The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1897-12-29
4 CONDITION OF
HOPELESS DECAY
Newsy New England Letter Outin-
ing the Gradual But steady
Decline.
A Repetition of English and Irish
LandIOriiism American
Soil.
Taxes Are Utterly DisprOpOrtiOncd to
the Value of Money.
(FrOm Chicago EXpress.)

(From Chicago EXpress)
My silver plank would be this--free
coinage of gold and silver in the ratio
of ten to one and no more silver dol
lars.
This, according to Shakespeare, was
the ancient coinage ratio of Venice.
Merchant of Venice, Act II, Scene VII,
Line 50.
''Or shall I think, in silver she's i'm
INJURED. Being ten times undervalued
to tried gold?'
Coins are good fractional money, and
we have never had enough.
All one dollar pieces should be of pa
per, and all the silver is needed for
halves, quarters, etc. Let the ratio be
such as to prevent expectation, if we
please.
Let the ratio be such as to prevent
the melting Of coins, which is a damage
to trade. If silver approaches gold in
value, by the aid of science, then the
10 to 1 ratio will be all the better-and
just the size for handling with lit
tie alloy to harden it.
IL it be true Gam suspicious that it's
a political hoax that gold is being
made from silver, at an enormous prof
1t, then good bye to the party that ties
itself to the silver issue alone Even
now we suspect that the bulk of the
worlds silver bullion both out of and
in the earth is fast held by the might
Test gang Of heartless spectators the
world ever knew
l was gazing upon the New York
Worlds picture of prosperity, one day
this week; and then lifted I'D my eyes
and looked across the street to see it
coming. One of the two empty houses
that stand opposite, is of almost pala-
tial character, and has not been oecu-
pied for seven years, save by transient
renters: Back of it lies a field of about
80 acres on which an immense growth
of grass stands dead and partly fallen
back, tangled with the second growth.
This field of hay-grass was purchased
for less than 500. and not till within
one week has it been entered by the
owner; and even now, it is only cut
In patches. Why? Because hay can be
bought for five dollars a ton and the
ordinary man here cannot afford to pay
even that
Milk sells at 80 cents a can Of ten
gallons-then retails in the city for ten
cents quart
The rise of the cereals finds no rise
or New England farm products to
match it, save in potatoes which are
generally almost failure and held up
partly by the Canadian embargo.
The complaint is general that taxes
are utterly disproportional to the value
Of money, and that times were never
harder. A convention of farmers met
IN North Hampton some time ago and
voted that farming never gave such
poor returns.
In my Story of the Buttons, the
reader will find very correct descrip-
tion of the ordinary roads in the rural
parts of New England In fact, the pict-
Ure was taken from observation.
Once, where the highways are mar
rowed up to mere windrows of dirt,
there was four and six rod reserve
neatly trimmed and fitted for the meet
Ing of teams light or loaded.
New England is in a condition Of
hopeless decay-hopeless unless the
usurers dynasty can be OverthrOwn
Her young people, who thirty years
ago had academy and university schools
scattered all over the hills within con-
ven1ent reach Of farmers sons and
daughters, have now only a common
school chance for education unless they
live near the village, and often that is
OF a low order. A tax is annually laid
on the towns for carrying children to
school where schoolhouses have been
abandoned. The rising generation are
exposed to a condition in which they
will be satisfied with the gossip of the
ordinary locals~and care nothing about
economic discussions which they i'm
aglne to be beyond their depth. 1nus
judgment comes home to the door of
usury in sad and degenerate New Eng
land.
1hat part OF Berkshire county, Mass,
which is noted for it's beautiful seem
cry is being gradually but surely dom
mated by New York wealth. The local
papers seem to be entirely at it's SER
vice. partly, 1 presume, by ownership
and partly by the influence OF summer
visltors-many of whom own the places
they occupy. -. The son. of Secretary |!
whitney seems to be. making regular
~ 4ra ass,q-