Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1897-07-15
EVIDENCES OF PROSPERITY.
More Burdens and Less Wages for
the Pe0pEe.

the People.
We are told as an evidence OF the pros
perity which il is claimed has come
upon the country that there is money
and to spare in the vaults of the nation
al exchequer. Such money as is there
is taken from the pockets of the people,
who need il far more than the govern
ment needs II. but there is a certain
class of people who assume that the
government is a rich beneficence total
~ apart from the people. and they fan
CT thai because in their eagerness to
prevent the harsher burdens of taxa
ton proposed by the Dingley bill citi-
zens of the United States have FASTENED
TO withdraw imported goods from ware
houses and TO fill their stores with such
as they need. and thereby accumulated
duties in the treasury. the fact is evil
dence of prosperity These are persons
who look 10 the gold reserve as a sort of
fetch and TO large treasury balance
as not only temporal but also eternal
salvation
What prosperity is there in the very
significant fact that many good banks
in Chicago passed their dividend in July
and that others reduced the amount SO
paid? The management by these bank
ers is prudent. but il is not a NANTES
tation of prosperity. Prosperity does
not show itself in that way. Prosperity
does not shorten sail.
Nor is prosperity seen in the fact
that a great number of coal miners
throughout the United States have con-
Guided to walk out rather than be sub
-
harGships by mine owners who enjoy
Z protective tariff on bituminous coal.
There is no prosperity in the fact that
10000 workingmen have quit. while
unnumbered thousands have no oPPor-
tunity for work
One may speculate if he choose upon
the time when prosperity will present
itself, but whose asserts that il is here
now is stupid. When prosperity comes
the people who need il greatly will
know that il is here. There need come
no ghost from the grave Of the treasury
department to tel Us that prosperity
has arrived. Prosperity is not thing
that can be made by governments any
more than by individuals, though both
nav unmake il By foolish Intervention.
by Tapine. by idleness. by living on the
fruits of other peoples toll as govern
ments do and do properly when they
confinc themselves strictly to the dis
charge of an ascertained function of
government, ard improperly. disas-
trously. when they assume that govern
nent is some great necromancy which,
by exacting tribute from the people for
the benefit of a protected class. may
make prosperity. They make prosper
ity for the protected class. but what of
the infinite number of the unprotected?
Republican leaders are very anxious
70 impress upon the people that pros
perity has arrived. The people viii
believe it when they see II. They have
had the same old assurance from these
same old party leaders so often and so
that they are through with
them. Prosperity by the election of
prosperity by the Inaugural
ton of Mckinley; prosperity by the APP
pointment of Reid as envoy TO the
queen; prosperity as the result of Nc
Kinley's visit to the exposition at Nash
vile: prosperity because the secretary
of the treasury is certain thatit is here;
10! here is prosperity and there pros
perity. but the only visible evidence
of prosperity consists in passing divi-
denGs and in locking out labor.-Chica'
go Chronicle