The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1899-11-24
A WONDERFUL PROSPERITY.
our Financial Condition At . Lower
Ebb Thnn Ever before In
Our History.

'i4'A Nlht III ~ . 1900 y
or earning wages, that We must there
fore throw up our hats and shout for
prosperity. One swallow does not make
n summer, and upon the theory that the
misfortuues of a few men do not in.
rolNr the destruction of the earth or the
nation, ii is absurd TO speak of prosper
ity aud our financial system in the same
breath. With an increasing commerce
to call general business. productions
and manufactures business" 49, bnscd
upon a contracting circulating medium,
prosperity is a fantasy more proper for
the brain of n monomaniac than for the
gray matter of an American citizen who
either knows better or who does not
want TO know better. We have reached
a point where our financial condition IL
al Il lower ebb than ever before In the
history Of the nation, and yet there are
those who Try to make MS believe that
we arch Il highly prosperous condition.
We are indeed growing great as II ma
ton: we are building fine ships of war,
our army is increasing In magnitude;
all of our officials wear good clothes,
sport diamonds and fine jewelry, and
whenever their wives obtain n new gar
mcnt from Paris or their daughters
marry "A foreign lord. the papers record
The fact; our taxes now exceed the
total amour Of our entire circulating
medium annually and is daily, may,
hourly, increasing; we are reaching u
condition where we can defy the whole
earth, and when II comes to twisting the
Lions or the dragons tail we are strict.
ly in it.
hut what Of the rank and flep Those
who toll and struggle, who sweat and
worry, who are miserable and despon-
dent? They are the ones who must pay
for a. this balderdash of general pros
perity. The individual is nothing In the
great onrnsh of glory. Not so very long
ago a man who accumulated money was
said 10 be prosperous; he was making
money. but now IT is regarded MS u won
derfnl badge Of prosperity for n mar to
get any work at all and receive wages
enough to keep body and soul from
separating, The laborer forestalls his
future, draws upon II to satisfy the
demands of the past; he must
spend what he may earn next week for
the necessarics of life he needs this
week; by an enormous production the
farmer Is enabled TO realize enough 10
pay of some of his back interest. he
even feels hilarious enough over that
unusual state OF his finances that he
buys his wife and daughter II cheah
calico dress, mayhap he takes all hands
to some cheap circus or vaudeville, Next
year he will be shaving to make w for
bis prosperous dissipation. There can
never be any snch thing as prosperity
unless the individuals Of the nation are
prosperous, and that prosperity can
never come undes our present fina nciaI
system, though we double our proGuc-
tions and HI the whole earth with, our
manufactures.
The reason is plain when one stops
to think about II. We have no accre.
tons to our stock OF money; indeed.
on the authority OF the treasurer Of the
United States, we are two hundred and
twenty-five millions OF dolInrs short Of
enough silver money absolutely neres.
sary to transact the business of the
country. What does this mean? Why,
" one man makes a few dollars some
other man loses the amount. When the
banks Of New York are stuffed full Of
money the country elsewhere Is suffer.
ing from a deficiency. When Chicago
is gloating over its surplus cash New
York and the rest OF the country are
upon the verge of bankruptcy. II is the
volume Of money shifted about
from place to place. n robbing OF Peter
to pay Paul, that constitutes our finan.
elal system under the gold standard,
How can there be n dearth OF money
under the gold standard? We we're
told that il would bring tvs prosperity,
and the only thing II has brought us-
as 1t Is hoped-is the wisdom OF a sad
experience. What system was II that
has reduced our circulating medium to
DOC below the amount abso-
intely necessary to carry on the bust.
ness Of the country? What kind of a
financial system Is that which will per-
mt the manufacture Of paper money
based upon an insufficient supply Of
gold and prohibit the coinage OF q
OF $3.50 0 900 below the amount
absolutely necessary to carry on the
business Of the country? What kind
Of a financial system is that which will
permit the manufacture OF paper
money based upon an insufficient sur.
ply of gold. and prohibit the coinage OF
a deficit OF $3.50 0 900 in silver money?
II there is anything that can convince
a reasonable American citizen that the
gold standard is not beneficial to fte
1t ought to be it's result In de-
the people Of their money to
on their business. Why rot use
gold? Why, that Is not intended for
he use Of American citizens, II Is re.
iuired TO keep our foreign creditors in
'asy circumstance and for foreign Inn
'ortations; for foreign husbands for
,nr sweet american girls; for the
trusts, combines, syndicates, bankers.
and spectators. When Il
'omes to the An erican citizen, silver n
good enough for him. but he Is NOT
wen allowed enough OF that lest ~
a little money that cannot 10
controlled by the gold standard
why Nots