Hutchinson gazette. [volume] (Hutchinson, Kan.) 1895-1902, 1897-03-25
PRESENT HARD TIMES.
THE DIRECT RESULT OF BAD
LEGISLATION.
The Decline IN Prep Fst Amounts ca
BIZ iOn az the Daily Loss Resulting
From Unemploysh Laber mount e.
the Suin OK wO Million Dollars.

ing all wealth, are often throughout
this broad fer.ale land Of ours, unable
to secure enough Of the necess aries Of
life, to say nothing of the comforts, in
return for their contributions to the
common wealth.
The actual waste of productive en-
ergy in our country today is greater
than it would be with great foreign
war upon our hands. Indeed, fairly
measured it may be computed to be
greater than during the most critical
period of our'civil war. Doubt, anxiety,
and uncertainty prevades the whole
business world, industry languishes
enterprise is everywhere checked ex-
cepting in the organization and Oper-
alton Of robber trusts; and in those
countries which are happily free from
the curse of the existing gold stand
ard"
Existing" in our country not by
virtue Of law, but by virtue to its vio-
lation by it's maladministration.
The loss from idle, unemployed labor
cannot be less than S2,OOO,OoO daily.
The decline in the gold value of pro-
perty throughout the country since
1883 amounts up into the billions. If
Mulhalls estimate of the total wealth
Of our country in 1890 be taken as cor
rect the general decline can certainly
be computed at one-third or twenty
billions.
IT is no proper answer to say that
this properly still exists-that it is not
destroyed.
Its value in 1890 was in many cases
its cost to its owners, and if its seques-
tration under forms of law, as in the
instance of man who had paid three
fourths of abe purchase price of a
farm, mill, or factory, has to aban-
don it to satisfy the debt of one-fourth
because of legislated change of the
standard of payment be defensible
then swindling has become a fine art
and successful pick pockets and card
sharpers become worthy members OF
society.
A distinguished member Of the
British Pertinent once said in great
meeting IN London IN 1888 that had
that country been engaged IN great
foreign war for fifteen years, and
doubled her national debt, the burden
upon industry and commerce would
not be greater than it was then through
the appreciation of gold Yet, this
''dance of death" goes on with de.
Vastation and ruin marking its pro
gress
Money, the creature, is elevated by
blind devotecs, above humanity.
Is this the outco ne of our boosted
civilization? If so, what is be the end?
It needs no prophet to point it out, for
history records the downfall of civiliz-
ations which have preceded our own,
some of them so completely blotted
out, as to leave no evidence of their
existence other than monuments as
silent witnesses of the grandeur and
power of people of whom nothing is
known.
But the decay of Roman civilization
and power, followed by the centuries
called "the dark ages in history; when
liberty, learning and law, were UNI
known, all this is of record and its
lesson is before us in characters indeli-
BILE.
AS wealth became concentrated in
the hands of few great families lib
srty was lost for the debtors became
slaves, and an oligarchy of wealth sup
ported by mcrcenary soldiers when
Roman manhood was lost and imperial
Rome maintained her power by for
eign soldiery, until the luxury of the
wealthy classes had so absorbed the
precious metals from monetary puI-
poses when the mines were failing to
yield their treasures, then, and then
only, did the mighty fabric fall for
want of 'the chief instrument of asso-
citation" -money-without which civil
lizatioh cannot exist.
And the lessons Of the last century
are wildly presented to Us. The OPP
preston of the people by organized
wealth became unbearablc. The priv
legged classes in their arrogance refused
to heed the mutterings of discomfort,
and scorned the recommendations of
the great hnancier called by the King
of France TO restore the shattered
finances of the kingdom, and the wise
and patriotic Necker was expelled from
the country.
When the king in sheer distress
called the convention Of the mobiles, the
clergy, and the third estate as it was
called, the commonalty, the two former
refused to meet with the latter. When
all too late, they surrendered and even
the king himself declared for the PEG.
Pile, the red hand Of revolution had the
start, and the reign Of terror, with its
wild orgies Of unlicensed liberty be-
came a nnttnr. Of histnrr-