Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1898-01-20
GEORGE CRAWFORD. EDITOR.
THURSDAY. JANUARY 20. 1898.
pROSPERITY'S SURE PROOF.

menus 10 SHOW bHdb VIC ib's tHucIcd
upon new and better era. OF course
the facts presented may not be suffi-
cient to convince the calamity howlers
that the country is prospecting, but no
right thinking man can deny that the
conditions arc far more favorable
than they were u year ago. The Sun
says:
Now that the year 1897 is over, 1t
is possible TO consider the question of
It's prosperity from the point of view
of actual results, and TO gauge IL by
the condition Of business enterprise.
The large business interests of the
country furnish direct refutation OF
the statement which Senator Stewart
of Nevada made recently in Chicago,
that there Is no prosperity In this
country ut present" The excellent
standing Of railroad properties in the
United States, the increasing earning
capacity OF these properties, the grow
ing value Of farm products, and the
revival of commercial Industries In all
directions, are only few Of the many
proofs that the last year was pros
porous. Senator Stewart himself had
TO acknowledge that the financial and
commercial condition or the trans
Missouri country Is n great dcnl bet
tnl al va nfPn
that gold and silver mines are being
developed every day in the West, that
whcat-raisiDg states are experiencing
u sort of boom, and that the cattle
business IL better than for many years.
One OF the means Of Judging the
feeling Of prosperity which exists IL
through the condition OF the large life
insurance companies, which reach oil
classes and are affected directly by
any change in the feeling of the pco-
pie. The officers of several Of the
large companies of New York City
have given to The Sun their views
about the prosperity of the country rs
evidenced by their business. Prcsi-
dent John a. Mccall OF the New York
Life said that the year 1897 had bccn
the most prosperous and successful
year his company had over had.
There has boon IN Increased de-
mand for insurance from Western and
Southern dircetions,' he continued,
"and these inquiries were generally
for high class Investment insurance
rather than for the cheap plan OF pure
protection without the Investment Tca-
ture. In addition to this healthy de-
mand for insurance, there were fcwcr
lapsed policies throughout the country
than IN any Of the six years | have
been President of this company, ON
the whole, the company's earnings FOR
1897 have never boon equallcd, and
the payment Of cash dividends to
policy holders Ia tho last twelve
months has been $500 moro than
was paid IN 1896, "
At the office Of the Mutual lille
President Richard A. MrCmdy said
that although the statistics OF the
business OF his company FOR 1897 were
not yet available, there waa NO doubt
that there had been incr 'ascd bust
ness, with II clear Indication OF inns
proved business conditions and u
general feeing OF prosperity.
This country Is generally growing
In prosperity" Mr. Mctnrdy con
tinued. "rhe increase Ia prosperity
at present is perhaps not ns rapid
compared with the other countries aa
it used to he. IIut it Is continuous
and marl,el, IN spite OF occasional
sctbacha What the country needs to
recover from the feeling OF uncertain
ty IL paur2, ! mean economic peace.
Tho husiness OF the country is injured
by struggles between classes and hy
wild political agitation. But the re-
results of the last year IN ou
NblilluilN lls Il NlttIl lllN|NbhlNl
that the country has ruterod upon
another era 81 prosperity, which
should lead to rapid development ia
all limos Of business. The Insurance
business is conducted ON conservative
principles, and it's prosperity shows !;
feeling OF confidence and security
among tho people. The growth of H.
surance for purposes OF Investment as
well as for protection against 0tei-
dents and death is u clear Indication
of prosperity
Nice-President james w. Alexander
of the Equitable sad
"a company like the Equitable,
transactng business in every town
and hamlet Of the United states, has
the opportunity Of foeling the pulse OF
the public, in regard TO the commer-
cial and financial status, with COM
parative accuracy. For several years