Hutchinson gazette. [volume] (Hutchinson, Kan.) 1895-1902, 1897-05-20


Der of Congress in SIS instead of sense,
and rising Congressman would repre-
sent rising SIS, while declining Cong
ressmen would represent dscliHing sense
or 'falling prices" At all events the
value Of the majority of Congress- reg
ulates the value Of the S. unless that
majority places itself under the con-
troll Of committee that is chosen to
regulate the price of COMMODITIES.
But to turn to the individual: Man
cannot measure his own value. He
may prevent failing in the estimation of
his fellows, yet he ought to be wise
enough not to place himself upon a
alling market, when the basis of value
is un6xed. There are measures by
which men may be measured even in
time of failing prices" An American
may be worth as much as two Mexi-
cans. Or he may be worth as much as
four Cinnamon, or half dozen Indians.
There are machines by which men may
be measured. One has been recently
Introduced. 1t is the linotype, or
type'setting machine With a rapid
manipulation of the keys it will set as
much type as from five to eight men
can set by hand. Hence one man with
machine is worth as much as five
men without machines. Then If the
price of the machine is fixed at from
So, 600 to 81 900, the value of the man
that runs it would be from $4,000 to
1000 For we must concede that the
value of the labor performed must fix
the value of the operator to his en-
ployer, and the publisher must reckon
the value of the work to the periodical
printed, after deducting the cost of
paper, press-work, folding aud mail
ing. And all Of these must be account
ed for beneath the devastation Of fall
ing prices.
Prosperity instead of advancing sinks
into an insignificant nothingness.
Then the value of the man is estimat-
ed by the value of that which he saves
by his production. Hence the value of
falling prices" like that of falling
rain cannot be estimated until it set
ties to level that can be measured.
And yet there is as much stability in
falling rain as there is in falling
prices"
Of course the -producer-th man
who has never produced anything of
value by labor-ean sit as a middleman
watching the ascending or defending
scale Of prices, and realize an upward
or downward movement of the lever
without knowing or caring whether
the producer or the manufacturer is be-
ing benefited or robbed by the prices
at which he is compelled to sell the
proceeds of his labor And yet this in
dolent middleman may immagine he
sees the hand of prosperity pressing
down on the lever of falling prices"
as it brushes out the life-blood of the
laborer that produces it.
Where will we get the ratio of the
value of that stream of water-at the
fountain head or at the gulf? Or shall
we strike an average between the two,
where the water is steadily passing or
circulating? Plenty to be had, and
yet not too much. Plenty-that is
what brings prosperity, and increase
brings plenty, while decrease brings
poverty and death.
Manhood is the average point be-
tween birth and death. Prosperity is
the average between nothing and ev-
erything. 1t is the dividing line be-
tween excessive value and infinitessi-
NAL nothingness, Prosperity may be
next to everything, but it cannot be
next to nothing. Prices are not fixed
when they rise from nothing-neither
are they fixed when they fall to moth
ing. Neither can they be stable by
running into everything. The happy
medium is between the two, where
time fixes the value of all things.
There is time when man is at his
zenith. But he never reaches the ze-
NTH of prosperity on falling prices. At
the fullness Of time the zenith is reach
ed. S. Jennings, Wichita, Kan,
IN