The sun., 1897-07-04

the commercial presminenco OF tho enn-
pire. Before this Government win listen
to any country which may urge uh to
open ous mlnts TO the FREQ coinage OF silver We
win require that country to share the expert
mont with us. Moral support concessions 10
silver and other phrases equally devoid OF
sense and good faith will not persuade tho
United States to pull chcstnnts out OF the FIRE
for tho benefit OF Great Britain and other
European countrics."
"what do you think of the political situation
horor
CAN'T AeRKR WITH EITHER AMERICAN PARTY.
"I am one OF those unfortunates who happens
to cherish certain political beliefs and TO regard
parties as merely devices for tho enforcement OF
them. do not bnleve that can share tho
political faith which nnirnates either one OF the
political parties at present. am one of those
who believes In tho chenpncss Of commodities,
whilc both tho great political parties seem TO
consider that to increase tho cost of thcm Is to
promote national happiness. I believe that the
march OF civilization Is the growth OF cheap
ness. It rejoices mo to realize that the lnborer
enjoys moro comforts to-day than n prince
could command Ave hundred years ago whilo
the carpet In mechanics parlor. at the close OF
tho nineteenth century, would have been worth
a kings ransom at the close of tho fourteenth.
These nre tho results Of the fall In prices which
Populists bemoan and which others seem
anxious to arrest. Choapness to me 10 q sign
of abundance, and am narrow-minded enough
to think that abundance 10 prosperity. Dear
ness OF commodities is always q consequence Of
scarcity, and cannot conceive that scarcity
md prosperity are synonymous terms. II high
prices bo panncea for all evils we must reviso
our views Of what hitherto We have been
customed to regard as great national calamitles
II high prices moan prosperity, the Irish famine
was q blessing from Providence which was not
even thinly disguised. II high prices be tho
object for which enlightened statesman
ship should strive. then tho Prussian armies
that encircled Paris with wall Of steel and fire
were not enemies but ministering angels to the
Parisians. because they caused prices In that
city to rise SO high that cat meat became worth
$5 pound. cannot rise to tho heights Of q
statesmanship which seeks to raise prices elthor
by taxation or by debasement of the coinage.
I must postpone my active participation in poll
tics until somo substantial number of my fellow
citizens como to share my views that mon arc
moro prosperous when goods arc cheap. and,
therefore. abundant. than when they arc dear.
and, therefore. scarce.
FRANCES LAW OF THE MAXIMUM"
"It 10 strange that q littlo over ono hundred
years ago France was thrown into violent
commotion, not because prices were low. but bc-
cause prices were high. 1t was the high price
Of grain which caused the bloody scenes which
have been characterized as the Reign Of Terror.
The people could not understand why happi-
ness was delayed when their disposition
to be happy was 60 sincere. Had they
not established q constitution Had they not
levelled the Bastilei Had they not had a Feast
ofPikes all over Franco, when men fell upon each
others bosoms and embraced each other In q hot
fervor OF mutual lovei Had not their repro
sentatives. by resolution. solemnly kissed each
other to prove tho reign of brotherhood
throughout the countryi And yet tho people
were not happy, because the price of grain was
high. bread was scarce. and the necessaries of
life were dear Could such things be T. patriots
asked Of each other, unless some enemy was
bent on thwarting the happiness of q people who
had declared for liberty equality, and fraternity
by plunging them into the throes of
famine Clearly 1t was an aristocratic plot,
said the Jacobins. Tho aristocrats had never
been really reconciled to the revolution. They
had. indeed. assisted at the Feast Of Pixies, but
their hearts wero bitter against the new order
Of things. There could be no happiness in France
while secret foes conspired to blast the fruits Of
freedom To the lamp post with them!' shouted
the Jacebins. on with their headsv echoed tho
populace.
Tho prison doors were opened on the night
of the I'd Of September. and these enemies Of tho
people, suspected of conspiring to make grain
dear. weTo massacred. they believed they
wero walking to freedom. By the thousands
tho suspects were slaughtered. drowned in the
| Loire, murdered on the guillotne. and whom tho
| Jacobins had properly terrorizcd tho populace,
the Law Of the Maximum that Is to say, a law
| fixing q maximum price for commodities-was
| enacted by the Convention. The Jacobins were
bloody and violent, but there is to doubt
their sincerity. They were believers in simple
| and effective means Of reducing the number OF
their enemies yet, in spite of their rather radi.
cal measures. the price OF grain did not fall and
| bread continued dear. The tumbrils were
crowded and tho cutters ran thick with
blood that even patriots protested against the
presence OF the guillotine in their neighbor-
hoods. Still the price OF grain was high and
bread was scarce Even after the Terror had
destroyed itself on the 9th Thcrmidor by do
vouring Its own authors. the law OF tho max.
imum remained dear TO the Jacobns. Its re-
| peal caused the uprising of Germinal. and Jacob
| inism may bc said TO have died In defence of the
principle that the State should intervene at all
hazards to prevent commodities becoming SC
dear as to diminish the comforts of the people.
THE roPUIIsT LAW OF THE MINIMUM"
with us tho Popuists seem devoted to the
same principle. but instead of law fixing a
maximum price above which commodities mus,
not rise, they appear to demand a law Of the
| minimum fixing a limit below which prices
must not fall. The American Populist has
sought by many legislative devices to maintain
tho price of silver and of other commodities
but in vain. The law of progress Is the stcady
cheaponing OF necessaries Tho Populist may
try to maintain prices by law. but the industry
Of men will lower them. Every yoaI
that field is cultivated 1t become,
moro productive. and therefore operates te
reduce pricos Every invention which econo
mizes labor and improves transportation tendl
to make things cheaper. The Populist is moi
contending against any policy which poitica
party may establish or modify. but against tn,
immutable laws which govern tho universe
But as the French Revolutionists beloved thai
the law Of the maximum was nrst nullined ant
then repealed through tho plotting OF aristo
Gratis, 80 the Populist will never believe that al
his plans to fix n minimum OF prices are ropug
nant to tho law of creation, but he will continu,
to assert that his plans for the regeneration o.
| the world arc thwarted nv a consniracy NJ