davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-25
HOW PRICES ARE SUSTAINED.

The Chicago Times-Herald prints a spe-
cial message from Mr. Bryan dated in Mex
leo. 1t is short, but contains the statement
that "all must have observed that the
prices of goods have been sustained in coun-
tries using silver as a money basis, while
they have fallen in those having a gold
Standard Yes, we will admit that. In
fact, measured by the value of silver bull
lion which is the value of silver money, the
prices of merchandise in Mexico have been
advancing because the value of the silver
bullion in Mexican silver dollars has fallen.
Except the small proportion of the people
of Mexico who are well to do, it is not
country which makes much use of those
manufactures which are here regarded as
the necessaries of life. The masses do not
spend much for clothing or for ordinary
household furnishings. AT this season of
the year. when everybody in this part of
the world is purchasing Christmas goods,
the masses of Mexico purchase very little,
because they have not the means with
which to purchase. If the people of the
United Statse should change to the primi-
tive living Of the common peope of Mexico,
half the factories in the land would be
closed in a month because of unsold goods.
The reason that the mass of Mexican people
cannot purchase is that employment is linn
tied and wages in silver are not one-third
what they are here on gold basis.
Prices are sustained because in the past
the larger part of the goods of value sold in
Mexico were purchased in gold countries,
Mexican importer takes his silver dollars
to the foreign bank in Mexico and obtains
gold exchange to pay for his merchandise.
Just now it takes more than the Mexican
silver dollar to get dollar worth 100 cents
in New York London. Yesterdays quo
tation of the Mexican silver dollar In New
York was 1875 cents. Dec. it sold for 46l5
cents; Oct z for 43 cents. The Mexican
merchant whose goods cost him 500 in gold
is liable to sustain prices when he sells
them for dollars whose value fiuctuates
from 43 cents to 461z cents in less than two
months. He will mark his goods from $500
up to $780, which may be said to be ''sus-
tanning prices" AS he purchases on long
time, settling but once a year, it is alto
gether probable that the goods which deal
ers in gold countries could purchase for 800
for quick sale and thirty days credit would
be marked we'll up to $500 in Mexican money
to cover fluctuations and the interest of
long credits. Mr.. Bryan may not know it,
but Mexican prices, for large part of the
more valuable merchandise, are the gold
prices of gold countries measured by the
value of silver bullion.
There is one value in Mexico the price
of which is not sustained-labor. Without
much advance, labor which was paid in sill
yer money when its purchase power was 80
cents, measured by gold is now paid in sill
yer worth 40 cents in purchase price. The
seller of labor has been cheated of half his
income by silver depreciation.
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-25

the mercy of our legislature. They have
paced their Constitution altogether out OF
the reach of Congress, providing method
OF amendment whose difhcalty IS Shown by
the fact that ii has been so sparingIy used.
Under our system, says ex-Fresident
State Legislature is subject 70 be nuiIified
II the courts auJudge II to be in conflict, in
the case of State law, with the Constitu-
ton OF the State or of the United States,
and in the case of an act OF Congress with
the national Constitution
Small wonder that almost every President
has been trained as a lawyer. and that the
avenue to political success is through the
law courts There are grave difficulties for
the acutest legal mind 10 overcome, and
they are accompanied by practical short
comings, of minor Importance but continual
annoyance, which result from absolutely
similar causes. Among these our author
mentions the pocket veto" and the legisa-
tive methods of the end of session opp. 129.
1900; the drawbacks or the publicity of the
presidential life tChapter X: the questions
OF pensions (p. 2S4); OF the diplomatic servs
ice (p. 1880. and of currency, on which we
must pertorce pause an instant TO recall
Websters description of. Hamilton's great
He smote the rock of the national re-
sources, and abundant streams of revenue
gushed forth. He touch the dead corpse of
public credit, and 1t sprung upon ITS feet.
Compare this with the actual state of
things to-day as described on PIP. 204-209 OF
the work before us:
"The treasury holds itself bound to give
gold TO everyone presenting a United States
note, and has no way of compelling anyone
to pay gold to ii. The secretary
must stand by until the gold is gone, and
thsn sell bonds to bring 1t back The re-
suit is that the banks and the brokers are
able often to make play of the treasury"
The Chronicle says I'm conclusion: Mr..
Mutt has been well advised to republish for
English readers these chapters when orig
inally appeared in the Ladies Home Jour
nal. He has. improved the form of Messrs.
Scr1bnerS American edition by adding a
table OF contents and an index. He has
been wise enough to omit its preface, and
to give the book title more explanatory
of its scope. The volume, as it stands. viii
be of the utmost value to those English
critics whose vituperation of Americans is
only equaled by their ignorance of the
United States. In these pages they may
learn why Bryan was beaten. they will un-
derstand why various negotiations moved
SO slowly; they may even appreciate the
truth of the paradox, recently published
elsewhere, that the salvation of the Re-
public is in the utter rottenness of its gov
eminent.
The Chronicle is in error in assuming that
the English publisher added the index and
table of, contents, both these features APP
pearing In the American edition.
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-25

In his second interview with the House
banking and currency committee Secretary
Gage was led to declare his views of BIZ
metallism. "Bimetallism," said the secre-
tary must be one of two things, either
two kinds of money of unequal commercial
value, circulating on an equality with each
other by reason of the lower quality being
made exchangeable with the higher and
thus equal in value, or two kinds of money
so absolutely equal in value as to circulate
on a natural parity. A bimetallic standard
does not exist anywhere on earth. a BIZ
metallic currency, as / understand bmetal-
lism, does not exist in the United States at
the present time" Mr.. Gage makes his mean
ing very clear, and his position cannot be
successfully assailed, because all experience
sustains the assertion that a double stand
ard does not, never did. and, in the nature
of things, can never exist. One metal or
the other will be the standard, unless the
standard is adjusted to the commercial
value of the metals as often as the ratio be-
tween them changes. We have bimetallic
money. and 440OO0,OCO silver dollars, or their
representatives circulate as readily as gold
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-25
WE ARE NOT A DEBTOR NATION.

a favorite argument of the advocates of
free silver and other forms of cheap money
has been that as "a debtor nation we
ought to discard the monetary standard of
creditor nations and establish one of our
own. 1t is scarcely exaggerating to say
that the entire free-silver movement and
the whole fabric of Organism rested on the
assumption that we are a debtor nation
and therefore would be greatly benefited by
cheap money. OF course, this contention in
volved admission that lowering of the
money standard would be rank dishonesty.
for the only advantage to a debtor in cheap
money is the scaling down of his debt. but
its advocates did not trouble themselves
about this. They were content to appeal
to the greed OF people and to hold o,li the
alluring prospect of paying of debts that
had been contracted In good money with
money worth only about half as much.
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-25
CHRISTMAS.

The first Christmas of which sto~y
makes mention was celebrated by 4. ragedy
-cne of the darkest and most CT j Of a
dark and cruel age. In the time of Diocle-
tian, Roman Emperor who reigned from
2S4 to S05 A. D., while he was keeping court
at Nicomedia, he learned that multitude
of so-called Christians were assembled in
the city to celebrate the birthday of one
Jesus, and he determined to give them a
lesson which their brethren would not forget
and which the pagan gods would approve
He did it by ordering the doors of the build
ing in which they were assembled to be
closed and the building set on fire. In the
confiagration which followed several hun
dred Christians persisted. But, as usual, the
blood of the martyrs was the seed of the
church, and this devilish holocaust did not
arrest the spread of Christianity nor put a
stop to the celebration OF the nativity of
its founder. Christmas had come to stay,
and from that first tragic celebration typi-
flying the powers of darkness and hate
it has endured through the ages until it now
stands for all that is best in the world and
in humanity, the highest expression of peace
the happiest and most universal of holt
days. 1t is almost certain that the 18th day
of December cannot be the nativity of the
Savior, for it is then the height of the rainy
season in Judea, and was 1000 years ago,
so the shepherds could hardly have been
watching their flocks by night in the plains.
In fact, during the third and fourth centu-
ries of the Christian era some of the
churches celebrated the nativity in the
months of April and May. and others in jan
uary. But the actual date is not important.
The essence of the matter is the sentiment
that inspires the celebration. In this respect
the day is emblematic of the spread of
Christianity itself, for beginning as a dis
tinctly Christian celebration it gradually abb
sorbed and amalgamated with itself several
other holiday observances of the pagans,
including the yue-feast of the Germans and
similar festivities practiced by the Romans,
Celts, etc. Thus Christmas gradually be-
came everybody's holiday universal So
cial festival, for young and old, high ard
low. in which religious observances and
worldly amusements go hand In hand 10 pro-
mote the sentiment of universal brother
hood. 1t furnishes a common plane for the
meeting of Catholics and Professionals, enc
on which the churches of the East and the
West, the Romans and the Greeks, high
churchmen, low churchmen and dissenters
of every creed and name can, for at least
one day, meet and join in a common OBJ
servance. All other holidays are common
place beside it. and the world could no more
get along without it than the solar system
could without the sun.
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-25
A Thrifty Widow.
Philadelphia Record.


ON n farm not far from Doylestow there
lives a thrifty widow, with seve sons,
ranging from a well-grown lad or ixteen
years to a little fellow of three. " Is IN
poor circumstances. and, as may eadily
he imagined it has been hard natter
for her to support them all: The fan Is q
source Of revenue in modest degn. ana
the Widows ingenuity has made gooI s,Iiy
deficiencies II would be next to mlssible
for her TO give each of the boys asouple
of suits of thick. warm changeaole no lti,-
clothes in winter, so every year 81 putsS.
Buying a piece of rough flannel the
crossroads store. she cuts IT IN roper
shapes and sizes and stitches 1t arold the
bodies ard limbs of her sons The annel
10 seyved ON to stay, and over it II boys
wear ordinary outer garments. stited in
as they are. they do not have the beer or
changing underclothes like other eople
When spring time comes and the aigrowS
balmy. their mother rips them and
uses the flannel for carpet rags.
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-25
R.ndstreet,s Review.

NEW YORK Dec. A-Bradstreet's Of
tomorrow will say: Quietness in wholesale
lines but pronounced and notable activity
in retail trade have been the salient fea-
lures in this week 8 trade situation. Price
changes, which are numerous, are largely
in an upward direction, and the year
draws to close with results as a whole
fully equaling and in many instances sur
passing early expectations Perhaps the
most notable feature has been the unanm-
ity with which the trade reports from
all parts of the country, with some few
exceptions, point to very heavy holiday
trade, in nearly all cases comparing favor
ably with recent preceding years. Reports
are that stocks of holiday goods have been
heavily reduced. Particularly prominent in
reporting a good retail trade in the West
are Chicago, st. Louis and Kansas City.
AT the South, New Orleans reports retail
ers reaping harvest and December trade
larger than usual Similarly good reports
come from Nashville, Savannah and Mem
phis, but collections and business would be
larger werS 1t not for the low price of
cotton. In the Northwest colder weather
has improved the demand for seasonable
goods, and this. combined with the usual
holiday business, has resulted in a good
total trade, with specially good reports
from Milwaukee. st. Paul and Omaha At
the East seasonable conditions prevail
wholesale trade being quiet and holiday
in the cotton goods situation and wage re-
auctions seem imminent. Good business
has been done in boots and shoes and ship.
ments are far ahead of last year Pacific
coast retail trade is active and Klondike
boomers are gathering in the cities of
Washington and Oregon
Proof that the unsettled condition of the
wheat situation affects the export business
in that cereal is furnished by the figures
of shipments this week from both coasts
of the United States and Canada. The total
exports reported to Bradstreets aggregate,
flour included as wheaD 4.757 $50 bushels
as against 4,6Oi,O0O bushels last week and
900 bushels two weeks ago They also
compare with exports of 2.111 900 bushels
in this week last year, S.457 600 bushels in
1895 and 1874 900 bushels in 1894. Indian corn
exports for the week are 4.S790l1 bushels,
against 4,129,S7 bushels last week, 246S, coo
this week a year ago, 1,S39,O0O bushels in
1895.
Commercial failures in the United States
remain about normal. The total for this
week amounts to $50, compared with 2S3
in the previous week. but is smaller than
the total in 1895, when 316 were reported.
There are 80 business failures reported in
the Dominion this week, against 43 last
week.
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-25


Hon. Hamilton Fish, General Grants sec-
rotary of state, was very able statesman,
and, without being a jingoist, he was a
thorough American. 1t may be assumed,
also, that he knew and reflected General
Grants views. In dispatch to the Amer
lean minister in Hawaii, in 1873 Mr.. Fish
said
The position of the Sandwich Islands as
an outpost, fronting and commanding the
whole of our possessions on the Pacific
q peculiar interest TO the government and
people of the United States. These islands.
in the hands of maritime power. would
threaten a military surveillance in the Pa
cific similar to that which Bermuda has
afforded In the Atlantic: We desire no addi-
who may at some future time use them to
our disadvantage.
Just now England would like to know
whether she could depend on the co-opera-
ton of the United States in case she has to
resist the ACKNOWLEDGMENT of China, but dur
ing our civil war both England and France
We're watching and waiting for an oppor-
tunfty to seize Hawaii, then better known
as the Sandwich Islands, and either of them
would do it now if they had half q chance"
So would Germany Japan. Americans
who now contemplate with serenity the
possibility of Hawaii becoming European
possession might draw a little inspiration
from these earlier administrations. In the
language of Secretary Fish, referring to
Englands ownership of the Bermudas I'VE
desire no additional similar outposts in the
hands of those who may at some future
time use them to our disadvantage
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-25

The announcement by the secretary OF
state that arrangements have been made
for the free admission into Cuba of contri-
buttons of all kinds for the relief OF the
suffering people in that island. shows that
the government has been doing some effec-
tive work in that behalf. 1t shows, also.
that the Spanish authorities are disposed to
be more reasonable than they have been
hitherto. Recent accounts reveal shock
ing condition of affairs In the island, and
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-25

Advance notices of the forthcoming mes
sage of Governor Bradley, of Kentucky. in
dicate that he wifi pour hot shot into mobs,
lynchers and toll-gate raiders. He charac-
terlzes as towards and criminals the
county and other officials who have connived
at these crimes or failed to use the whole
power of the law in furnishing them. That
is the kind of "hot stuff that is needed in
Kentucky
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-25

Boston Transcript.

When you send a Christmas prest send
a letter of ADVICE with II. rms u n, mint .t
heart burning might have been pyented
by aid of a few pen strokes and aostage
stamp. Even a postal card annoumg the
sending of a parcel which was af'wardS
lost in the mails. or in the course trans-
mission by express, may sometim prove
q mighty messenger of peace and gd viii.
The gift sent with ones visiting ira IN
closed may not arrive at it's destim0n, or
the card may be lost, and the gil there
fore never acknowledged. Sendingresents
wi thout an accompanying notincah Is a
gun that shoots both ways. an makes
trouble often when it was mean.o give
pleasure. blessed in the giving al in the
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-25
The Modern Agnossic

III. G. Chapman, in January Allan.
We look at our churches with cir con-
gregations, growing in numbers dwin-
ding In faith. and we ask CURVES, In
all these buildings. cheap or cog, what
real prayers rise; and of those thrise, do
they get above the roof? We Il at the
face OF the dead and repeat a bal seTv-
ice. II after the manner of m | have
fought with beasts at Ephesus, hat adj
vantageth me II the dead rise Il And
the dead rise?" And If any ons found
who believes these things he lws that
there Is another at his elbow W believes
them not whit OF an atom. anhese two
can hit on no universe that 81 satisfy
both, nor can one be poet to other
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-25

The contest in New York between ex-
Senator ana Ex-Governor David b. Hill and
Boss Croker for the leadership of the Dem
ocratic party in the Empire State will be an
interesting struggle. 1t would be strange.
indeed. II really the ablest Democrat In the
country should be defeated by man con-
corning whom no good thing can be said,
and whose wealth is derived from the cor
rupt extortions and blackmail of The Tam
many machine.
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-25

Senator Hanna's enemies are making des-
perate efforts to defeat his election by the
Legislature, and they are making very loud
claims, but the most reliable indications are
that they will fail. 1t is feud of place
seekers.
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-25

Some papers are citing Thomas Jefferson
IN opposition to- the annexation of Hawaii
because in letter to Madison in 1899 he
said: Nothing should ever be accepted
which would require navy to defend it."
In the same letter, however, he advocated
the acquisition of Cube. which, as he wrote.
.can be defended by us without navy"
Could Cuba be defended with infantry and
cavalry any more than Hawaii?
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-25

Later reports concerning the killing of
Colonel Ruiz by the insurgents are that
documents found on his person proved that
he was there to offer Colonel Aranguren a
bride OF 100000 and a high Office in the adj
ministration of Cuba in return for his de-
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-25

The secretary of war has recommended
an appropriation of s2,OC3,OOO to open the
Tennessee river to navigation as far as
Chattanooga. Admitting that the proposed
work is meritorious, it should not be under
taken until the revenues of the government
nxceed its exnendiflIres
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-25

An Indiana representative has refused to
offer special pension bill for a man who
draws the limit under the law for disabili-
ties incurred during the war. but who now
wishes the amount doubled because of in
iurles received since the war
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-25

The Washington correspondent who
sounded" the Mckinley administration to
ascertain If it would take part in the parti-
ton of China displayed more enterprise
than knowledge of the traditional policy of
the United States in regard to the affairs of
governments on the other hemisphere,
which is acknowledgements
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-25

no doubt there is need there of all the aid
the American people may feel inclined to
offer. If the arrangement had been per-
fected sooner it would have been gracious
act to have sent shipload OF contributions
to arrive there during Christmas week No
doubt. however, they will be equally accept
able at any time.
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-25

During December 100000 of national
bank notes have been withdrawn from cir
culation by thesbanks responsible for them.
This. indicates that national-bank circula-
ton is not profitable and that there is
more money than can be prodtably en-
Moved ~
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-25

Alderman Grabbe is a pretty smooth
article. He never gives himself away"
odd, isn't it, when one considers how he
is always saying that he belongs to the
common people. In fact he is about the
only thing belonging to the people that he
hasn't given away" 70 80
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-25

The New York Times independent Demo-
cratcl concludes from the Boston munic-
ipal election that If Henry George had not
died before the New York election his vote
would have been as surprisingly small as
was that of Riley in Boston. Rileys meet
ings were large and enthusiastic, but the
vote shows that the thousands who attended,
after all their cheering. voted the Demo-
cratic ticket
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-25

With one Chicago multi-miIiionaire as a
wheat bull trying to corner the market and
another as a bear trying to break the cor
ner, real transactions must come to a
standstill, causing exports to fail.
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-25

It will disgust those papers which are
clGmoring for more revenue to learn that
thus far during December the receipts of
the treasury have exceeded the -expendi-
lures
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-25

There are two European powers which are
not showing any anxiety to share in the
partition of China = namely Turkey and
Greece. Their recent experience seems to
have had a queting effect.
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-25
BUBBLES IN THE AIR.
Natural Result.

watts-Newspaper English is getting
worse every day S5e
Potts-Why not? The offices are filling
up with college graduates.
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-25

An exchange says that China has no
fighting ships" 1t could have been added
that China has fighting men. Its mil
lions are not inspired by the sentiment of
nationality.