The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1897-09-30

class OF labor side by side; but organ
lied and skilled labor i'm the various in
dustrles, by reason of their organiza-
| tion, have been able to obtain higher
wages than they otherwise would have
| done had their organizations not ex.
| listed
In the discussion of the tariff ques-
| ton last year. we were told it was the
home markets that were desired for
prosperity. Now, but for the foreign
| demand for our cereals, where would
our markets be? What would be the
prices? This of itself absolutely de-
| stroys the theory of home markets
alone giving US higher prices. In the
year 1896 our home consumption of
| wheat was twenty-five millions of bush
| els less than in the year 1895, with a
| largely increased population caused by
| the people not having the labor to earn
| money to buy the bread they had been
accustomed to using (and this year the
| loss will be still greater) The same is
true with reference to every other arti-
| Gle of food and clothing used by the
| millions of the laboring classes of the
country; not that they need less of
these things to make their families
comfortable and happy but they have
not the money and can not obtain the
labor to get 1t to supply their necessary
| wants.
on the question of state and munich
| pal taxation every good citizen believes
| that great reforms are needed, and that
corruption exists in many departments
| of some Of our larger municipalities.
| The developments and exposures that
| are taking place in Cincinnati prove
that the peoples money is being squan-
dered by rings and combines. Such ac-
| ton should be taken to correct this that
| the public service may be purified to
| the fullest extent, and every dollar Of
| the peoples money that is taken from
| them by taxation, should bring a dol
lar in return, just as a private citizen
| in his Individual business requires a
! dollars worth (whether of commod-
| ties or labor) be given him for every
| dollar he eXpends; and should be elect
| ed governor, every means in my power
| will be used to see that the institutions
| of the state are conducted and managed
| in the most economical manner con-
sistent with the public good and well
| fare and save to the people all the
money possible. The furnishing of all
| supplies to the public institutions of the
| state should be by contract upon the
| competitive system, in the same manner
that individual and private business is
| transacted, giving equal rights to all,
! and favOritism to none; thereby allow
| ing no rings or combines to reap bene-
| fits at the expense Of the people. with
| this done throughout the state, the
| burdens of taxation would be tighten
! ed, and every branch of public service
| benefited and dishonest transactions
| broken up. To do this, however, 1t is
| necessary to select honest upright and
| competent men fon all public positions.
our Republican friends ask that we
explain the rice in the price of wheat,
and the fall in the price Of silver in the
| markets Of the world, claiming that we
argued last year that the price Of an
| ounce of silver and a bushel of wheat
| had kept close together for a long period
of time This was true so long as the
! conditions remained the same, but a
| change has taken place, which | think
| explains all
| In proof Of this, examine the table
| from 1873 to 1893, prepared by the gov,
ernment, which shows how wheat and
| cotton kept pace with the price Of sill
Yer in the markets, wheat going down
from S1.3l in 1873, to 60 cents in 1893;
silver from $1.29 in 1873, to 70 cents in
| 1898, then the Sherman bill was repeal
! ed but since then, conditions have
| changed relative to the use Of silver as
| money.
AS commodities wheat and silver are
governed by the same laws as other
| things, supply and demand. A demand
| for wheat exists by reason Of the famine
in India, and the short crops in Europe.
W
and cannot be denied by any one, and
as soon as normal conditions again ex-
| ist in other countries, the price Of wheat
as well as other farm products that
have risen, will decline, until there Is a
change in our financial policy. Some
time ago | said to a reporter of a Gin
cinnati paper, that the advance in the
price of wheat was purely accidental,
caused by the failure of crops in other
countries. Another paper of the state
| criticised my statement and said i'm sub
| stance, "Thenk God for such accidents"
| and hopPt there might be more of
them. D. the people of this country
| desire prosperity and higher prices
brought about by calamity to others
through drought and famine or do they
| desire II to come about by such wise and
proper legislation as will make it last
| ing and durable?
A money famine has caused the de-
| preston in the prices Of all CommOd-
ties, and just in proportion as the cir
! culating medium of the country is in
creased and given to the people, in the
same ratio will prices advance, and
prosperity return to all producing inter-
| ests.
When the people obtain more money
for wheat, labor, or anything else, they
will spend it in all branches of trade and
| industry for the things necessary to
their comfort and happiness. Suppose
| that wheat (Which has been used by the
| people Of the world for bread since it
| commenced being grown from Mother
| Earth'O should be prohibited from such
use; what would be the effect upon the
| price? 1t needs no answer. The same
has practically taken place concerning
! silver as money.
Apply the same law TO gold; destroy
its use for money, and what would be
| its value as a commodity"
From 1857 down to 1S7S-nearIy two
centuries-the lowest ratio that ever
existed between gold and silver was
to l4.l4 and the highest ! to 1925. Since
decentralization, 1t has gone down to the
present ratio.
Money, whether metallic or paper, is
| the creature Of law, and its measuring
| power Of every other species of proper
| ty Is determined by the amount in cir
culation and the demand for it, and the
monetary affairs Of a country are among
| the most important for the welfare OF
its people, and can be likened to the cir
culatiOn in the human system-when
! interfered with wrOngfully will pro-
| duce disastrous results If by accident
| or disease, Onc-half the blood in our
| bodies were destroyed, unless nature
| speedily restores it, we wither and die;
| so II is with this people. If one-half
| the circulating medium that transacts
| their business Is taken away, the same
| disastrous consequences win follow, to
all except the money lender.
The principles of political economy
that were correct in the time Of the an
cient republics, affecting their none
| tary affairs, and of ours in it's early his
tory, are true now; just as the principles
| OF liberty, Of right, and of justice that
we obtained more than a century ago
ha F1ap pafi inV Of In