The Louisiana populist., 1897-11-19
PROSPERITY IS HERE.
BUT 1T is FOUND ONLY IN
WALL STREET.
Poverty Still Abides with tho Prodnc.re
and 1t win Deepen as Long as the
Present Financial Policy Coutinues-A
Few Words CT Truth,

Present Financial Policy Continues
Few Words ct Truth.
A late issue Of the Charlotte Observ.
er sets forth editorially as convincing
proof OF prosperity the steady increase
in the receipts of the Southern railroad
table which shows that the net profits
or that corporation are annually near
$z,0OO,OO0 more, than they were three
years ago. That Pierpont Morgan's
overseers have levied upon the public
and collected out Of them two million.
net, above cost of services rendered,
more than they did three years ago is
strange way Of proving that the pub
tic are more prosperous. It will be re-
membered that notwithstanding this
enormous increase in Pierpont's profits,
1t is his overseers who have been most
influential in persuading the N. c. and
Georgia railroad commissioners to re-
fuse the public demand to abate in any
particular the exorbitant freight and
passenger rateg-this, too, when the
gold standard by enhancing the value
OF money has, in effect, been raising
the railroad charges, measured in the
prices received for the farm products
handled by them. But the Charlotte
observer thinks there is prosperity. OF
course there is, from its standpoint, for
mas not Pierport Morgan increased the
annual tribute money collected out OF
US, some two millions dollars, and is
not the $4,000 salary the public pay
MS head overseer worth much more
since the purchasing clause of the Sher-
man act was repealed? But from the
standpoint Of the people who constant
~ pay a larger part Of their produce to
get 1t hauled by the railroads, and who
sweat the addition Of two millions an
nually for Pierpont Morgan and the
nigh salaries for the chief overseers he
has put over us, there is neither exu-
berant prosperity nor gratitude.
farmers who raise wheat will no
doubt be interested in the fact that
Banker Morgan has recently cleared
million clean dollars on wheat, while
Armour, Cudahy and other smaller fry
millionaires, cleared from one-third to
one-half as much. My, how many
mortgages tho above will obliterate.
Hurrah for dollar wheat!
Talk OF dollar wheat as much as
they may, no flrmer has yea received
as much as dollar for o :bushel Of
wheat. Such at;riculturists as ]. Pier
pont Morgan have sold wheat for even
more than 81. hut the average farmer
has been lucky II he got 70 csnts. The
general depression Of prices by the op-
GRAFTON OF the gold standard is all that
prevents farmers from receiving 81 per
bushel for thei, wheat today. The
overthrow Of tho gold bugs would make
prosperity general instead OF combining
1t to such exclusive localities as Wall
Street.
There is not leading advocate Of
the gold standard in the United States
WHO dares to publicly giva his true rea-
son for demanding that gold should be
retained as the sole metallic base Of
our monetary system, says the Nation-
al Bimetallist. Those who know any
thing about the s,ubjeE are fully aware
that gold Is consta5 lily rising in its
exchange value. That It will air the
time buy more ind Amore, except when
some unusual thing occurs to tempor-
arily raise the price Of some particular
commodity, al In the case Of wheat
at the present time. They know that
as money increases in purchasing DOW
: er the only bene6ciaries are the hold
ers Of fixed incomes, and those whose
interest in money exceeds their inter
ests In all other things combined. They
know that what benefits these classes
In such q way must injure all others.
Finally, they know that II they were to
declare that the!1 were seeking 10 FAR
ther enrich those who are already the
richest, they would be buried out Of
sight at the very first election. So the
millionairas and mutimillionaires. to-.
gether With their subordinate shout
pretend that they want the gold stand
ard (honest ~oney, as they cali sityaHs
the interest OF the widow and the DR.
phan, the hod carrier and the washer
woman. This is o palpable. fraud. It.
should deceive npbody, and should con-
vince every thiniing man that the gold
standard has no valid defense. g
Power ,,f Legal rsndsr. 81
Our silver dollars are the greatest.
object lesson eve; known In the United
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