The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-08-22

power. We are far the wealthIest power OF
the world--both as to developed and un-
developed resources We are the one gov
eminent that could abolish commerce Win
other nations and yet have plenty; ana We
arc the one government that no otner gov.
eminent OF the world can well get along
without Under these conditions DO our
statesmen fear that unles4 we fortify. some
little government will slip In some night
and tote us ONT Out OF this grab by coast
cities. 100000 will so to land grabbers ior
} sites upon which 10 construct forts bu,
! every bitter has Its sweet, and SO you VII
join me In congratulating the country tnat
our congressman had the unerring fore
sight. the president view, the exceptionally
} prophetic ken OF future needs. TO divert
100000 from fortlicatons to the construc-
ton OF torpedoes. All, my friends, tell me
what 1t is we need In this great country
! OF ours In times OF peace II 1t Is not tor
pedoes When their great utility In times
OF peace Ia considered tell me what family
can possibly do without torpedo? Did
not our congressman err In not demanding
more for torpedoes?
, But ~ you wade through the nrmbefless
Items running into millions In foolish ex-
pense, this torpedo blessing is not the only
one calculated to swell your patriotic
, bosom with pride. II there is anything that
will make the heart OF a patriotic Amer
, lean bump UP against his metallic sue
, pender buckle until 1t sounds like chest
, nut bell. 1t Is his deep reverence and ten
der love for 10, the poor Injun" All, poor
I.o! True he's lousy, lazy and lecberous,
lbut he Is ours. He has his faults, but we
love him still. although he won't stay still,
| nor will his habits permit still 10 stay.
Why then should we not rejoice that from
, the people are filtered through various and
sundry appropriations for poor Lo--only
about seven and half million dollars an
nually? True. good MANY place hunters,
| public pie eaters, get whack at this be-
7 fore any of 1t reaches poor Lo, but II serves
to show how we love him.
few more triling Incidental expenses
) may serve to show what a close watch the
I people keep on public affairs. For example,
those extra condensations Of wisdom, pa
: triotism, courage and purity Of which our
executive, judicial aud legislative depart
ments are exponents consume only twenty
one and a half million dollars annually. Our
,, great navy, that we could not think OF do
, Ing without In time OF peace. costs the
f, mere trlne OF thirty and half million dol
: lars annually. Then how 1t makes our pa
triotism throb when We think OF the PEN
sions we pay? Those of us who were un-
fortunately on the side in the war that
/ don't get pensions ought to feel bad about
the results OF the war. We certainly had no
, comprehension OF the human slaughter We
/ committed. But 1t has been proven by an
expert in mathematics, basng figures upon
tho pension roll, that every Federal soldier
we did not kill we wounded. Who can deny
: the justice OF paying pensions to men who
4 thus fit and got hurted--ranging all the
Y way from the fellow who was kicked by
0 a mule to him whose head was cut off by
cannon ball, and by mistake of a surgeon
o replaced wrong side front. Who could OBJ
c ject to a pension to the widow Of a gallant
: officer whose body was pierced time and
: again by bals--codlsh balls for instance.
n,tn i.r last IN ndnf ant
a that only $500 900 so to pensions an
y nually?
. And so we might 20 on through the list,
o where the over half billion dollars of gov
y emment expenses 90. On every page of the
appropriation bill are the evidences that
the masses permit themselves robbed out
. rageously. merely because the classes out
smart them.
I 1t being admitted that our troubles are
= mainly traceable to the fact that the
classes outsmart the masses" the ques-
, ton is naturally suggested: How is 1t done?
p While many collateral agencies are used
i to this end. the leading one is and has ever
I been in so-celled civilized countries, scarce
I money and high interest.
D Did you ever try to anayze this question
+ Of Interest as compared with profit In other
o lines? The average farmer. though he mSy
: have wife and q half dozen children to
: help him. really considers himself for
q tunate II at the end OF the year he have
II 500 clear Of all expenses This looks like
= small return for the labor expended, but
}, ten farmers make less where one makes
= more. Now. say the banker lends this man
y $1,000. taking mortgage on crop teams,
ETC.. to secure 1t The banker strikes not a
r lick of work. The $1,000 does no work. But
q at the end OF the year that cold, bioodless
II $1,000 says to the farmer: Look here. don't
= You know that you, your wife and your
: children are my masters slaves? So walk
Is up here and turn over to him every dollar
OF net earnings for year OF yourself wife
u and children, or will ruin you. You la,ow
}. this ought not to be, and would not except
~ That TIC classes outsmart the masses And
% 1t could not be If the masses would organ
y Ice. think and act instead of kicking. Com
~ pared with earnings in other lines interest
- ought not to be over one-tenth OF per
. cent Instead of from to 10 per cent. As
:, long az this condition exists the wealth OF
. the land Will continue to concentrate In
;, fewer hands; the rich will grow richer: the
- poor poorer, until revolution brings death
10 and destruction to the one and relief to the
- other.
i Did you ever think about the methot
- accepted TO keep money scarce and interss
r. nigh? Has 1t not been by the money
" lending class always outsmarting III,
ID money making and money spending class
J. es! This they have done by making tn,
70 conviction general--even with authors o
"a political economy--that paper money need
Ia an immediate redeemer on demand of th
$. holder In common with Others / hav
ID always held 10 this theory. but | am be
r ginning to doubt 1t. l am beginning to b.
D. lieve that IL is a fallacious theory that ha
D. boen the prime curse OF the modern world
D. Look moment: All paper money repre-
" sents so much geld or silver. Hence il i
DO held that no moro paper can BIO Issue,
ID than we have metal to redeem 1t ON dc
l. mand. We have in the world less thu,
le eight billions both gold and silver. w
l. have less than four billions OF either
n Hence we can, according 10 the immediate
ie redemption theory only have as. much IA
at per money as we have standard meta
T. money. Our volume OF business consid
re cred this cnforces fearfully contracte,
at volume OF money, resulting in scare,
so mercy and high interest. AS near as dat,