Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1898-10-21

| that OF loaninE money on farming prep
4 erty in western and southern states me
/ company. ii was further stated, was the
| owner OF real estate mortgages on farm
| lands and other property throughout the
West OF the value of $5l64 s1, coo. That u
would be required to pay ION or before
| January, 1890, the sum OF about $50. s4h.
! the amount OF principal and interest On
dehentures; that il was compelled 10 be-
come the owners OF much unprofitable
real estate because OF its inability to en-
force the collection of loans. owing TO
depressed financial conditions. and that IL
was unable TO realize a sufficient sum
to meet its obligations"
This tells the story of how the farmers
are paying OF their mortgages" under
the Mckinley administration. and IT fur
thermore corroboratcs the statement that
during the past two years. or since Mo
I<inley was elected and the single gold
standard fastened upon the country. the
value of farming lands throughout 1it-
noiS and the Western states generally
has decreased 40 per cent. This assertion
is borne out by the assessors returns in
Illinois for 1897, there being falling OF
in valuation of many millions Of collars.
AS result of this depreciation in land
values and the prices of farm products.
merchants and other business men
throughout the West unable to coll
lect their old bills sell new ones. Their
own liabilities are pressing them 10 the
wall, while labor is either going begging
or being reduced to starvation scales
The result has been seen in strikes lock-
outs, riots and the calling out OF the
militia in several states. Illinois included
during the present year. Speaking OF
these conditions, in his recent spe IN at
the Auditorium. Ex-Governor A.sgeld
said:
Instead OF the restoration of prosper
ity, we were promised we find that
only those classes who In one manner
or another devour the substance Of other
mems toll are prospecting. while the great
masses of our people lind themselves in
as much distress as ever. While the
brokers and spectators, the manipulate
ors who have absolute control OF certain
markets and can force the people TO pay
any price they may ask. talking
about prosperity, we find that there have
recently been, and so far | am advised
are yet in progress, seventeen great
strikes in industrial centers of this coun-
try, all on account Of wages. in nearly
all cases reductions having been made q
reduction, too. from what were already
starvation wages. In the great wood
working town of Oshkosh In Wisconsin,
where strike lasted so long and was
OF so fierce "A character that the military
had to he sent there 20 maintain order,
an inquiry developed the fact that skill
ed workmen that used TO get s. 30 a day
were getting only Si.25 a day, working
ten hours day, and day laborers were
getting only so cents a day: men 30 and
80 years Of age. in the prime OF life. with
ldIilIItS 10 support, were working ten
hours and getting so cents. AT Pans In -
Illinois. We have for months had a .rike
among the coal miners. because the mine
operators insisted on reducing wages be-
low starvation point, declaring that
they could not otherwise run their mines
And they are now driving the white men
off and filling their places with negroes
brought from Alabama.
THIS IS REPUBLICAN PROSPER
ITY.
I'm almost every Industrial center in
this country we find 4 SIMILAR CON-
DTTiON. AND ONLY RECENTLY
MARK IIANNA'S MANAGER SPEAK
ING OF THE CONDITION OF THE
COAL MINERS IN OHIO AND WEST
VIRGINIA. STATED THAT THEIR
COMPANIES WERE GOING TO RE-
DECE WAGES AND THAT HE ANTIC-
IPATED A LONG AND SERIOUS
STRIKE IN CONSEQUENCE"
Such is a brief outline OF the pros
perity wave" While the trusts have
hourIshed. the people have become poor
er; while taxes have been Increased
wages and farm products have fallen.
II is but the natural result. however. of
protective tariff and a single gold
standard.