The sun., 1897-01-17
ROBBER BAR0NSOF TO-DAY
GERMAN A6EARIANs AND THEIR
ONsLA MT ON THE BOURsES.
Their Present Attack Upo. the Produce
Exchanges Oniy . small Part OF Their
Socisiistio Campaign Against Modern
Methods OF Ba.i-es- - wud Sehe mes.

EXCHANGES Oniy . small Par, OF Their
socisii.tio Campaign Against Modern
Methods OF Bu.i-es. - wud Schemes.
The cable brings daily the news OF the closing
OF produce exchanges In Germany. First the
exchange in Halle ceased doing business, then
the exchange In Stettin. then the exchanges In
Brunswick. Bremen. and other centres Of tho
German grain trade. The German newspapers
OF liberal tendencies speak Of the strike OF the
produce exchanges" Of the iniquity Of the new
law regulating tho grain trade and forbidding
dealing In futures, of the irrepressible conflict
between the Agrarisn count and barons, on one
side. and the representatives Of modern COM
| mercial methods on the other. The old Tory
| organs reply with invectivo against the grain
| jews" the wheat usurers," the deadly upas
Of the bourse," and the "swindling speculation
| Of the cities"
A few years ago It might have been difllcult
| for an American to perceive tho exact slenif-
cance OF the conflict indicated by these catch
| words and happenings. Men who followed
| closely the course OF Bryan's campaign last fall
| are not likely, however, to mistake the meaning
| Of tho present onslaught OF the German land
owners on the German traders in the cities.
Tho general issue. In fact. Is the one fought out
In the last Presidential election in this country
the issue OF populism or communism against tho
| established order Of things. The similarity OF
| the Agrarian and Populist programmes Is re-
marknbc; on both sides of the ocean one hears
| tho same arguments The AvrarIans are tho
| declared friends OF silver; they believe there
| was q crime In ~; they are convinced that
| the so-calied inanciers OF the cities then con-
| spired to defraud tho " honest toilers" OF the
| agricultural districts; they proclaim without
ceasing that gold has appreciated and that the
Jews and bankers have exploited this apprecia-
tlon to the detriment Of the rest OF mankind;
they maintain that silver mus, be rehabllltated.
and therefore they arc the prltne movers in any
effort to force tho German Government into AN
international silver conference. The Aqrnrlans
| are also pnterpa,i,t, They b,lonp to IN. marty
| which belpea Bismarck most actively TO mass
| tho law. insurinp vorkipgmsn against illness
old ape and accident Tb.v have favored
every bill calculated 10 Law IN, burden
| OF taxation on tho hacks Of tho bip man.
ufacturer. They arc teen after IN, money
pover They inve,oh .uaIns, tru.,.. ,hev
would mulct the CAN'T al,,,, right and l.t, 10 mi
the C,overnment treasury and r.I,eve other ,a,.
payers. notably land.ownine taxpayers. They
| vcleom, incom, taxes that discr,nin. auain.t
| tho millionaire. Inctden,sllv 4, NAV n. man.
TONED that like the populis,. IN. A urarians ars
| lew baiters svmpathj,inp onenlv with parson
stoecker on their right and with CT Rector
| Ablwardt m THAR Isf, and ds.ni.,rg ,be lava
of tho Ro,bsehild D,.ichroeder clas. with tho
hot scorn of the mos, fan a,icaI Kansas aoita,or.
In th, eyes of these titled popul,,,. Of ,b.
Continent n grain broke ar ia . crinina, Tbev
.rpu. that. p,r a, bis busin.,, ha. been more or
ie.. nsf.riou.. hi. chief .mhI,,,n 4, ut. IA
REGARDED by them n. the oppr..sion Of tn. nprI
cultural populn,ion. A m,mb.r of n nroduco
exchange. they think. p,ots with hi, colleagues
day and night To keen down tb, pricc of grain
when he buys and nut IL nm when he ,elis and
40 rob the grain grower OF his reward. II was