The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1900-10-16
IN 1896 AND IN 1900.
Contrast Between Condition Of Bus
mess and Labor.
Men who stood ON the Street Talking
Politics Then Are Now Busily
Engaged and Making
Money.


ence between the conditions in 1896
Des Moines banker, director in sew
eral banks. ''In 1896 the banks here
adopted the policy of making no loans
to business men that could possibly
be avoided. Any business house, no
matter how good it's credit or how
prosperous it's business, had to make
pretty strong showing of needing
the money and ability to pay before
it could get dollar from . Des
Moines bank, and then the rate
charged was good stiff one. The
banks were hanging onto their money
and taking no chances that they could
avoid. They were reefng all their
sails and getting ready for the posi-
bility of storm. Every kind of bust
ness craft that was manned by prud-
ent men was keeping close to shore
in fear and trembling.
stood in the Rain to Talk Free Silver.
''Then, you will remember how it
was ON the streets-hundreds of men
having nothing to do but stand on the
SlTS0U COIueIS anu ldlh pOlltlSS. L
used to look out of my windows and
notice that it took a very hard rain
to drive these men off the street.
They didn't appear to notice an or
binary rain at all. They kept right
on talking. They seemed to be very
much in earnest. Some of them. l
suppose. We're hired to do it, but the
most of them believed they were out
of work either because they didn't
have free silver or because of the
threat of free silver. They were
| pretty well divided on this question
Too Busy to Talk Politics.
''How is it now? Look at the
streets. You don't see any crowds OF
men talking politics. Everybody is
| too busy. All these men have work
| If working man doesn't want tc
work for you or me. he can get jot
somewhere else and takes it, and sc
the working man can just about picl,
his job, instead of the employer Sc
lecting his employees. An employer
who wants to do that must pay pretty
big wages. Look over there on the
i corner of Fifth and Walnut. Remem
Der how it used to be four years ago
A man could hardly get past thai
/ place in safety. A joint debate wa:
going on there all the time. Some
times it looked like free fight ane
every passerby was tacitly invited t.
take hand. You don't see anything
of that sort now.
Plenty of Money at bow Interest.
And how is lit with the banks
Why, they've got more money thai
they know what to do with. Deposit
are increasing at an unprecedente'
rate. Every bank is eager to LEM
money at almost any rate it can get
Any business man with any sort o
prospects can borrow money at 10,
rates on just ordinary security. o
course the money question is still al
issue. The democratic platforr
makes the same threat that it mad
four years ego. Bryan, the personif
cation of sixteen to oneism, is sti
the candidate, and he has taken bac
nothing, but on the other, hand ha
reiterated all he ever said about get
ting rid of the gold standard at tn
first opportunity. But the bank
don't seem to think there is tn
slightest danger of his election. A
they look at it, there is no elemen
of chance in the situation. Banker
generally believe that the good sens
of the business man, working ma
and people generally will lead the1
to continue these prosperous cond
tions. They had one experience j
1892 in wanting change when the
were prosperous, and l don't beliey
they will make the same mistal
, | again.