The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1897-06-24
Is PRO SPERITY?
The Rambler Arrives in Canton and
Fails to Discover the Advancing
Signs of That Prosperity.


not been realized. Barnum, the great |
Snowman, said "the American people
like to be humbugged." No greater
evidence of that saying has ever been
given than the result of the campaign of
1896. Should any one doubt this asser.
ton? They should make tour of in.
spection of the cities along the Atlantic |
Coast, from Florida to the New Eng |
land States. Throngs of idle men are
to be seen on all the principal corners
of the cities, discussing and cussing the
industrial situation. Along the rail-
roads and public highways idle men,
single and in large crowds can be seen
looking for the promised prosperity.
The iron manufacturing cities of
Plttsburg, Youngstown and Cleveland
are over-run with idle men, and from
the general drift of opinions, which are
to be heard on all sides, 1t is very evi.
dent that although the campaign of 1896
is passed, the campaign of 1900 is open
in full force. The financial school of
starvation wages for those who are work.
ing and starvation times for those who
are idle is working wonders on the peo-
pie. The eyes of the producing classes
are being opened to the fact that the
gold standard financial policy is gold
standard swindle of full weight and it is
twenty four carats fine. The disatisfac.
ton is not being confined to the labor
ing population by any means. Already
protests have been made by prominent
manufacturers and business men.
The long continued idleness of labor
has cut down the sales in real estate and
all classes of business have been affected.
John Wanamaker is on record and
others will soon follow. 1t may be one
! Of Johns advertising schemes, but it
will have It's effect on public opinion
The present existing conditions are
creating great opportunities for the BIZ
metallists and no chances should be
thrown away. The only way to feed q
fire is while it is burning. The fire Of
disappointment and disgust is burning
fercely, and the fuel of agitation is being
heaped on it from all directions. The
great reforms in all governments have
been brought about by agitation, and
the reform of our financial policy will
depend on the agitation of bimetalliC
ideas by all who believe that financial
reform will bring national prosperity.
The gold standard defenders have
promised us prosperity, good times and
financial reform. But when and how?
The relief promised by the tariff has
been denounced by the ablest and most
conservative public men. The necessity
Of high protective tariff is denied by
the fact that manufacturers of the
United States are competing successfully
for foreign trade, and no greater evi
dence is necessary than the contracts o
Carnegie Steel Co., with the Russian
government for armor plates and the
Canadian people for structural bridge
steel. The importation of sugar and
wool from foreign countries since the
last election is ahead of all previous re
cords. This means a direct tax on the
consumer as soon as the new tariff goes
into effect We are to be taxed moi
according to our ability to pay but ac
cording to the necessities, which we con
sumo in order to live and clothe our
selves. 1t is not necessary to make any
statistical arguments against the golC
standard reformers, as we have the
living evidence before us. Beginning
on Wednesday morning, following the
victory of the gold standard reformers
Armour & Co cut wages in Chicago, an6
over one hundred notices of reductions
of wages has come under our notice tc
date. Now clad contracts in which the
laboring man is placed beneth the leve
of the slave have been brought out tc
public view by investigating committees
If these are the advancing signs thai
great prosperity, what will we do wher
great links in the cham of prosperity
are home market for the products o
our large manufacturers, transportation
facilities for distribution and most
necessary of all a circulating medium
(or money! which should be controlled
by the government, and which should
come direct to the people without the
intervention of private or national
banks. The development of the natural
resources in the Western country would
open a home market for all kinds OF
manufactured products of the East. II
would give employment to thousands Of
idle men 1t would provide homes FOL
thousands of families, and at the same
time, under bimetallic standard, il
would create the money necessary to
carry on the business which would be
created. New mineral and agricultural
districts would be opened up which are
at present so remote from transporta-
ton that mining and agriculture can
not be carried on only to limited ex'
tent. New railroad lines would be
built and demand for railway supplies,
mining machinery and agricultural i'm
plements would be created The proof
of these statements can be found in the
fact that there is not transcontinental
line West of the Mississippi river which
does not extend its main line or branch
line to the mining camps, and we be
lieve that it was the great importance Of
the mining industry, which induced
capitalists to invest in railway enter