The independent. [volume] (Lincoln, Neb.) 1902-1907, 1905-03-02


about these men He gays-
| In spite OF the remarks made by
men who do not know
| And he might with almost equal
truth have said "and who DO not care
Perhaps he had some OF or pres
perity'' tooters IN mind-@yon ought to
see how many OF them jump at the
chance to work, and hustle ON their
clothes in the morning. Most Of them
have not protection enough as to
clothes to take streetleaning job; but
back in the evening with their toes tied
up in newspapers, because they are
| frozen"
Mr.. Chairman, think of men who
are 'indolent, shiftless and improvi-
dent undergoing such hardships rath-
er than beg or steal. Well may the
editor of the Public declare, that:
Facts like these ought to bring the
blush Of shame to men and women of
the idle-rich class, who account for
poverty with the ready explanation
that the poor are lazy and idle
But my friends from the cotton pro-
ducing states say the reason of the low
price of cotton is due to slackened
demand from abroad. Quite true, but
they will hardly contend that every
body abroad have had their needs for
cotton goods supplied. In Europe, AT
RIGA and Asia there are countless mil
lions who would be demanding an
enormous additional quantity of cot
son goods if they were receiving a
"compensating wage" for their toll,
many Of them being unable to even Sc
cure the opportunity to toll, and there
fore can not become consumers of the
products which others produce.
Mr.. Chairman, | will quote again
from the Public:
Reports of suffering from poverty in
London are narrowing. At relief meet
ing on the 31st it was reported that
100000 people in that city alone are
living on the verge of starvation. In
the midst of all this suffering there is
something shocking, in spite of the evil
dent good intentions of those in at
tendance, about the dissatisfaction
of the luxurious person constituting
the relief meeting at which this re-
port was made. The meeting was held
in the house of duke whose great in
come flows unearned into his private
Golfers from the common inheritance of
all Londoners."
The duke referred to is the duke of
Westminster, the Astor of London, the
income of whose immediate predeces-
sor was some 100000, or $4,000000
year, even as much as twenty years
ago. Doubtless the present dukes in
come from London ground rents is
twice that sum, and therefore approx
mates in amount the enormous tribute
which William Waldorf Aston levies
upon the industry and thrift of the
people of my city in the form OF
ground rents. This enormous outflow
of wealth, for what is called the ''fa-
vorable" balance of trade excess of
outgo as compared with income-which
the gentleman from South Carolina
was so fearful this morning might
be disturbed by the present low price
of cotton.
Mr.. Chairman, / can comprehend the
solicitude the gentleman displayed over
the desperate straits that he says the
farmers of his state have been brought
to as a result of this "overproduction"
of cotton, but for the life of me | can
not comprehend how the country would
be more prosperous if our cotton ex-
ports are entered upon the national
balance sheet at a billion dollars in
stead Of about half that amount Gas |
understood the gentleman TO put it att,
| unless it resulted in $500000000 more
goods coming into the United States.
And yet, from the view point of those
who advance this preposterous theory
that nation is made rich by send
ing more goods out than are brought
in, we should be so much poorer by
the receipt of those additional goods.
as the favorable" balance of trade
theory is based upon the assumption
that we grow rich as We export more
and import less. OF course none of the
advocates of this theory want that
principle applied to his own affairs.
Personally he wants an excess of in
come as compared with his outgo, but
| 11x, low. of L