The Penn's Grove record., 1897-06-04
The Living Issue.

The latter part of Rev. II. L. Shep.
pard's speech on Memorial Day was
some what of a surprise, as such was
not expected from one whom it vas
thought held different opinions. 1t is
evident that by a close reading of events
the past few months he has learned
something and while but few will deny,
and none can prove what he said is not
true, the most said was that his utter
ances were untimely and lacked discre-
tion. Those who do not shut their
eyes with blind prejudices can soon
learn the truthfulness of his assertions
and more too.
In speaking against plutocracy and
the money power most people think one
is attacking a man with $4,000, $780,
900 or $500, 900. Men of such wealth
engaged in honest industry are being
squeezed with the smaller ones. Those
worth such and even engaged in money
gambling and stock speculation may
feel pulled up by associatiDg with the
multitude of millionaries, yet they are
only tools and food for the big ones
who are proiiting most by contraction
of the currency and the bankruptcy of
those of lesser wealth. A Rockfellow
may found a Christian University and
give $3.50, 600 to missions, yet when the
Standard Oil monopoly is taxed he
says put up the price of oil until it is
paid. Carnegie may found luxurious
libraries, yet more wages to his poor
working men instead of Pinkeiton bull
let's would do them more good. Pull.
man may found an ideal town and de-
clare s per cent dividend on watered
stock yet more wages to workmen who
tented at the work bench for want of
food would show more love for his fel.
low man. Plutocraey and Mammon
wants nj better apOlogist than for one
to preach peace and union when evil
dence before your eyes show that they
are now making money dearer and
property, products and men cheaper
every day, and when the eapitalistic
press says, "'The Farmers Alliance and
Knights of Labor organizations should
be watched carefully and we must take
immediate steps to either control them
in interest or disrupt them"
Their interest is as wide apart as
Dives and Lazarus. When capital
owns Presidents and Congresses for
their interest it is time for labor, all
producers of wealth to get on the other
side.
The fore part of Mr.. %Sheppard's
speech was as intensely partisan on one
side, although trite, as the latter part
was on the other, although the latter
was on living issues. He denounced
both old parties, said President McKin-
ley could not remedy 1t, and left the
impression that it was caused by the
w~astetulness of milllons spent Tor liquor.
People drank liquor before the panic
of 1873 and 1898. Turn to May Goth,
issue of the Christian AdUocqte and
there see that less liquor was drank by
a larger population in 1896 than in
1892, showing that hard times has af
fected the liquor traffic.
There is not a law on the statute
books of the United States requiring a
gold standard. 1t exists by rulings of
the Secretary of the Treasury by orders
of the PRESIDENT. The U. S Treasury,
like the Bank of England, can be used
as an engine of destruction to raise or
depress prices. Mckinley can partly
remedy the matter, but he was elected
not to do 80.
Gen. Herman Haupt in the January
Arena said, "While the money lenders
have added TO their wealth hundreds Of
millions by the decentralization of silver
and the contraction Of the currency,
the people have suffered more than
twenty times as much in the shrinkage
of values, rendering them unable to
pay debts" The panic Of 1873 was
caused by burning the greenbacks.
Congress saw it coming and voted to
issue $500, 000,0 900 money to stop the
crash, but the President vetoed it as a
servant of Wall st. and the ruin rests
upon him. When a similar crisis came
in France in 1S4S, ITO enable the
manufacturing interests to weather the
storm at a moment when all the sales
were interrupted, a decree Of the ma.
tional assembly had directed ware.
houses to be opened for the reception of
all kinds of goods, and provided that
the registered invoice of the goods so
deposited should be made negotiable by
Endorsement. The Bank of France dis.
counted these receipts. In Havre alone
eighteen millions were thus advanced
on colonial produce, aud in Paris four
teen millions on merchandise; in all
sixty millions were made available for
the purpose of trade. Thus the great
institution had placed itself as it were
in direct contact with every interest
of the community, from the Minister