Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1898-04-20

race. The general effect of the ply
siognomy in repose told that the man
was stubborn, strong and stern.
When had finished, turning to me,
Rothschild shook his head and said:
''I do not believe there is any crisis
just now at all. There were some
momentary difficulties a little while
back, brought on by few un1ucky
failures, such as that of Baring's Bank
in London, for example, but the gen.
eral situation in Europe has not
changed, and it is not bad
"There is some talk said, ''of
dissatisfaction on the part of the work
ing classes, which makes itself evil
dent in the rising tide of Socialism,
daily becoming inoresand more threat
ening."
.'For my part," sail he, 81 don't be-
lieve there is any working class move
ment. I feel sure that the working
classes-I speak in genera1-are quite
satisfied with their lot. I am sure
that they do not complain at all, and
that they do not bother their heads
one little bit with what is called So
cia1ism. OF course, there are always
demagogues who try to bring them
selves into prominence as much as
possible, but these gentlemen have
neither hold nor influence over decent,
honest, har5-w orking men; for we
must always distinguish between the
good workmen and the wicked work
meni'
Besides, it is absolutely false, alb
solutely, that the honest toi1ers ask
for an eight hour day; those who do
demand it are the idle and incompe-
tent who argue thus1y: TO work ten
twelve hours is always fatiguing; and
then there are some who, not so lazy,
and who are more skil1fu1 than our
selves, and so produce more in the
same time than we do, consequently
getting better wages. We must COM
pei these fellows to work less time,
our interes's and our 1aziness will be
the gamers thereby 1t is indeed so.
But the others-tathers of families,
steady, settled men-do not see at all
why they should be forbidden to work
just so long as they think necessary
to provide for tneir own wants and
ttose Of their children. And then,
again, even supposing an eight-hour
day were conceded, do you know what
the majority of the working classes
would do? Why, they would go and
drink; they would ay longer in the
public house-that's all. What else
would you expect them to do?''
Rothschild spoke thus offhanded1y
and point1ess1y, having no objection,
it seemed. to repeatin the same words
in the same PHI ase, his voice thin and
shri1l with just the faintest suspicion
of an English accent in the pronuncia-
tion of certain consonants. There he
sat, legs crossed, black stockings just
showing owing to pose, his heavy
black boots carelessly laced; he was
sucking at a bad cigar that would per-
sist in burning unevenly, and from
time to time quick shake of his head,
or hurried nod, would bring down
lump of cigar ash, which, falling upon
his waistcoat, broke into dust in the
bend of his stomach.
''Some theorists say, Baron, that
the accumulation of wealth in the
hands of few individuals, the great
financial houses, for instance, will,
before very, very long, be the cause of
an upheava1 which will mark the end
of the capitalistic regime"
"To begin WITH" said Rothschi1d,
81 do not understand what they mean
by great financial houses. Great f.
nancia1 houses" said he, laying stress
on the words, "what are they? Some
mon are richer and some men are poor
er than others, that's all. Those who
are the richest today may be the poor
est tomorrow. Everybody is exposed
to chance and change. Nobody is able
to boast that he can escape. Then as
to the accumulation of spital: money
circulates, money sets things in mo.
ton, money reproduces itself.
1t is the peoples fortune. 1t c1rculates
with the same chances for everybody
Money may be invested with conf
dence in enterprises which do not turn
out so will as they promised. But
this effects the great fnanciers just as
much as the little ones. If you fright
en- capital, if you threaten it, it flies
from you, and you are lost. You are
lost" repeated Rothschild. 'I myself
have always made this comparison
Capital is exactly in every respect JUS
like water; if you agitate the latter
roughly, if you tighten your gril
thinking to hold it the better, it slip:
the more readily through your fingers
and is gone. But, on the contrary, il
yon take it gently and make an easy
way for it, it will follow you doci1e1y
wherever you like to lead it, without
any further effort on your part. Cap
ital is just the same. If you constrair
it, it hides itself, it evades you. AND
there is an end to the prosperity Of
your country, for capital is the forum,
of any land. 1t represents energy
ability, thrift, the work of many men
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