Weekly independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1887-1914, 1908-08-21
HOW INDIA STARVES


y current magazine SAYS: Drastic
legislation is shaping to discourage sedi-
ton in India. and wheat. which literally
millions of Indians need for nourish-
ment. is weekly exported to Liverpool.
During the last forty years Of the
nineteenth century some fifteen million
people persisted of famine in India"
In lS9i-9j-96 two millions of people
starved To death in India, most Of them
because of British legislation. That is.
Great Britain caused the minis to he
closed i'll India. The people of India
are fond of silver ornamcnts-rings.
bangles. etc. Long before British oc-
cupation of that country that mints
were established all over county
In time of misfortune the people were
in the habit of taking their surplus
silver to those mints, having it coined
into rupees, and with the rupees bought
what they needed. The minis were
without notice closed and the Indian
council in London fixed the value of the
rupee. 1t WAS done partly that British
officers in India might receive their
salaries in gold, and partly to help the
interest gathercrs of the world to de-
story silver as money. When the
famine came i'll 1891 those poor crca-
lures. tried to convert their uncOined
silver and their ornaments into rupees
and found the minis closed, and there
was nothing to do but starvc. In that
way two millions of them died. The
Indian council, the British government,
knew that the mighty tragedy was
going on, the men who were fighting
silver money knew it. but not one of
their hardened hearts was softcned
enough to cry ont in pity. And ever
since England has been buying our
silver ut about 80 cents per ounce, coin
ing it into rupees ut the rate of IL To l
of guld-nbout $l.40 per ouncc-with
that money has been buying the wheat
and cotton of India and bringing it to
Liverpool to compete with and reduce
the price O American cotton and wheat.
Was there ever anything more cruel
than England's part in the business?
Was there ever anything more imbccile
than the course of II own government ?
Look ut it! Our government by robbcr
legislation denied silver its place as
money, and converted it into Il commod-
ity. AT Il time, too. when it had atloat
$3iG, 000, 900 in irredecmahlc paper and
owed i'm interest bearing debt of 81, 2OO,-
600, 900. 1t doubled the value of the
gold dollar, measured by any form of
property on earth. 1t robbed the nation
of half its wealth to enrich II few bank
crs and bondholdcrs. Upto date it has
robbed the silver miners of this western
country of more than 5000, 900, 900. Our
miners now have to sell their silver ut
half price. England buys it mt that
price. coins il ut Il ratio with gold less
than our original ratio of III to /, with
it buys the wheat and cotton of India,
and bringing it To Liverpool puts it in
competition with the wheat and cotton
of American farmers and planters.
And our government further continues
its banking system, with the debts it
owes behind those banks us a guarantee
of their %solvcncy. And VT call ours Il
great nation, and there is nothing
which we have 50 great an awe of as
our great eastern i]inancicrs. who from
their roOkcricS i'll the eastern cities milk
the whole United States, looking wise
all the time and giving profound
opinions ON the probable prospects of
this county under their benign rule.
And the people believe them, because
they have the money. the reasoning
being that the men to look to for advice
are the men who have succeeded i'm
their own business.
The good God turned ont the larks.
the wrcns, the orioles and the doves
into the world and nj the saInc time the
eagles and hawks. with bcaks and
talons, were turned loose. and the rule
among the birds was made the rule
among mep.-Salt Lake Telegram.