The Forrest City times., 1897-03-05
AN uNFULEiLLED PROMISE.
How the People Were "soId" by the
 Mckinley Crowd

Mckinley Crowd.
 The general public has become some what accustomed to the great disap- pointnent it began to experience shortly after the November election be- cause of the failure of the promised prosperity to materialize, and, as q consequence, we don't hear so much about it now as we did couple of months ago. 1t having been settled that the promise of prosperity was nothing more than bunco game, the people have philosophically set them selves to the task of bearing the hard times and the growing stringcncy as best they can, satisfied, at least, that they were successfully worked"
 Occasionally, however. we still find expressions of dissatisfaction: sarcas- tic comments on the gulliblity of the public, and caustic references to tho grand republican rainbow of promise. in contemplation of which the Ameri- can people were SC easily sold" Rev, J. C. Hogan. of Forest City, Pa.. a Methodist clergyman. who is well known in this city. recently wrote a letter to the Carbondale Leader, bear ing. on the republican promise of pros- perity, and the pith of his communica- tion is found in the following excerpt:
 ''I am looking for the Advance Agent of Prosperity Evidently he Is lost, stolen CT strayed, ard I want to send word to the public through your valuable paper.
 "A few months ago we were told to vote for Mckinley and Prosperity The under hata -f1 tnA NI,,4 l get Mckinley by voting for him, but doubt ed If this would bring prosperity. To-day reports from the large cities relative to the number of unemployed show that there are over 4.5o0 GOO men out of work There are 2C0000 in New York, 150,000 in Phlladel- phia. 50,0e0 in San Francisco, 0,0o0 in De troit, 2Q,000 In Cleveland, 15,000 in Cincin- natl 75,000 in Boston, and so on. During the past few weeks widespread Restitution has been reported by the papers.
 Where is the prosperity that was to follow?
 'It will hardly satisfy us to say that Mckinley & Go. have not yet gone into business Why? Because they told us all that was needed to usher In paradise of prosperity was sound money and 'confi- dence.' By sound money was meant the existing gold standard that we now have. and Immediately after the election ignorant partisans and pulpit orators pointed with
 
 proof that the announcement of republican success had brought us an overproducton of confidence
 But since the late lamented election many private banks, miscalled national, heYe gone republican, too. Over 30 of these banks at the west failed during the month of December.
 Here In Forest City, preceding the elec- tion, many patriots were especially anx- ious to save the honor of the nation. They held meeting in the opera house. at which a certain ancient statesman discoursed on the beauties of sound money and conf dence. The boys organized and sat up nights to sing for Mckinley and Protec- tion.' and they are now getting 1t at the rate of seven days per month. They even tramped in parades with the bosses in command in carriages. And loi even the bosses have now been placed on half time. A thing which has never been known before the advent of the Advance Agent of Prosperity
 That confidence game was a success in one way, but fails to work the other way
 T notice that many of the preachers who so Zealously spoke and voted in favor of plutocracy are now asking their pew renters to contribute food and clothes for the support of poverty. It is good to feed the poor, but it is better to work for conditions under which none need to be poor. A just social and industrial system would make this possible"
 MT. Hogan gives strong and graphic expression to his estimate of the situ- ation, but his view of the case is not, in other respects, whit different from the view entertained by the people, who gre not saying much, of course, but who are perfectly satisfied that they were "roped in." For it is hardly to be doubted that the promise of prosperity saved the major and his party last No vember.-Binghamto (N. Y.) Leader.