Hutchinson gazette. [volume] (Hutchinson, Kan.) 1895-1902, 1897-05-20
FALLING PRICE FALLACY.
AN ANALYSIS OF THE SUBJECT
BY A KANSAS MAN.
An Article Contributed to the Arena on
the Benefits of Falling Prices Calls
Forth Criticism from q Man Who Sees
Destr ction In Dscl ming Prices.

Failing Prices" needs an interpreter.
Falling prices are not regulated prices
any more than falling water (rain)
is regulated water. The value of water
constructive or Acknowledgement
be fixed until it is safely housed in the
valleys and the basins of the Earth.
The rainbow is the sign Of the limit to
the waters destructiveness upon Earth,
while the cup OF cold water to the
traveller, dying of thirst, on the arid
desert, may be the opposite construct
i've limit. So rising tide may save
life, while falling tide may destroy
life. II all depends on the ability of
the sojourner to control the tide or
measure its value if divided ND into alb
lutions or drinks. The author of "Fall,
ing Prices" may own a spring from
which there is just enough water flows
to supply his family. And unless he
has another supply from another foun-
tain-head his stock may perish from
thirst. Yet she and his wife, his son
John and his wife, those four and no
more may live on through life with
out an increase of the water supply.
Then he, of course, realizes that the
lower the stream runs, in dry time,
the more precious the water becomes.
He may never have been in thirsty
crowd where water sold at ten cents a
drink. Then he would find the falling
prices on the side of the dollar, one
dollar would get ten drinks. Still the
price might continue to rise until it
would take ten dollars to get one
drink. Yet that would not change the
price of the dollar. So the gentleman
might corner the drinks from his
spring and make them bring him
dollar each yet this would not change
the value of the silver dollar-neither
would it change the price of water in
Lake Michigan. An army may be
marching through that land in time
of drouth. They may have known of
this spring while it was public domain,
before this advocate of falling prices"
got corner on it. The soldiers of
that army become very thirsty before
they reach the spring that is known to
exist on the way. When they arrive
they find this gentleman standing over
it with hint-lock gun trying to guard
it for the use of his family. A small
vein seips IN at the side about fast
enough to furnish one soldier with a
drink every ten minutes. That small
stream of water may be of the value of
the life of half of that army. Only
the officers have money to pay and
they pay dollar a drink. Would that
gentleman see ''wave of prosperity
in ''falling prices" then? Or would he
see wave of prosperity ripping down
that small vein of water in the form of
rising prices, like vein of wealth flow
ing into his hands?
Plenty of water in the Atlantic
Ocean, plenty of water in the overflow
ing banks of the Mississippi river with
its bursting levies.
Plenty Of gold eagles on Wall street,
plenty of silver dollars in the bursting
vaults of the Treasury, but a great
army of farmers drowning in wheat
bins and corncribs, calling for falling
waters, and rising prices. Plenty of
legal tenders piled up in the Treasury
waiting an advance offer in BONDS,
but not any for an advance offer for
wheat or corn. No. legal tenders are
too good to pay for bread-stuffs on
rising market. We must have "falling
prices" and force the farmers to accept
certificates in exchange or fail to sell.
And they tell you that a si''er certificate
is good money. 1t is false; it is not
money at all. These certificates are
only quoted at SO cents on Wall street,
Neither are gold certificates or nation
al bank notes legal tender money.
They are not even of a commodity
value. But they want to exchange a
certificate for a commodity, depreciating
the price of the certificate and producing
'falling prices" in commodities. 1t is
not even a representative of dollar
that they put upon the market. 1t is
merely receipt from an officer of the
government. And yet they cry: "How
much wheat do hear bid for fraud
ulent) dollar Two bushels of wheat
for dollar! Ten bushels of corn for
dollarl Twelve dimes for 2 dollar!
Five quarters for a dollar! Three
halves for dollar! Two hundred cop.
pers for dollar! A Kingdom for
standard of value!
Hold on, gentlemen, that is not "THE
GOVERNMENT" that is making that sale.
1t is not even an authorized agent of
the Government. 1t is not even a COM
mission appointed as a substitute for
the Government, by an assumed Car.
The People are the Government. Con-
gress has a right to represent the peo-
pie, but the majority of Congress don't