The herald., 1897-04-27
THE CRUELTY OF 1T

Mr.. Wharton Barker's American pub
lished Jan. 49, 1897, gives a table of the
fall of prices of the cereal products of the
United States. If the adherents of the
present financial system had any hearts
it would make them bleed for the Amer
tect. The table includes one hundred
articles produced in the United States,
and uses the figures 100 for Jan. l, 1891.
From that time to Jan. 1, 1897, prices
this loss was imposed on the producer Of
raw material, unless K was controlled by
a trust. Twenty per cent in six
years! 1t does not take a scientist to
figure out the profits accruing to the
producers of this republic. The ma
jority of the people of the United States
believe in bimetallism. and it is highly
probable that by the next election a
substantial majority will be with the
declaration of the Chicago PLATFORM
end we will go it alone. If the Republic
an party had said with the aid of France
and Germany we should have bimetal-
lism, there would be hope, but when they
included the good Christian country Of
England, that can sit with complacence
and see plucky little Greece go it alone,
then We believe they never will accom-
plish anything by international agree
ment.
England closed the Indian mints, and
suffered loss of s47O, ,0OO, 900. The Indian
peasant does not know the use of a bank.
ard has from time immemorial put his
savings into silver in the shape of orna-
ments. AS long as the mint was open
it was an easy matter for them to take
their ornaments and have them coined
into rupees. But now, when the famine
is abroad in the land and the peasant is
in need of money, he must take his sill
yer ornaments to the bank and they give
him just the bullion value, and the peas
ant finds himself poorer, year by year.
Can we look for any actions be-
ing taken by England when she
has shown such brutality to her
own colony? Would she allow the
United States, being debtor
nation, a chance to pay that debt in the
same money it was contracted in? Eng
land lends money, and the cases are very
few and far between where the creditor
hoc haap 1enia,t
debtor. Is it likely that nation that
would rob its ignorant peasantry of $470,
900, 900 in three years, and then appeal
tc others for aid for its suffering peo-
pies will ever heed the calls of humani-
ty from a civilized country? The United
States is big enough and capable enough
to make John Bull be decent and if they
do not want to, so much the worse for
them.
The government does not owe cent
but what it can pay in silver dollars. Il
private individual or a corporation has
entered into gold contract that is their
lookout and not the governments 1t is
true, 1t may cause them some hardships,
but will it cause them any more hard
ships than the present system has
caused the producers? Has not business
fallen off because the producers of the
patton have not made money? Does any
one dispute that fact? Every intelligent
man in the country knows that bimetal-
lism is just, and when we hope for Shy
flesh we look for miracle where none
will be shown. How long will American
free men stand the dictation of for
eign money power We ask not repudia-
tlon or anything dishonest, but we do
ask for justice.