Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-11-01

courier OF May lS--'lSn I so GOOd' -
see these letters Gas he heldlup the pa
peri so good. Business said to
be not what 1t was last year." What
do you think of that? That would be
a very good question to cross-examine
them on. Ask them if they didn't
state so-and-so and so-and-so, away
last May or June. Railway stocks
higher" Well, if there was any prosper
ity there at that time. it must have
been with the railway people, because
theirs was going up while business was
going down. Present situation in
trade is mixed. The reduction in bus
mess is generally reported. Affection
of strikes" Now there's column of
that. Further evidence of prosperity.
Well, I read another from the issue
of May 26, 1900. Are declining" Still
going down-not going up. Are de-
Ginning. Reductions in quotations con-
tinue during the week. Decrease led
by cotton. Such transition in most
branches, has been so gradual as to
avoid serious loss. Review of trade. =
IAnother column-still no prosperity.
June working right up now to the
point of passing this plank on prosper
ity. "Speculations went off to consider
dUle cAleuI Il VI Iuci pilSSo tSSiiiS
further price decline. Features of the
week the steady maintenance towards
prosperity" oh no. towards a lower
level. Another column.
Now we come to one after they pass
ed these resolutions and call upon the
country to witness the prosperity OF
the administration, made their re-
solves and gave to the people their
he ,%o y,1o MI
the claim today of every man support
ing the istration-prosperity
"The failure by business struggling to
ecr hack to normal state"-less than
lin the returns-"In the great increase
in failures to s1OO57O,1 34, in the first
half of 1900, against s49,664,661 last
wear" s1OC, 900, 900 and more OF fail
ures for the first six months OF l9oo
against S49,OOO,OOO for the last year.
But before calling your attention to
these articles and the condition of
trade during these months, was ABOUT
to refer to the condition OF TINS coun,
try. We ali know that we have had
one of the largest strikes in st, LOUIS
ever known to that city. Thousands
of men thrown out OF employment
That we have had one equally as great
or of equal magnitude, in chicago, run
ming for months, and was just ADJUST
ed the other day. Not only these tWo'
but another in Pennsylvania, involving
thousands-over 100000 men out OF
employment. Numerous other smut
downs business closed in Chicago ana
other places. Notice on the gates OF
the Illinois Steel Co. to the effect that
If Mckinley was elected, the gates
would be opened and they would go to
work.
Sees No Prosperity in Chicago.
In addition to that, my friends,
don't think there is one in this audi
ence, if he or she had been with me IN
Chicago in the past ten days, at =
O'Clock in the morning, watching the
people and the throngs of men, women
boys and little girls going to theil
work, or on the streets, would have
thought of prosperity. Is the time TIC
talk or think of prosperity when the
best blood of our land has been shed
and is being shed, in the defense OF
our country? Is the time to talk OF
! prosperity the time when we have
!, war? If there has been prosperity
and I want to be charitable towards
these gentlemen am inclined to be
lieve that when they come before yor
and tell or speak of prosperity, they
believe what they say because they
ID are prosperous and belong to the PEG
pie who have enjoyed prosperity. II
there has been prosperity, and am
! inclined to think there has been, that
prosperity has been with the trusts
. and the stockholders principally, OF
: | RI
people.
The price of iron has gone from
$3.50 to $3.50. A gentleman from
Lansing, Mich, informed me the. Other
day that he was connected with 9
company buying large amounts of iron
in Michigan. Four years ago they
l paid $3.50 for the same iron they are
!, paying now $3.50 for. He says that
l he went to the iron mines and inquired
! what price they were getting for theil
!, iron f. o. b. Lansing. But $1.50-no,
more than that-more than than they
. got in 90, per ton. How much more
did they have to give the wage earn
ers? Their average was 40 cents pei
. week more than they received before
: Where did the profits go, asked the
gentlemen. They went into the trusts
The very object and purpose, as you
have been ably informed here this sea
son, is to shut off competition in order
, to realize larger profits.
), Now, my friends, feel like passing
: that question. don't believe there Is
f a man here whose vote will be infiu
enced by any such flimsy argument
as that is. or by the claim of prosper
S ity on the part of our servants.
G Lastly the Paramount" Issue.
Now there is another issue which /:
, claimed by the democratic party to be
the paramount issue. (Here Mr.. Steel
. . asked what time the train left.) l an
). very sorry to state to the audience
5 here that will be compelled to go OF
: that train. Hence l will pass hastil.
3 over what have to say upon these
:, subjects. In 1898 the American people
: believed that our flag had been insult
! ed, and when the Maine was blown VI
. !, and our boys were murdered, there wal
!. not man. regardless of party affilla
4 ton, who was not ready to shoulde
+ his gun and go and wipe out the insul
), with his LIES blood if it became neces
I