The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1898-08-26
PLUTOCRATIC FALSIFIERS
Exports and Imports Of Goid-rry-
ing 10 Delude the People.


Illustrations Of the methods by which
advantage is taken of every possible
opportunity o deceive and mislead the
public in regard to the exports and i'm
ports of merchandise and money met.
ais. The following statement is one OF
multitude of similar statements
that have lately appeared in the Indi.
annapolis papers and elsewhere west
and that have their origin in New
York city:
The country's net gold imports for the
fiscal year will exceed sl0000o.000 which
has never before been approached except
In 1881. when II was over S7 100000. There
has been at the same time largely In
creased output OF gold by the home mines.
the product for the present year being es-
timated at $4,000. 600 The idea that the
government requirements for carrying on
Ihe war would result in any s,ringency In
money rates has been entirely discarded
by financial authorities. With the heavy
expansion OF the gold currency and con-
tinuing favorable trade balance, which Ia
added to by the falling OF IN foreign travel.
4: is natural that an era Of higher prices and
Industrial and speculative activity should
develop.
When the latest reports of the treas
ury department for the years 1867,
and particularly for the first four
months of 1898, are examined it is diff
ficut TO avoid the conclusion that the
purpose of such statements as that
given above is dishonest. 1t is almost
impossible TO believe that one who
made this state ment had not examined
the reports sufficiently to know that
it was false Interpretation of them.
During the year 1867 we exported
in excess of all our importations. in
Merchandise ......................sC sl ,35f, 500
SILVER Jy,3Jo, ysl
Total ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. .s740 40, 500
During the same two years our en-
tire receipt of gold in excess OF our ex-
portaton was si6,2is,560
This leaves balance of 1904. 1872 900
of exports over our imports for the
two years. and for which the reports
show nothing whatever received in
exchange.
During the first four months Of the
year 1898 we have exported in excess
of all our importations. in:
Merchandise Observation-Disclosures. sie4. 03o e74
Silver OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. 67.023. 275
Total excess OF exports ........ 1851 .O5s. $40
During the same four months we re-
ceived more gold than we exported TO
an amount Of S75.o44,273. This shows.
during the four months, n balance of
exports over all imports, counting
merchandise, silver and GOLD together.
of $1s5. 109.576.
II is true that we received during the
two years an excess of gold amounting
TO si6.2ls.560; but 10 get this we sent
out Of the country of our merchandise
and our money metals together $780,
TO, 500.
1t is true that during the first four
months of the year 1898 we have re-
ceived ss5.9ii273 more gold than we
exported; but TO get it. we. during the
same time, sent out Of the country of
our merchandise and our silver S261,-
053. $40.
Is this a condition over which we
can rejoice? Possibly we ought TO be
glad that il is no worse. The year
1858 is the only year since 1873 that
we have not suffered a similar loss.
Since the war we sent out Of the coun-
=
most 5000. 100000. In the year 1881. re-
ferred 10 in the report, the net loss
OF money metals and merchandise was
about $l5o.000.00O. What kind of an
idea have the writers Of such re ports.
II honest, OF the favorable trade bal
ance" to which they so frequently re-
fer? Is il Favorable trade balance"
when we are annually shipping out of
the country such large quantities of
merchandise and money metals for
which we receive nothing whatever in |
return? DO business men usually re-
gard it as an evidence of prosperity, |
when they find on balancing their |
books that for series Of years they |
have each year paid out more than |
they have received? Would bust |
ness men be very likely TO rejoice over
the success of his business, when, at !
the end of four months. he took an
invoice and counted his money, il he
found he had parted with money and |
merchandise to an amount of S261 .053.-
$40 and only had s75,94l.273 TO show for
it? Would he be likely to be any bet
ter satisfied with the showing because
the money he had on hand was in
gold? And yet this is the statement of
our foreign trade account. as shown
by the reports of the treasury de-
partment for the years 1867, and for
the first four months of 1895 1t is
not a Favorable trade balance" 1t is
most unfavorablc. A large exporta-
ton of our merchandise is not of much
value IL we have nothing TO show for
II but interest coupons. 1t is idle;
1t is worse than idle; il is dishonest to
attempt by such use of the reports
Of the treasury department to make
the people of this country believe that
such excess OF exports over imports in
dicates prosperity.-Flavius J. Van
Vorhis. in National Bmetallst.
Opposed to Walking.