The representative., 1897-06-16

tralia, and South Africa are forced to
send their produce at cheap rates to
England, in part payment for dividends
and interest: British Imperialism is not
founded upon cannons; it rests upon
money only, and ancient Rome never
exploited her provinces in a more re-
lentless manner than Great Britain her
possessions or any country subject to
the influence of her capital.
Among the countries thus ruled by
England is in the first place the United
States India pays in London twenty
million pounds sterling 100000, ,00O).
The tribute of Australia and South At
rica is about S75,O00000. The United
States, however, alone pays $250,00O,000
in dividends annually at the lowest
computation. French statistics make it
$4O0 100000. To know this means to
understand that the Stars and Stripes,
this boasted banner of freedom and in
dependence, floats in reality over an i'm
mense dependency of Great Britain.
This, too, explains why the warlike
spirit Of the Americans was cooled with
such ease when London chose to ma
nipulate the markets to the detriment
of America during the Venezuelan
trouble The despots of ancient times
were wont to demand tribute Of pre-
cious metals, grain, cattle, and other
produce from the people they had con-
quered The Pharaohs did it, the rulers
of Persia and Rome did it. 1t is inter-
esting to note that England does eX
actly the same thing. The business is
managed in a capitalistic form, but the
tribute Is sent in the shape of produce.
America supplies England, to a large
extent free of charge, with silver, cot
ton, beef and grain; from the money
received for this produce, the $3.50, 900, 900
remains in England to pay share hold
ers who have done nothing for it. That
this state of things must affect prices
in other countries is clear. For if one
people receive annually large amount
Of goods for which they need not return
an equivalent, the people who pay the
tribute must be so much the poorer.
We will be told that British capital
in the first place created the wealth Of
the new States, and that therefore, the
inhabitants of these States are not a
penny worse off. This is, however, a
| fallacious argument. If England, for
| instance, builds a railroad in America,
the actual work done by an Englishman
| is paid for Immediately in the shape of
wages Or salaries. The expenses thus
| incurred are booked against the public,
who have to pay so much more per mile
travelled. The dividends shared in Lon
don are the surplus, the tribute which
| the world, especially America, pays to
| Great Britain. And this tribute, for
which absolutely no return is made, is
collected with as much brutality as ever
a Persian king of kings exhibited in
| collecting his
That America could ever be freed
from this tribute in a normal manner
| must be regarded as impossible. For
this could only be accomplished If the
Americans were able gradually to pur-
chase their bonds. This they can not do
unless they save up the necessary cap
ital. Now, as they have already to pay
s250,000,OOO annually of their surplus
earnings, it does not seem likely they
can save. AS a matter of fact their
debts increase. The farmers in the Uni
ted States rarely see cash, and their
property is deeply mortgaged. Hence
the enormous number of unemployed in
Chicago and in the East, which was lr
1893 greater than the immigration
Americas economic troubles are caused
by her bondage, and if we look closer
we will discover that England's capital
istic monopoly is at the bottom of "hart
times" the world over. The only pos
sible way out of the difficulty would bt
force The American government would
have to take bold step, it would have
to confiscate property held by foreigners
But, as in the case of joint stock com
panies, it would be difficult to separate
the native from the foreign shareholder
and the only remedy is therefore state
| socialism.
More or less self-government has beer
granted to all British colonies The to
tai political independence enjoyed b,
the United States is, therefore, only
degree above the freedom of Canada o
Australia. In spite of the Monroe doc
trine we must regard America in tn
same light today as in the sixteent
century-a region which exists solel
for the exploitation of the mother coun
try.''-Translated and condensed for tn
Literary Digest.
Wholesale Grocery Trust.