Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1899-05-04
ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
FOresaw the Danger to the Country
of Vast Combinations
of Wealth.

that this cruel war is nearing its close.
1t has cost vast amount of treasure
and blood. The best blood of the flower
of the American youth has been freely
offered upon our country's altar that
the nation might live. 1t has indeed
been a trying hour for the republic,
but / see in the near future crisis APP
preaching that unnerves me and causes
me to tremble for the safety of my
country. AS a result of the war COR
porations have been enthroned, and an
era of corruption in high places will
follow, and the money power of the
country will endeavor to prolong its
reign by working upon the preiudices
of the people until all wealth is ag-
gregated in few hands and the re-
public is destroyed. I feel at this mo-
ment more anxiety for the safety of
the country than ever before, even in
the midst OF war. God grant that my
suspicion may prove groundless."-
Abraham Lincoln.
This extract is authentic and was
written in 1864 by Abraham Lincoln to
Mr.. Elkins, of Illinois. 1t was published
many years ago in a book entitled:
SClIC1tLOh VI 1%lllSO1h IllSS, by
Jesse Hooper, of Danville, ILL.,, and the
book, though old, is readily obtain
able. The identity or name of the
author of this statement is of little
consequence compared with the CRAWL
ty of its terrible fulfillment. We are
now dealing with the realization of the
unerring judgment of Abraham Lin
coin; and the man who is bothering his
head about the name of him who pre-
dicted it is not mentally capable of dis
tinguiShing the material from the i'm
material or the essential from the nom
essential. He may be a man who is
sacrificing his honor on the altar of
A1ammon, and so long as he is able
to rake in the blood money of usury
from the unfortunate debtor class
thinks that present conditions are ex-
tremely satisfactory. 1t may be well
to briefly state few facts concerning
the trend of present events. Every
product of industry except IL is now
controlled by trust that regulates to
a greater or less extent the amount of
production and the prices of the prod
uct. Since William Mckinley was in
augurated ten times more trusts have
been formed than at any other period
of the same time in the history of the
country. \ capitalization of 81 500 00O,-
600 has gone into business on the trust
plan since the era of prosperity of the
gold standard type made its appear
ance. While competition is being throt-
tied and the aggregations of capitals
are conceded to be menacing the life
of ihiS ra111J1,1ip ~
porarily reaping a special benefit from
the gold standard are cayilling over the
name of the prophet who first foresaw
present conditions. The present ma
tiOnal administration is an alder and
abetter of trusts. The national plat
form of the republican party of 1896
was silent on the subject of trusts The
platform of the same party in 1892 con-
tanned a declaration against trusts.
The 1896 platform was dictated by
trusts and declared for the gold stand
ard, until international bimetallism
was brought about, which the money
power knew to be impossible. but which
was simply thrown in to fool the people.
The platform of 1892. which declared
against trusts, also declared for bimetal-
j y
swallowed the republican party. Now
trusts are daily forming and the party
is committed to the gold standard.
Trusts and the gold standard are the
handmaidens of industrial stagnation.
The usurer and the coupon clipper are
now enthroned and point with deri-
sion to populist (whO demands stable
and at the same time deliver
culogies upon Lincoln. the founder of
their party. The country needs Lin
coin to stay the assassinating hand of
the oligarchy of wealth that threatens
the republics life. 1t may be well to
give some gold standard advocate an
opportunity to read what Lincoln said
on the currency question, as follows:
"Fluctuations in the value of currency
are always injurious, and to reduce
these fluctuations to the lowest possible
point will always be leading purpose
in wise legislation" The gold standard
has been, and is now doing, just what
Lincoln deprecated in the following
words:
when 100000, 900 or more of the
circulation we now have, shall s2e with
drawn, who can contemplate, without
terror, the distress, ruin. bankruptcy
and beggary that must follow? The
man who has purchased an article-say
a horse-on credit, at 500. when there
are $500, 100000 circulating in the coun
try, if the quantity be reduced to $780,
100000, by the arrival of pay day will
(other conditions remaining Ike same)
find the horse but sufficient to pay half
the debt, and the other half must be
either paid out of his other means and
thereby become a clear loss to him. or
go unpaid, and thereby become clear
loss to his creditor. What l have here
said of a single case of debt existing at
the time a reduction in the quantity oc-
ours, will hold good in every case of
debt. no matter by whomsoever and for
whatsoever the currency may have been
contracted
No one knew better than Lincoln the
type of patriotism possessed by the
pawnbrokers and usurers. His dealings
with them during the early part of the
war had convinced him how thoroughly
their love of country was subservient
to their love of money. When that great
commoner appealed to them in. the
name of our common country to come
to its financial relief at that trying hour
of its existence, the big pawnbroker,
just like the little pawnbroker of to-
day, threw up his hands and told Lin
coin, in effect, that if the government
was all the security he had to offer, they
would have to charge IL per cent. inter-
est. Lincoln's eyes were then opened to
the fact that Shylock had but one God,
and that was Mammon. He turned