The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1899-01-25

without q prospect Of getting returns.
There was want for them or they woll
not have been erected. Where are the peo-
pie gone to who occupied these stores?
Where are the persons who dwelt in the
flats? None Of the parties removed with
out cause Now, il we begin at Mime
apolis and st. Paul and continue our search
by Hudson, Eau Claire, Chippewa Falls and
every city and village to Chicago the same
state Of things stares US in the face. Is
this prosperity?
Again let us go into the Office of every
city, or town clerk and examine his rec
ords and We will be astounded at the num-
Der OF chattel mortgages on file in each
case. Is that prosperity? Our own county
Is better off than most counties in the
state. and yet 1t Is safe to say that over
one-half Of all the chattel property is
mortgaged. Is that prosperity? Next let
us go to the office of the register of deeds
In each county and We will find more mort
cages recorded from day to day than there
are deeds Is that prosperity? But, say
the lying journals. s"There is such a
plethora OF money down east that they are
vestments there. Does that prove pros
perity? Not much. 1t only proves that
the moneyocracy Of the east prefer to
!end their money in Germany or France to
lending 1t anywhere west of the Allegheny
mountains. They Would not lend it to a
OH IN value more than half In the last 10
years owing to bad legislation. A farmer
no ~ years ago would not take $40, 900 for
MS farm could not now borrow 81, 600 upon
1t from those who are sending their money
TO europe Does that bespeak prosperity i?
But, cry the he-goat bleaters, Look at
the enormous crops the farmers are send
ing abroad Is not that prosperity" II
would be II the farmer got any return for
MS outlay: BUT let us see, and take an
example which the little he-goats who nowi
prosperity In our own city and Eau Claire
can verify. The farmer here in Chippe@ va
county pays ~ cents per ton for baling
his hay, and has to board the men and
teams that do the work, at cos. at least
or ~ cents besides. When the. hay is bale
ne has to load 1T and haul 1t to Chippewa
rams at cost of not less, for man and
.eam' man $l5O. He gets for the hay
from a2o to $4.75 per ton from the shipper
rake $3.50 as the average price and deduct
the IS Tor balefng and hauling to market
and he has $3.50 left. But it cost him more
9han 5O cents per ton to cut and save and
maui and stack 1t in his barn or yard. There
Is lett only 81 for the use Of his land, and
wear and tear of his machinery. On an
average he had ton to the acre. NOT more
now tnere is not a farmer in the county
VINO owns l6O acres of land with stock and
nachinery but pays from $50 to S12O a wear
Ior state, county, school and road taxes.
no" many acres of hay must such a iarm-
er raise to pay his taxes? Not less than GO,
The produce of 80 acres to paw his taxes and
only the produce of 20 acres more to feed
clothe and house his family as wei! as fee
and care for his stock And this is nros-
perity! 40 - Vs.
Good Lord, look down uron the American
,nei prosperity and confound the ras-
calls who betray the people with their crv
or prosperity. There is prcsperitv in the
country, we admit, ut we deny that anv
VI IL reaches the people, the masses or the
men and women who labor for living. TIE
prosperity of the United States is confined
TO the trusts and combines to the parties;
mat nave money to lend, and to those
who deal in government securities and
whose business is protected by laws, and
can make use or the protection, and to those
VINO have fat Offices state and national 10
all Other classes of our people thera is
lotHiiis Out poverty. want wretcnefncss
ana misery. Let who dares deny this fur
nlsh tie proofs for his assertions.
In Minneapolis and St. Paul the real
estate is being eaten up by the taxes and
assessments and prices are falling, fall
ing continually. Even the investment
companies, which bought up tax titles
years ago, and thought them the best Sc
curity in the world, now find themselves
With large quantities of property on hand
which they can neither sell or rent. and
they are going the way Of their prede-
cessOrs.
And this is prosperity! And the news
papers keep up the fraud, while many of
them are themselves bankrupt and the
rest are owned by great corporations.
which find their profit in humbugging
the people even at a loss on the papers
themselves. /. D.