The Wealth makers of the world. (Lincoln, Nebraska) 1894-1896, August 15, 1895, Image 1
Y i vol. m SO MOVES I Ht WORLD. "W ileep and wak and ileep, oat all th'.ngf more; Tbe Son files forward to his brother Son ; The dark Earth follow, wheeled in her ellipse; And human things, returning on tbemaelYea, Moth onward, leading np the golden year." Yellew fever is raging in Central Ame rica. The Cuban insurgents have organized a provisional government. Frederic Engels, the friend and trans lator of Karl Marx'and leading socialist, is dead. George Araberger, barber, cut histhroat in New York last week. Could not find work enough to live. The Maryland and Iowa Democratic conventions, lately held, defeated free silver and placed themselves in line with the administration. Ex-Senator Ingalls announces himself a candidate for his former office. He has been "a statesman out of job" as long as he can quietly stand it. According to the Philadelphia Press Oregon has 2,000,000 horses on its ranches which there is no demand for and they are being slaughtered for their hides. Mrs. James Hall took poison and died in great agony in New York last week. No work. No furniture left to pawn. No money to pay rent even in a windowless cellar. The Populists of Texas held a great camp meeting at Fort Worth, closing a three days meeting August 6th. Gover nor Waite, Senator Peffer and others . were in the list of speakers. The atten dance was immense and the enthusiasm unrivaled. Gerhardt Fredericks, a New York baker 52 years old, hanged himself at 359 Madison street a few days ago. Out of work. Wife with asthma had to go out washing for food, and the rent could not be paid. Driven to ".desperation by the each-for-himself struggle. H. H. Edwards his wife and baby boy took cyanide of potassinm in San Fran cisco July 29, and were found dead in their room two days later. No money and no work. Gave up the struggle. The class of landlords, moneylords and capi talists who murdered them survive. John Geler 48 years old and a widower, homeless and hungry, last week stabbed himself three times in the stomach with a long single blade of a pair of scissors inflicting probably fatal wounds. Inter rupted in his suicidal act he fought for the privilege of getting out of this cold Christian (?) world. He was a large muscular man. It has been figured out that there are 5,500,000 civil suits brought in the courts of this country every year. This is almost double the number on record in any other nation in the world. In France 100,000 cases are each year settled without expense by arbitration. The United States has the greatest body of bad laws or the greatest element of lawless people found in any nation. It is a paradise for the lawyers, but that means trouble for the people. There are 976street railway companies in the United States, and 13,588 miles oi track. The electric lines are away in the lead, with 10,363 miles. The capital stock is given at $748,014,207. Stock per mile $55,000. Funded debt $552, 125,505. Debt per mile $40,600. The capital stock and funded debt added show a capitalization of $95,000 per limile. And as the right of way has in al Hinbst all cases been given them the water in the stock and debt is enormous. As the steam railroads, with all their water and over-capitalization, are only $60, 000 per mile properties, the street rail way companies are evidently gangs of public highwaymen of the most consci enceless sort. Dates of Populist Conventions Frontier county convention at Stock ville Aug. 23. Cedar county convention at Harting ton Aug. 24. Otoe county Populist convention will be held at Nebraska City Aug. 21. Thirteenth judicial district Populist convention will be held at Sidney Sept 10th. County Central Commtttee Meeting Lincoln, Neb., Aug. 7, '95. The Independent county central com mittee for Lancaster county is called to meet at the old Alliance newspaper office corner of 11th and M Sts. in Lincoln at 2 p. m., on August 17, 1895. All com mitteemen and candidates should be pre wot. ' Fkank D. Eageb Chairman. Big Silver Picnic. August 15 Senator Teller and Congressman J. F. Shoffreth of Denver, and Hon. W. J. . Eryu jpeop JkExci Bryan and Senator Allen will address the ople at Lincoln Fark, August 15th icursion rates will be given by all rail- roads. Special discount sale on Dry Goods and Shoes at H. II. Nissley & Co. All druggists sell Dr. Miles' Vain Fills. Tbe Productive and Nonproductive Ownership of Land Contrasted (Continued from last week.) What may be said of money? Money, whether paper, gold or silver represents the exchange value in the different things put on the market. Paper money represents the exchange value of commodities the same as gold or silver. From an economic stand-point the for mer is preferable to either of the latter, for the same reason a wooden or sheet iron bushel measure is preferable to one made of costly materials; or, for the same reason an iron pound weight is prefer able to one made of gold, etc. The idea of redeeming paper money with gold or silver to make it good in the hands of its holders, is as prepos terous as the idea of redeeming an iron pound weight with one made of gold, when the former will weigh as accurately as the latter. Money will not substitute for food, clothing, etc., which it represents any more than a yard-stick will take the place of the cloth measured with it. It represents incomes acquired through rent, and those acquired with one's labor. Its true office is to represent the latter. To the extent it represents tbe former, to that extent it proves false to the pro ducers of wealth, or is counterfeited in the hands of the holders. , t. To make it good in the hands ol the holders actual benefits, or labor, must be rendered for it. To increase its volume in order to re lieve the wants of the people is on the Erinciple of increasing the number of ushel measures without producing grain, etc. Its volume has nothing to do with the amount of labor necessary to produce the food, clothing, etc., which it repre sents. Neither has it anything to do with the abolition of rent. - The first thing in order is to protect the producers in their full produce, then the money which represents its exchange value will perform its true office by pass ing into the hands of those who have rendered labor for it. Its volume should keep pace with the increase of population. In proportion as rent or interest is abolished in trade will the volume of money be increased in the hands of the producing class without a new issue by the government. Money should be issued by the govern ment, making it a legal tender in the payment of all debts, and receivable for taxes for the construction of needed public improvements without a redemp tion fund and tbe intervention of private banks. Under this system of issuing money no one would get in possession of it only as he rendered labor to the public for it. This would make it good in the hands of the holders. ' With the complete abolition of rents it would continue to circulate on this basis in private transactions, for the reason that if all made their income with their labor, then no one would get in posses sion of money only as useful service was rendered for it except by theft. So far as the producer is concerned, the volume of money that represents rental Incomes might as well be out of circula tion. For instance: the $400 that A receives of B as rent for the 150 acres of land puts him (B) in no better condition than if he had not received it at all. The complete abolition of rent is the principal solution of the money problem. Under this system money would circu late on a labor basis as far as trade ex tends. TAXATION HOW IT IS EVADED. What may be said of public property or benefits? Public improvements of different kinds are for the equal benefit of all. For this equal benefit all who are equally able to produce wealth should contribute as nearly alike as possible to the common fund, on the principle that no one is justly entitled to either a pri vate or public benefit for nothing. This will only apply to those who are mentally and physically able to produce wealth. The disabled are the only ones that de serve private or public aid through tbe labor of others. The ablebodied under existing laws evade the payment of all public expenses whose rental incomes exceed the taxes levied against them. Their taxes are paid by those from whom the rent is exacted. For example: A rents to B 100 acres of land for . $100 yearly. Suppose the annual tax levied against said land for the different public purposes is $25. In this case A in name and notin fact pays the $25 tax which he receives of B as rent, and he has $75 left as a rental in come which he appropriates to his pri vate benefit. Hence it is one of the impossibilities to exact a tax for any public purpose from those whose rentul incomes exceed the taxes levied against them. A tax levied against those whose in comes are acquired with their labor can not be evaded by them. This is properly called direct taxation, while taxes paid out of a rent fund are properly called indirect or evasive taxation. LINCOLN, NEB., THURSDAY, AUGUST 15, 1895. When every one makes his income with his own labor then, and not till then, can there be a system of direct taxation. Hence the principal solution to tbe labor, money and taxation problems consists in the general and complete abolition of private rent from natural opportunities. The exaction of rent discourages marriages among the producing class by making it hard for them to get in posses sion of homes. It reduces them to that degree of poverty where they are tempted to steal for a livelihood or engage in a demoraliz ing business. It breeds idleness and permits the land to lie idle and unused within the settled districts, thus placing the storehouse of nature beyond the reach of those who would gladly and willingly utilize it in productive business. Rent (the hard earnings of others) is expended in debauchery and ostentatious display. To an increasing extent churches and colleges are built with it. To a large extent ministers of the gospel receive their support from a rent fund. Who is responsible for the hunger and want that grows out of rent? Is it not the able bodied who willfully insist on a law, that protects and defends private title to land without occupancy and use? The supreme need of the times is a general homestead title to the land perpetuated, making it a heavy penalty by law for any one who attempts to bold and transfer land in any way, except for occupancy and use. Kent or speculation in trade can only be abolished by abolishing the first and principal cause. The first thing in order to purify a stream is to purify the fountain. The following are some Bible references condemning the sin of rent, or the var ious methods of acquiring incomes un justly through the labor of others: Gen. 47: 20,23,24,26. Ex.20: 13,15, 17. Ex. 22: 21, 22, 25. .Ex. 23: 9. Lev. 19: 11, 15, 33, 35, 36. lev. 25: 23, 35, 36, 37. Deut. 23: 19, 20. Deut. 24: 14, 17. Deut. 25:13,14,15,16. 1st, Sam. 8: 11,12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17. 15th Psalm I, 2, 5. Prov. 11: 1. Prov. 14: 31. Prov. 20:10, 23. Isa. 5: 8. Isa. 10: 1, 2. Jer.22: 13. Eze. 22: 12. Mic. 2: 1, 2. Mic. 6: 10, II, 12.Hab. 2: 12. Jas. 5: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. From a stand point of justice much can be said in favor of the productivt owner ship of land, and nothing in favor of its non-productive ownership. Tbe latter title adds to the suffering and pauperism caused from the use of strong drink as a beverage. To an increasing extent rent received from honest sober men and women is ex pended in debauchery and crime. To a certain extent saloons are run on a rent basis. For tbe same reason parties should be prohibited by law from selling strong drink to be used as a beverage, should they be prohibited from exacting rent. Both are detrimental to the general welfare and happiness of society. Whether parties hold land for rent or engage in the manufacture and sale of alcohol as a beverage, the motive is the same. The supreme need of the times is a moral education on a true system of trade. Henry Scott. Lincoln, Nebraska. An Unprecedented Outrage Editor Wealth Makers: In the matter of my incarceration in the penitentiary a t hard labor, either on false commitment warrant or, as the newly appointed deputy warden told me on Saturday, August 10th, that there was no such warrant there for me; so I was kept there with the knowledge of the respective wardens and governors and Attorney General Hastings on known false warrant of commitment, or with out one. Before Collins, assistant county attorney, this morning (August 12th,) I brought suit for keeping and putting me into the penitentiary on false commit ment, knowing it to be false, or, as told by the present deputy warden, on no commitment at all, against Sheriff Mc Cabe of Ponca, Dixon county, Deputy Warden Hyner, Wardens Mullen and Beemer, Attorney-General Hastings, Ex Governors Boyd and Crounse. There is no question, that in either case tbe parties here named were guilty, as they were well informed of the case by me, that is, by my letters. A case like this makes it doubtful if Nebraska is en titled to be considered a civilized com munity. Constantine Ruttgeiis. Knight Templar's Excursion to Boston Half 1 kites. The Knight Templar's official train having on board Grand Commander Finch and escort will leave Omaha via tbe Burlington at 4.45 p.m. Thursday, August 22d, going through to Boston without change, making a short stop of several hours at Majors' Falls. Sleeping car reservations should be made at once at B. & M. depot or city office, cor. 10th & O St. G. W. Bonxell, 10t2 C. P. & T. A. For the debilitating effects of August weather, nothing is so good as Ayer's Sarsaparilla. NEURALGIA cured fcv Vr. Miles' VkTH Pills. "One cent a dose." At all druggists. GOFER SAVING The B&ilroadj Should bs Owned and Oper ated by the Government ECONOMY PLAINLY REQUIRES IT Bom Practical Thoughts oa the Nation alization of Railroads Facts and Figures on the Saving to the People PROF. FRANK PARSONS, IN ARENA. If the people owned the railways, they could save more than half the present cost of transportation. Here are the figures: By abolishing 599 presi dents, with their staffs, (one would do) $ 25,000,000 Abolishing the high priced managers and their staffs 4,000,000 Abolishing attorneys and legal expenses 12,000,000 Abolishing merely compet itive offices, solicitors, etc 12,000,000 Abolishing 5-7 of t he ad- i vertising acct, which is incurred for competitive purposes 5,000,000 Abolishing the traffic asso ciations, which are em ployed to adjust matters between competing roads 4,000,000 Exclusive use of the short est routes 25,000,000 Consolidation of working depots, offices and staffs.. 20,000,000 Uniformity of rails, cars, machinery, etc., cheapen ening their manufacture; avoiding freight block ades, return of "empties" belonging to other roads, clerkage to keep acct. of caVs and adjust division 'of earnings among the roads; by making simple easily understood tariffs, saving the time and labor of clerks and the public, byall thenumberlesslittle economies of a vast cor poration under a single management, and no com- petitive warfare to waste its energies ; 15,000,000 By avoiding strikes and de veloping a better spirit among tbe employes 10,000,000 By abolishing the corrup tion fund for influencing legislation, etc 30,000,000 By abolishing the pass evil 30,000,000 By abolishing unjust rebates and commissions 50,000,000 By having no rent or inter est to pay..- 285,000,000 By having no dividends to pay 82,000,000 By putting the surplus in the people's treasury 52,000,000 Total savings by public ownership of railways $662,000,000 In 1881 the people paid the railroads, in round numbers $1,200,000,000; the same or better service would have cost them only 540 millions if they had owned the roads free of debt and under good management. During the period of transition from private to public owner ship, the yearly cost of the railways to the people would of course be more than $540 millions. Upon the plan of pur chase least favorable to the people, the expense of running the roads under good public management, together with inter est and dividends, would be 770 millions a year falling toward 540 millions as tne stock and bonds were paid off, and inter est and dividends ceased. Under the more favorable plans the cost would be 540 to 600 millions a year after the con solidation under government ownership was complete. This in the savings to the people by public ownership would run from 430 to 660 million a year, accord ing to the plan of purchase adopted. This would enable the nation to reduce rates to one-half their present figures, and still realize a profit' Even a greater reduction than that might be made, for the lowering of rates would be followed by a rapid increase of patronage that would lift the .revenues of tbe roads. Its costs little more to run full trains than trains half-full. After your road is carrying five million passengers a year, the cost of carrying another five million a year is less than half the cost of carrying the first five millions; so that if you made fifty per cent profit on the first five, you will make 200 per cent on the second five; and if you carried the first five at cost, you will make 100 percont on thesecond five. In this fact lies the possibility that under government ownership fares might be reduced in a few years, in this country not merely to 1-2 but 1-4 or even 1-19 or 1-20 of the present rates, if the benefit of increased traffic is given merely to the passenger rates. In 1889. the government of Austro Hungary reduced fares in many cases to 1-2, and in some cases to even 1-6, of former rates, the average of reduction being more than forty per cent of the whole system; yet the traffic so much in creased that the total receipts were $2, 432,000 more than the year before, in 1890, with traffic nearly fourfold what it was in 1888, and over twice what it was in 1880 the total receipts exceed those of 1889 by $1,259,000, indicating a gain in two years of over two millions upon the year before the zone system, with its reduced tariff, was introduced. And this is practically clear profit, for the railway authorities declare that the expenses of roads have not increased, the natural increase of traffic being in creased by better methods. As the net increase In 1888 was bait the gross re ceipts, with the a verage passenger rate at 1 3-10 cents a mile, and freight rates at 1 5-10 per ton a mile, and a reduction of 40 per cent has only served to increase the revenues and profits, it is clear that a reduction to 1-2 a cent a mile for pas sengers, and the same for a ton of freight per mile, would be practicable, even with out an increase of traffic, and with the increase of custom sure to come, there would still be a good profit even at those low rates. , The cost of carrying a passenger in the United States is set down by the rail roads at about two cents a mile. This, however, is clearly too high, even under the present clumsy and wasteful system. Dorsey's "English and American Rail ways" put the average cost per mile at 1.14 cents in England and 1.2 cents for the whole United States. The German railways charge on an average a shade over a cent per mile (1.17 cents exactly), and they clear over 40 per cent profit on the passenger business of the road. Many roads like the New York, New Haven & Hartford, the Boston and Al bany, and others sell season tickets at a little more than 1-2 a cent a mile. They would not do this if they did not know that 1-2 a cent a mile more than covered the cost. The Pennsylvania, Reading, Lehigh Valley, Old Colony, Boston & Maine, Fftchburg, and others, sell season tickets at 7-10 of a cent per mile. I am assured that these roads never figure on less than 50 per cent pro fit on passenger traffic even in their com mutation rates; and any one who notice the hundreds of loaded trains that leave their depots every day, and then remembers that with a full train ol 400 passengers the 7-10 rate would yield 350 per cent profit, and with -600 pas sengers would yield 400 per cent profit any one who ponders this will realize that the roads are not ruining them selves at half cent rates, and will begin to see bow they can pay dividends on their overgrown capitalization. There are, of course, a good many roads that mistook their calling. Tbey were not needed, as is quite clearly shown by the fact that 1-3 of tbe railroads of the United States are in the hands of receiv ers. The losses and expenses of these roads bring down the average. But in truth tbey are largely outside the legiti mate sphere of railroading, and should be excluded entirely from the calculation, since the government caunot be expected to buy useless and superfluous roads. When this is done, the averagecost of moving a passenger train one mile, with cars loaded as at present is found to be about 1 cent for the whole United States; sparsely settled districts and all; and with the economies of public ownership and the resultant increase of traffic, the cost would fall considerably below half a cent n mile. For tbe Pennsylvania and similar roads it is about a half a cent now, according to Dorsey's "English and American Railways," page 82. In well settled districts, where tbe trains run fairly well filled, the cost would be much less. Tbe returns of the English Board of Trade, as given by Mr. William Gait, in his evidence before the Royal Com mission on Railways, show that the cost running a passenger train one mile was 65 cents in 1865, (it is only 44 cents now), and with trains carrying from 500 to 1000 passengers each, the average cost of taking one passenger one mile was less than 1-10 of a cent. Specific in stances were given in which railways had for long periods regularly carried pas sengers at 1-2 cent a mile, first class, and 1-4 of a cent, second class. For example the London and Northwestern company carried passengers first class on fast trains from Lpndon to Manchester and back at 1-2 cent a mile, and made a profit of 200 percent on the transaction, showing that the cost was about 1-6 of a cent per mile first class. (TO BE CONTINUED.) JUDGE THACHER DEAD. One of the Best-Known Kansans Paaiel Away. Lawrence, Kan., Aug. 13. The death of Judge Solon O. Tb.acb.er, state senator from this county, and one of the best known men in the state, oc curred at 5 o'clock yesterday morning, from Bright's disease. Mr. Thacher was born at Hornellsville, N. Y. , Au gust 31, 1830, and graduated from the Alfred academy, Union college and the Albany law school. He was a delegate to the first state convention in New York for the organization of the Re publican party. After the Fremont campaign he removed to Kansas, locat ing at Lawrence. He has been judge of the district court several times and a member of the legislature. In July, 1884, he was appointed by President Arthur as one of three commissioners to the countries of Central and South, America to negotiate treaties and per form other diplomatic work. The first preacher of the old South church at Boston was Rev. Thomas Thacher, the Ameriean ancestor of the Thacher family. The funeral will be held Wednesday afternoon at 4 o'clock. NO. 10 BIG FIRE IN NEW JERSEY. the Central Stamping Campany of Weir ark Destroyed E.OM BOO.OOO. Nkwabk, N. J., Aug. 13. The fiercest fire the department of this city has had to contend with in many years, with the possible exception of the big grain fire at Ballentine brew ery a couple of months ago, broke out in the plant of the Central Stamping' company yesterday afternoon. The front of the Central Stamping com pany's plant was on New Jersey and Railroad avenues, and covered ten city lots on that street. From this branched another building, five stories high and seventy-five feet wide, run ning through the block to Liberty street. From this building there was a wing of the same size, extending from the middle of the block through to East Fair street. On the south side of tire main building on the avenue were five three-story brick buildings, and on the north was a new two-story brick structure. All these were destroyed. The loss to the Central Stamping company was ' estimated by State Senator Ketcbam, treasurer of the company, as upward of $500,000: insurance, &!o0,ouo. J. he other losses will aggregate $30,000, The flames were discovered about 2 o'clock in the blacksmith shop. Then the fire had a firm hold on the build ing. A general alarm was sent out, and within twenty minutes every piece of fire apparatus In the city was on the scene. Fifty thousand people watched the progress of the flames. Several firemen were injured. The stamping company started on full time last week and employed 487 men. GENTLEMAN (7) JIM. Pnglllat Corbett Spits In FlUalmmom' Face Paring a Barroom Brawl. Phtla.dei.phia, Aug. 18. Pugilist Corbett, his brother Joe, and some friends met Bob Fitzsimmons Satur day night in the barroom of Green's hoteL ' Corbett walked up to the New Zealander and said: "Well, you're shooting off your month again about me flunking out of that bicycle race, and that you would pull my nose. Now, I'll do the nose pulling," and with this remark the champion gave Robert's nose a smart tweak. The two men clinched, but before any dam. age was done they were separated Fitzsimmons then turned upon Joe Corbett, who had grabbed the lanky fighter, and attempted to bntt him with his head. Joe broke away from Fitzsimmons, at the same time saying: "You big , you can't whip me, to say nothing of my brother." Fitzsimmons reached around, picked np a decanter and hurled it at Joe Cor bett, but it went wide of its mark. He then grabbed a castor and was in the act of throwing it at young Cor bett, when he was seized by a special officer. When the quarrel bad appar ently been smoothed over, Jim Corbett walked over to Fitzsimmons and spat in his face. The New Zealander was apparently not anxious to tackle the champion, and Fitzsimmons was taken out of the hotel by some friends. MILLIONS GIVEN AWAY. Mayor Sutro of San FrancUeo Hakes Princely Gift. ' San Francisco, Aug. 13. Adolph Sutro, mayor of San Francisco, has offered the state university regents thirteen acres of land within the city limits on which to erect buildings for the affiliated colleges of the university. In addition to this he will deed to the trustees of the city thirteen acres ad joining as a site for the Sutro library of over 200,000 rare volumes. The library and property are to be held in trust for the city, and the library will be free to all, irrespective of race or color. The gift, which has not yet been accepted, is valued at $1,500,000, and will be worth $2,000,000 when the contemplated improvements are made. Mayor Sutro is said to own one-tenth of the total real estate in San Fran cisco county and city. Most of it, however, is unimproved. Mr. Sutro was elected mayor on the Populist ticket THE TAYLORS SENTENCED. Judge Backer Order Them to Be Hanged October 4 An Appeal Taken. Cabkollton, Mo., Aug. 13. At 11:45 o'clock Saturday night Judge Rucker, after overruling a motion for a new trial, sentenced William P. and George Taylor to be hanged Friday, Octo ber 4. The sentence had more effect on the crowd than on the Taylors. They did not exhibit any emotion or concern. They were the coolest men in the room. The sheriff will now carefully guard the Taylors until the case is finally disposed of by the supreme court. Found a Lost Art. Pittsbubg, Pa., Aug. 13. George Cromley, Cornelius Shay and John Ryan, iron and steel workers, have discovered the lost art of welding cop per to iron or steel. They show sev eral samples of the metals perfectly welded.