Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1903-09-30
FROM WASHINGTON
Special Correspondence of the covnrrr,

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come TO the national capital on
business before the departments
and for other purposes, are the
conditions that now exist in the
world of stock speculation.
Things have gone to cussed smash
over in Wall Street in any num-
Der of stocks end yet the men who
are manipulating the game that
catches suckers are still looked up
on as the conservative business
element" of the country, as the
creme de la creme of responsibility
and business sagacity. The real
truth is that if the people of this
country had sense enough to sit
down and think consecutively for
ten minutes they would know that
this so-called conservative bust
ness element sis thoroughly dis
credited class of high-binders, free
hooters and commercial Bashi
Bazouks; that they are robbing
the people of the country every
day and laughing at them. Take
the United States Steel Corpora
ton, for instance, and see what
has happened. The officials of that
gigantic trust seem actually to be
proud of the number of victims
they have fleeced in the past year.
They continue to give out boasting
statements of the rapidly increas-
ing number of its stockholders,
though it is apparent to the most
casual observer that every man
who invested in the market has
lost money.
The total shrinkage is more than
30 points on both common and pre-
ferred stocks. 1t takes $500, 900, 900
to measure the loss of the victims
of this trust, and still the spider
continues to sit i'm his little parlor
and lure his victims and still they
come to have the lifeblood sucked
out of them.A statement was given
out the day that the number of hol-
ders of this stock had increased
over 5000 in the past three months.
During this increase OF over 5000
in the number of stockholders of
common stock in this corporation
it sunk from 30 TO 20 share, and
two daps more it had gone down to
Is. Thus, some who bought three
months ago have already lost one
third of their investment.
These highway robbers are play
ing a game like the niggers' coon
trap it catches 'em a coming and
goin. They rob the purchasers
of their product in this country
where they charge more than they
do foreigners, because the tariff
wall gives them the privilege, and
they rob the buyers of their stock
by manipulation on Wall Street.
Yet this is the delectable gang
of unconscionable scoundrels who
are every day held up to us as the
paragons of business integrity and
to whom we must bow in all our
national elections; that we must
select candidates who are accepta-
bic to this gang of thieves. If the
democracy does so it deserves de-
feat.
In these times of trust prosper
ity let the man with fixed income,
such as clerks and wage-earners,
whose incomes do not increase in
the cost of living, ask themselves
how much of the prosperity they
are out of the times. If the an
swer is satisfactory then let them
continue to vote the republican
ticket and stand pat" with the
trusts who are shouting that as
their battle cry in the campaign
that is approaching. Let them
" stand pat" and continue TO let
well enough Alone" and they will
continue to pay high prices for
their living and their salaries and
wages will continue to stay in the
same place. A vote for the dem
ocratic ticket means that much
nearer the time when the tariff wal
will be reduced and the cost of liv.
ing reduced with it. A vote fol
the republican ticket means that
the trusts and cormoranti will con.
tinue to rule and that prices viii
be showed up notch every tim,
they get the chance. The peopl,
may take their choice.
The case of Miss Todd, tn.
young woman postinistress in Del
aware who was fired" by Post