Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1897-08-27
A SIMPLE QUESTION.
A CHILD COULD UNDERSTAND
i FINANCE. y
When tho Money Standard Appreciates
While the Value of Products Depreci-
atss tho Masses Suffer for the BENEFIT
Of the Few.

may read" says Thomas c. Hodgson,
in Farm, Stock and Home. Our great
est money volume, in proportion TO
business done, was at the close OF the
war. At that time prices ran up, val
ues Of real estate-especially farms
increased phenomenally. The 7-3Cs
were retired; between one and two hum
dred million Of greenbacks were de-
stroyed. Then followed the panic OF
a873 and depression Of several years,
during which the greenback party
arose and stayed the hand of slaughter
even forcing the government to issue
greenbacks in place Of part of those
destroyed. Then followed the Bland bill
and resumption of specie payment,
which threw large majority OF gold
and silver into circulation, followed by
an era of prosperity. The business OF
the country expanded so rapidly as to
create a scarcity Of money, which re-
suited in another depression and the
expansion of thu currency through the
Sherman law. Then followed a brief
revival of prices which caused business
to vastly out-ruh the trifiing increase
of currency, and the result was the
panic of 1893. There was another cause
for this panic, and perhaps a greater
one. During the decade of the 'Sos
the great shortage Of money was sup
plemented by resort to credit. The
real estate debts of our state Increased
300 per cent in those ten years. BY
the early '9Os our credit was exhausted,
confidence" was crippled. The great
producing classes found themselves
with big business on their hands with
small capital and no credit, hence the
panic. Congress assembled in extra
session, and after gigantic battle null
lifted the Sherman act. These states
men" believed, like some physicians,
that like cures like" We were SUI
fering from want of blood. The cure
proposed was more bleeding. Stagna-
ton does not describe the result; stag
gernation (if | may coin the world ex-
presses it better. 1t would be boon
il the experience Of these four years
could be blotted from our history.
Congress called an extra session to
deal with the lettering patient. What
is the proposed cure? Tariff! More
taxes. More staggernation blood! Phle-
botomy is their only science. Fleams
and the leech their only instruments
What else could be expected? They
are the children of their alma mater
business!
do not agree with some. The farm
or is not the greatest sufferer now. He
was eaten up years ago; they are not
making fortunes out Of him now. They
are devouring one another. Your city
papers are full Of advertisements in
display type-Half Price. The stronger
eating up the weaker. Oh, the canni-
balism of business. And the biggest
cannibal is actually believed by the
American people to be the right man
to manage the public business, to pre-
side over the destinies Of the people tc
be eaten! Does it take a spoonful OF
brains to see where all this must end
It is not lack of intelligence that per
mits this sort of thing to prevail. II
is lack of moral sense-spirit. What
we need is more manhood. More Of
that spirit which insists on human
rights regardless Of consequences
When one reflects how simple the es'
sential principles of all the sciences
are-especially the science OF govern
ment-it is impossible to excuse the
people on the ground of Ignorance
Take the tariff: Shrewd minds cal
spin out theories so fine, so involved
so intricate as to battle the intellect o.
an angel. But the whole system II
swept away like a cobweb by the sim
ple statement of Henry Watterson
at taxing the whole people for TIM
benefit of a part of the people be no
wrong nothing is wrong" Take thu
money question and just paraphras'
Mr.. Watterson and you have 1t all be
fore YOU: IF constantly appreciatint
money standard be not wrong, nothing
Is wrong"
The principles Of the gospel wer'
announced by it's founder to be SO sim
pie that even babes and stockings
unprecedented it readily. Blinded b!
arrogance and seltishness the wis
and prudent" entirely overshot tn
mark. The longer such men study
question the further they go astray. Il
the blind lead the blind both shall fal
into the ditch" Stay by the first prin
ciples. Use your own intelligence ant
YOUR own conscience. If you are shor
of money, and everybody around you
is short of money, and everything II
cheap except money, you can reach tn
conclusion that money is scarce, with
out any great mental effort, and theI
use your influence and vote to maxi
It more plentiful, just as you would !
any other necessary article was scarce
You certainly would encourage tn
production of it. Uncle Sam produces
all the money. Why don't you encour
age him to produce more of 1t? Is
because you lack intelligence, or be
cause YOU lack manhood? Decide TO
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