The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1897-09-08
THE CURSE.


What is the matter? Poverty Is
ON the increase. With increasing
idleness there is. crime. Suicides
are more frequent and despair is
displacing hope. The wealth OF
the world is drifting into the hands
of a few. Department stores are
running the small shop keepers.
Syndicates manipulate our indus
tries. The Independent farmer has
become a helpless toiler- The day
laborer sees nothing ahead but a
hand to hand struggle. Some
thing is wrong
The days are just as long. The
soil isas just productive. The sun
shines Just as bright as ever, and
the rains are just as refreshing.
Our house wives are far more eco
nomicaI, and the opportunities for
bettering cur condition should not
be fewer. Real estate is poor in
vestment. Business enterprises
end oftener in rece1verships than
profits. Mortgages are being fore
closed and deficiency judgments
entered. Money at interest at three
per cent. is more profitable than in
employing labor. The nation is
constant borrower, although our
taxes are burden from the nation
al government down. The public
revenues are not sufficient.
This sort of thing has been going
on more than 20 years. Unless
times change there is no certainty
for the future but universal bank
ruptcy.
The excuse given for this de-
plorable state of affairs by those
who advocate the gold standard, is
that there has been overproduction.
In other words, we have been made
poor by reason of having too
much wealth.
People are starving because they
have too much to eat. Railroads
are going into bankruptcy because
they have too large crops to move.
Men are in rags because the sheep
have produced too much wool, and
the cotton fields too much cotton.
From the gold mems statistics,
the supply of wheat seems to be
adequate. The men who own the
wheat would like to exchange it
for money. But the people who
need the wheat have no money to
give in exchange. Real estate is
worth nothing. There are thou
sands of people who would like to
own a home, but they have no
money. Lots of land for sale, but
no money to give in exchange.
The result is unsatisfactory to both.
Thousands of people willing to
work for the necessaries of life, but
no work to be had. The men who
own the money will not invest on
a falling market, hence they hoard
it in banks or loan it for interest.
Horses are worth nothing, and
many people would prefer riding
to walking, but can't buy for want
of money, and contine to tramp.
We have an ample supply of the
necessaries of life; and yet, with
bursting granaries and ample
wealth on every hand, there is a
demand for more policemen to club
down the starving millions. Gil
gantic fortunes have been accumu-
lated into the hands of the few. Is
it possible for a Whitney to trans
fer 1000 acres of wild land into
pleasure garden for his children in
less than 60 days? Impecarious
lords of the old world have no
trouble in exchanging their titles
for the daughters of our million
airs.
The benefciaries of. this vicious
condition of things, insist that it
shall continue so under the plea of
"honest money" The peculiar adj
vantages which they secure may
be the real reason why they de-
nounce their suffering countrymen
as anarchists, and violently rail be-
cause a cry of distress is heard
above the chink of their gold.
Other people suffering, they gain.
The distress of the government is
their source of profit.
Give us the free and unlimited
coinage of silver at ratio of 16 to
Ia safe and sound currency,
issued by the general government
to the amount of $50 per capita,
and the single gold standard will
be knocked higher than Gilroy's