River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1914-11-19

only market for them, and as we have
already seen, American banks and bank
ers are loaded down heavily.
When we learn the immense amount of
these American shares and bonds held in
European hands, we need not wonder
that American bankers pale at the thought
of their being dumped upon the American
market Reliable financial authorities de-
clare that Europe has about five thou
sand millions of dollars invested in Amer
lean securities If but one fifth of these
be sacrificed to realize geld it will mean
an avalanche-a financial deluge. Amer
lean banks. already overloaded with these
securities cannot purchase all; hence
prices will tumble and wrecks follow
In view of these matters, is it any won
der that American bankers fear to see
the stock Exchanges open for business?
Had the Exchanges not closed promptly
when they did, we would have had the
most terrible panic ever known By the
closing of the Exchanges that awful
panic was temporarily GUerted. BY their
closing, the owners of the stocks and
bonds have been hindered from realizing
upon them; thus the face value of these
stocks and bonds has been preserved,
and thereby the banks and bankers have
been permitted to continue to count these
shares and bonds at fictitious prices which
nobody would pay for them today
EHeCC OF 0HVSF OemOnSCtZdTlOns
Had silver not been demonetized, bank
ers would not have had as easy time as
they have enjoyed in cornering the finan-
cial market, and getting large rates of
interest and premiums; but neither would
they be in the same distress at the pres
ent time, for the world would have had
twice as much money with which to do
its business. When we consider that the
gold coin of the world is not sufficient
- - ~ 1.,Fo Al
debts, we perceive how the banking insti-
buttons have had the people. dguratively,
by the throat, and now are being choked
themselves by their own device.
The interest upon the debts cannot be
paid in gold because there is not enough
of it to pay the interest. Hence the only
thing remaining to be done Is to issue
more bonds, payable in gold also, and the
interest payable in gold. Now that no
body will buy the bonds, what is to be
done? Interest on foreign holdings of
American Securities estimated at only
four per cent per annum, means drain
age of two hundred millions of dollars
every year in gold, needed to pay that in
terest. Now we seem to be coming to
dead stop through this war; and the
wheels of finance which worked so favor
ably for the bankers in the past are
turning in the opposite direction and lac
Grating them financially
Apparently our financial 'shouse of
cards" is trembling, and about to fall.
Various expediencies are being tried by
the governments and the ablest f1nanciers
of the world. We might hope that their
skill would accomplish the end they de-
sire, and save the present Institutions
financial-from being shaken" to pieces.
But, If we are right In our understanding
of the Scriptures-if the great Day of
Settlement has come, in which all the
shakable things are to be shaken and
nothing remain except that which cannot
be shaken, then we may be sure that all
human effort will fail, and that the great
est of all crashes of a financial kind that
have ever happened will take place.
It will be noticed that / am saying
nothing new-that what / have just said
has been said in part at least. by many,
and published in the newspapers. am
merely bringing together these things,
and showing their relationship to the tes-
timony Of the Bible that we are now in
the great day of shaking" To some this
will be considered a fanatical pesSimism,
because the vast majority Of people have
absolutely no confidence in the Bible.
Nevertheless when these things shall
come to pass in the very near future,
some may be helped to an understanding
Of the true situation-to a recognition OF
the fact that the shaking upon the ma
tionS-financial, social, political and reli-
gious-is of the Lord, and not accidental.
Under normal conditions American bust
ness should be prospecting as never be-
fore because her commercial competitors
are at war, and unable to properly attend
to their commercial interests Likewise.
American securities should be in demand,
because all securities of foreign coun-
tries have deprecated by the war. But
with the gold standard and an insufficient
cy of gold, the business Of the entire world
is stagnated The worlds needs and
wants are as great as ever but it has not
the gold wherewith to purchase. The de-
monetization Of silver seems to be re-
ferred to by the Prophet Ezekiel 7:19).
saying, '"They shall cast their silver into
the street''-treat it as a commodity and
not as money. The Prophet then tells
how gold will become scarce and eventu-
ally be completely withdrawn by the peo-
pie hiding it as though it were an unclean
thing, as the Hebrew text implies-"Their
gold shall. be removed" Thus neither
silver nor gold will be available
Railroad magnates, and the bankers
who hold their securities, perceive that
if it is difficult to raise money for the
meeting of the interest on the bonds,
it will be more difficult to issue new
bonds to replace maturing Ones no mat
ter how sound and well managed the rail-
way may be. Is it any wonder that the
trepidation of the financial and political
princes of the earth is great, as they look
into the future! Their well-grounded
fears were prophesied by our Saviour as
one of the signs of the present time:
MEMS hearts failing them for fear and
for looking after those things coming
upon the earth"-the social order-and be-
cause of the shaking of the heavens the
ecclesiastical systems.-Luke q: 20.
Fear Humanity's Bane.
The speaker then passed to his text,
outlined it's meaning, and said
Sin made moral towards of our race.
From early infancy fear and apprehension.
especially in respect to things future.
have been impressed upon US. We realize
that we are imperfect, that our God is
perfect, that perfection is the only stand
ard which He could approve and that
some kind of punishment for sin must be
expected The Adversary, taking advan-
tage of our forefathers, misrepresented
the Almighty, and has used our fears to
ALLEVIATE US from Him and to wrest and
distort His Message to US in the Bible.
st. Paul assures US that this is Satan's
yaDQral procedure. that he r1,tc LIGHT for