunity they will surely smart for it.
The man who will suffer most of all
will be the laborer and the operative.
Surely the spectacle of two millions of
unemployed laborers ought to teach
them that to continue the present gold
policy means prolonged and intensiti'
ed misery. L. Z w.
FOR Over Fifty Years
xOrDASD WEIL-TRIED REMEDY-Mrs