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About The Wealth makers of the world. (Lincoln, Nebraska) 1894-1896 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 19, 1895)
1 September 17, 1895. THE WEALTH MAKERS. V TRUTH TERSELY TOLD. A Populist Who Is Mot Afraid to Tall the Troth Speaks Out Plainly. i In the course of an address made at a Fourth of July celebration at Van' conver, state ol Washington, the ora tor of the day, Mr. Martin Quinn, said: "We now come to the leading1 popu list postulate, which is that the money volume should be immediately and 'largely increased to the end that the people might have enough of the cir culating medium with which to do business. Now I hope my brother 'populists will not misunderstand me. I believe the people's party is destined .' ' ,to accomplish great 'things but I be lieve its platform will be greatly im proved in the next campaign. But even . n . U V !1 : ...111 the one that I would by the logic of A 1 11 I . 1 1 w . events ue compelled 10 support ana i would do so willingly. But in the first place let us see how an increase in the volume of currency could in- . crease prices. It, will be perceived that the demand for an increase in the currency finds its greatest expression in the agricultural states, seemingly for this reason: The decline in the prices of agricultural products is simultaneous with the de struction of the legal tenders and the demonetization of sil- V ver. It is inferred from this that the contraction of currency is the cause of ' the fall of prices. I do not believe 'that this is the real reason. The rea son is more likely to be found in the enormously increased capacity to pro duce. Mr. Smaller, of the St Paul Northwest, an authority of standing on agricultural questions, says that in the grain districts, one man now does the work formerly done by six. If this is true and it probably is then it would seem that the number of human beings necessary to produce a given product is, owing to labor dis placing inventions, steadily becoming less, and no increase in the volume of money would induce the farmer to dis card his machines and go back to the primitive methods. But it is urged the farmers are in debt and the enhance ment of prices would enable them to liquidate their indebtedness. Would it? Let us see. Let us suppose that the currency was increased by the free coinage of silver and increase in the legal tenders by land loans, sub-treasury certificates or otherwise. A farmer, like other people, needs money only that he may buy what he needs with it Now let us suppose that when he comes to dispose of his crop he did receive a greater price for it, ,3 it t 1 . uuca to iiui iviiuw tunb wueu A. he came to buy what he needed he ' would find the price also advanced for V cloth, shoes, tools, etc.? He surely would, and alas for him, he would find y the prices of what he had to buy in- 'for their production would be con- !to11i1 and racrnln.t.Arl riv t.rnst.a rtiH n.s- sociations, who produced just what n j - " - they thought the market could stand, and maintained the price, whereas the farmers having no association or trust to control prices produce blindly and profusely, and prices fall for inexora ble reasons that will be given later on. "I will briefly give you what I be lieve to be the cause of the trouble and the remedy, and I may add, and I do so with oleasure. that this opinion is shared by a great and constantly in- lists. V: ' "The cause is this: The power of the human unit to produce has outrun the capacity of the human unit to con sume; in other words, man with the aid of the blind forces of nature, steam and electricity, is able to produce more than he can consume, and furthermore, his power to produce is susceptible of Y indefinite increase, while his capacity X to consume is plainly limited. Now uuia 19 buo puuicui uud age, auu 1U importance it is to any and all other ' political and social questions what the mighty Columbia is to the tiny rill t trickling from the melting snow bank. It is a fact that under the present cap italistic system of production, the greater the power of the worker to produce wealth the more uncertain, dependent and altogether -unsatisfactory becomes his condition. There has been a great change in productive methods amounting to a revolution. i The power loom has replaced the hand loom, the spinning frame the old spin ning? wheel, the steam threshing ma- fctvine the flail. A few machines in the ields now do the work that formerly required thousands. "The effect of these familiar ma- v iuiura is Kiiuwa tu uu, uuu uew ones 'Sfare being invented and put into use 'every day, for one invention suggests another. There is the type-setting ma chine that has displaced thousands of printers; the new attachment for cot ton looms whereby one weaver can run twenty looms, instead of six or eight as formerly; the chain making machine that takes in the iron rod at one end and turns out a linked and welded chain at the other, the cigar ette machine that makes five hundred a minute; the machine that pastes labels on one hundred thousand fruit cans in a day of ten hours; the recently Invented machine that takes the flour, . f'ifts, mixes, lightens and bakes the M bread without beinsr touched bv hu man fingers, and the telantograph that recently worked successfully between Chicago and Cleveland, a distance of 431 miles. Hereafter when you wish to send a telegraph message you sim ply step into the telegraph office, take a pencil, write your dispatch on a table and as fast as you write it will be reproduced at the other end of the line in your exact hand-writing. The telegraph operator will not be needed; he will join the large and rapid grow ing varmy of weavers, cigarmakers, farmN hands, printers, bakers and others who find their places filled by a machube that does more work, does not talk Jback to the boss, makes no protest 11 overwork or small nav. and nevnr kes. I have never had clear vex- ined to me the process of roasoninir which one arrives at the conclusion . that a mere increase in the volume of currency could find employment for those victims of the machines. A revolution is also going on in the dis tributive world; the great department stores employing thousands of hands, mostly women and children, and backed by enormous capital, are steadily and quickly devouring the small retail dealers. These larce con cerns buy in such large quantities that they are enabled to obtain rates that the small retail dealer cannot have. In many lines the large stores manu facture what they sell in their own factories. There can be but one end to such an unequal struggle, and that is the practical elimination of the little retailer. Already he is calling on the legislatures and municipal govern ments to sav him, but his doom is certain; he will join the printers and telegraph operators. I will instance one more cause that displaces labor and that is the trust Let us see how a trust comes into existence. Say there are fifty mills engaged in the manufacture of glass; the competition finally becomes fierce and ruinous. One or more of them conceive the idea that it would be a good plan to stop competing and co-operate. A meeting is called; the condition of the business is plainly stated It is found that the competitive method will and can only end in certain disaster. Figures are produced showing how much" glass the market needs, and a plan proposed mat they only manu facture as much as the market can stand, and thus be enabled to get a price sufficient to yield them a. profit The plan is adopted; the trust is born: hereafter the gross profits of the glass busimess will be divided pro rata among the different individuals or corporations composing the trust in proportion to amount that plant does or can produce. As the product is to be limited it is found necessary to adopt one of two courses, either to run all the mills a part of the time or a certain number of the mills all the time. As a matter of economy the lab ter course is generally adopted. As we have seen there are fifty glass mills; it is found that forty running all the time can supply the demand; ten are shut down indefinitely. Quarterly or semi-annually their proprietors draw their share of the profits made by the trust, but for the hands em' ployed in those ten mills there is no division of profits. Oh no, they must get out and look for work, and as they find the labor market already supplied, the only way they can find employ ment is by offering their labor for less than those receive who are already at work. This results in a fall of wages and a decreased capacity to consume what the farmer has to 6ell and so it acts and reacts back and forth from one branch of labor to another, prices falling exoept where maintained by a trust and wages falling continually. "If I have stated the case truthfully as to the cause of the trouble, then it would seem there can be but one remedy. You have seen that competi tion has driven the capitalists to co operation. Labor, too, must co-operate; there is no other solution possible. If the machines do the work, the people in their collective capacity must own the machines. Whenever the people have abandoned the competitive for the collective method the result has been very satisfactory. All fraternal societies, such as - the Odd Fellows, Masons, Workmen, are an evidence of the superiority of co-operation. "So are our police and Are depart ments, as are also our public schools and post office system. "How many votes would a proposi tion receive in the country, having for its object the disposal of our postal system to a private company? Only as many as that private company could buy, no more. "The extension of the functions of the government in the field of produc tion and distribution has been attended by success in all countries as a general thing, and where the success was at all qualified, it was not due to any fault of the principle, but to extrane ous causes." The foregoing is an admirable expo sition of the problem confronting us. which can be solved m but two ways, i. e.: First, by reducing the length of a day's labor until there are as many days' labor to be done as there are la borers to perform them, so that all may work. Second, the collective own ership and operation of the machinery and tools of production and distribu tion. But Mr. Quinn errs when he assumes and contends that increasing the vol ume of full legal tender money would not make it easier for the farmers to pay their debts. Not only would farm ers, but also all other producers, be much more able to pay their debts, already contracted, were the volume of debt-paying money increased. Sir Archibald Alison ably demon strated this fact as long ago as 1847, while, in his open letter to President Cleveland, Mr. George G. Merrick states the problem thus: "Now as to the effect of rising prices upon the farmerl The wheat crop of 1894 did not give to the producer 50 cents a bushel on the farm. But sup pose the farmer realized 50 cents a busheL A crop of 1,000 bushels gave him in some form of currency $500. Of that $500 we will say that his family expenses for the year were 8250, leav ing 8250 for payment of taxes, insur ance, debts, interest and maintenance of property. "Suppose the general range of prices to be doubled. In that case the farmer receives for his 1,000 bushels of wheat 81,000 instead of 8500. ne pays 8500 for his family expenses instead of 8250, and has 8500 instead of $250 to apply to the payment of taxes, insurance, in terest, debts, the maintenance of his property, and to the improved condi tion of his family. The same law ap plies to all the great farm products north and south. The law is this: 'Producers always produce more than they consume, and in the case of a rise they gain on the whole amount pro duced, while they lose only on what they have to purchase." To make it easier to pay debts and fixed charges, such as interest, taxes and salaries, is the one good and, prob ably, the only good that an increase in the volume of money would accom plish. George C. Ward. THE KINGDOM OF CHRIST. Church Mtmben Who Pray "Thy Kingdom Coma" hut Themselves Try to Answer the Prayer. At the Tabernacle church, Morgan street and Grand avenue, the Chicago Commons School of Economics recent ly opened its summer course of lec tures. The principal address was de livered by Prof. George D. Herron, of Iowa college. His main thought was that the kingdom of Christ on earth should be realized in the social and in dustrial, life of to-day. Jesus, he said, came into the world when discontent was universal, when Roman civiliza tion was but a synonym of corruption, and his first thought was to give Him self up for the elevation of the people. In that day, in Judea, the phrase, "The kingdom of God," meant social justice, a condition in which all men should have liberty and the opportu nitiesto live happily and in enjoyment of all reasonable wants. He says that the people were wretched and in strife, and that sordid interests governed the relations of man to man, and that ev ery one was pursuing his own individ ual happiness as the end of life. And that, he remarked, is what most people aie doing to-day. Jesus thought of a different mode and purpose in life, and that was that each man should live for the good of all and for the building up of a common life, charac terized by justice and happiness. And so the men who lived for no other pur pose than to make the world better be came his apostles and disciples. If we should all become inspired with the idea that we are not here for ourselves, but to uplift the world onto a higher plane, the kingdom of God on earth would come near being realized. If ever a small portion of the members of our churches were to commit them selves to the. idea of Jesus, it would not be easy for us to realize at present the wonderful and beneficial results that would follow. Most of us now live to build up our selves, to Accumulate wealth and, so cial position, and in the struggle many are trampled down? and with the re sult that the slums of our cities are created and perpetuated. Money and what is called society group themselves in certain districts, . and there become congested. Jesus introduced the idea that whatever came to us we Bhould receive, not to selfishly use, so long as there was another human being in dis tress. If we would say that Jesus is onr Master and our Lord, and read His life aright, then we would not hoard up money, and the world would be brighter and better, and would sym bolize what we meant as the kingdom of God. . EDITOR AND REPORTER. The Editor of the Inter Ocean Convlots a Reporter for the Paper of False State ments. In his write-up of the Labor day pa rade in Chicago, an Inter Ocean re porter used this language: "Another feature of the early morn ing preparation was the action of the horseshoers. This was the union that led the labor parade. In it are a num ber who are anarchistically inclined, and they, owing to the small attend ance at the meeting of the union, de cided to go with the labor congress." In the same issue of the paper the above appeared in there was an edi torial from which is clipped the fol lowing paragraph: "It is worthy of note that there seems to be no virus of anarchy in the blood of Chicago industry. Socialism has its followers, but the fundamental ideas of socialism and anarchy are di ametrically opposed to each other. One is for magnifying the government and making it take the place of indi vidual ownership and control; the other is for abolishing the government altogether, or at least reducing its functions to the minimum. One would have the government own the land, run the railroads, and the like; the other would have it stop carrying the mail or protecting persons and property. Keir Hardie and Tommy Morgan are socialists, and the only former anarchist of note who is now at all before the public, Oscar ' Neebe, poses as a socialist Anarchy finds no favor with the intelligent labor of this country. Socialism is not an element of danger. Its advocates do not pro poses to resort to violence. They are harmless as the single-taxers, and, we may add, rather more sensible, because more logical." The reporter was either a fool or a knave. I wonder if he calls Thomas Dixon, Jr., Prof. Ely, W. D. P. Bliss and Myron W. Reed anarchists? t G. C. W. It Robs Them of All. It is said there are three prominent periods in the life of man childhood, with its merry frolics; manhood, with its stern nobility, and old age, with its calm repose. But in this country where cruel competition turns the hearts of men into stone, and wage slavery grinds the faces of the poor, millions of children are robbed of their frolics, millions of men are robbed of their manhood, and millions of the aged are robbed of their repose. Cor porations, with improved machinery, convicts and child labor, produce and retain all the wealth while making men go to jail for want of money, or grow hardened to sin and crime and beg and steal to maintain a little light in their weary lives and faintly illumi nate their miserable souls. Pioneer Exponent The? are Coming:. In our last issue we noted the acces sion to the people's party of Col. S. D. Troy, one of the foremost lawyers of Alabama. We are pleased to announce that Hon. Walter R. Henry, a promi nent democratic leader in North Caro lina, has abandoned the rotten demo cratic ship and enlisted in the army of reform. Col. Henry is a son-in.law of Ex-Gov. Holden, of North Carolina, and was offered a consulship by Ring Grover, which he refused. In the Caucasian (Senator Butler's paper), Col. Henry tells why he has taken the step, and tells in words that strike ter ror to the wavering lines of the doomed democracy. Southern Mercury. PRAISE, ONLY, FROM ALL WHO USB AYER'S Mair Vigor "Ayer's preparations are too well known to need any commen dation from me ; but I feel com pelled to state, for the benefit of others, that six years ago, I lost nearly half of my hair, and what was left turned pray. After using Ayer's Hair Vigor several months, my hair began to grow again, and with the natural color restored. I recommend it to all my friends." Mrs. E. Frank hauser, box 305, Station C, Los Angeles, Cal. Ayer's Hair Vigor PREPARED BT 8 no I i vcd a. rn mwcn unco oi un. v. niui wv., kwnkbb, nifteo. nj POOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOi EXPLOSION OF DYNAMITE. five People Instantly Killed and Houses Blown to Splinters. Minneapolis, Minn., Sept 10. A frightful accident resulting in the death of "five persons, occurred yesterday at Specht's Ferry, a small station on the Milwaukee road, twelve milts from Dubuque. A. Kirschner of Fountain City has the contract of putting wing dams in the river, and has a large force of men employed. These men boarded in a large shanty run by Edward Lat Bhaw, whose home was in Victory, Wis. Yesterday morning1 Foreman C H. Owens was passing the building, when he noticed one of the Latshaw boys firing a rifle near the house. which was raised near the ground, and under it 1,000 pounds of dynamite were stored. Owens pointed out the danger of an explosion and the lad promised to stop faring the gun. Owens passed along and had gone about hfty feet when the gun was again fired and an explosion of dynamite followed. There were seven persons in the building, which was blown to atoms. Of the seven, four were killed, also the boy outside, who fired the fatal shot. NOT SATISFACTORY. The Reform Proposition of Turkey Not Acceptable to the Powers. Constantinople, Sept 10 . The dragomans of the British, French and Russian embassies have received the decision of the porte with reference to Armenia. The porte's proposed con cessions entitle the dragomans of the three embassies to deal with the presi dent of the Turkish committee of con trol, which is to superintend the appli cation of the reform. No Christian mutissaria will be appointed and the other administrative officers will be chosen in proportion to the population. The mutissaria will be elected to the councils of the elders, and a con stabulary will be established. It is not believed that the concessions will satisfy the powers. It is pointed out that owing to the persecution, the Christian population is so diminished in many districts that it is now in a minority. The officials therefore would always be Mohammedan. Jealousy Causes a Tragedy. Gband Rapids, Mich., Sept. 10. At Ottawa Beach Jacob Vanry, owner and captain of the little schooner, Three Sisters, which runs on Black Lake, shot his wife four times, then turned the pistol upon himself, send ing a bullet' into his brain. The man died instantly, but the woman may re cover. Jealousy is the supposed cause of the tragedy. Jack the Ripper Again. LoNDON,Sept. JO. Another supposed Jack the Ripper murder was discovered yesterday morning at Kensal Green. The victim was an unfortunate woman of the outcast class, and her throat was cut from ear to ear and her head was fearfully battered with a stone. Another Treasurer Short. iRONTON.Ohio, Sept. 1 0. A shortage of 818,000 has been discovered in the accounts of County Treasurer M. G. Clay, through the investigations of examiners. The Burlington has been chosen the official route for Louisville G. A, R. En campment. Special train with Comman der C. E. Adams and staff also Woman's Relief Corps will leave Lincoln 2:15 p.m. Sept. 9th, leave Omaha 4:35 p. m., and arrive in Chicago early next morniDg and at Louisville via Pennsylvania Line at 4 p. in. Sleeping car accomodations without change, double berth $4.50, Onmha to Louisville. Reservations for berths should be made early so that am ple accomodations can be arranged for. For full information and tickets apply at li. &. M. Depot or city office corner 10 and 0 streets. Geo. W. Bonnell, CP.&T.A. Dr. P. Reed Madden, ' diseases of the Eye, Ear, Noso, and Throat, 1041 0 street, over R. I. ticket oilice. . Cyclone Season is Here. Purely a - LtS ' -. -' i 1 f ''' 1 1 $3 for first $l,0OO, 10c. for fcacta additional $100 In the Cy clone department. Same in Fire department. NEBRASKA MUTUAL FIRE, LIGHTNING AND CYCLONE INSURANCE COMPANY. xiuis or birictobs. roiTorrioa. Tlm$ txplm In 1893. O. A. FELTON.... Angus W. J. EYESTONE... Rising City J. A. SMITH. Cedar Rapids Tim tiplrti ia uT, M. DALY.. Elgin J. P. ANTHES. Sntton O.HULL...... Alma TYms txplrtt la UM. SAMUEL LICHTT... ............. .. ..Falls City J. O. NEFF Raymond Wm. YOUNG, .........Palmyra OFFICERS! a LICHTY, President.... ..Falls City L N.LEONARD, Vice-President .......7.7.7 J. Y. M. SWIOART, Secretary-Treasurer Lincola Over $800,000 Insured. Have paid $640.00 In Losses. Have had but one assessment. 1 Oc. per $ 1 OO.OO. J. Y. Agents Wanted. The Baltimore Plan, now practically endorsed by President Cleveland, is attracting universal attention because it is based on the evident fact that the currency and banking systems of the country must be re formed. But is the Baltimore plan a reform? It gives the associated banks the power to expand the currency and relieve the country. It also gives them the power to contract it at will and create universal distress for their own private gain. It puts the credit of the government behind every bank note. It donates all but half of one per cent of the profit on the note issue to the banks, and it leaves plenty of opportunities for a Napoleon of Finance to wreck a bank and leave the government to pay the notes. It leaves the banks free to demand the highest interest that the several states will allow, and affords nq relief to farmers and business men of moderate capital. Contrast with this The Hill Banking System. In "Money Found," an exceedingly valuable and instructive book published by Charles H. Kerr & Company of Chicago, and for sale at the office of this paper at 25 cents, Hon. Thos. E. Hill proposes that the government open its own bank in every large town or county seat in the United States, pay 3 per cent on long time deposits, receive deposits subject to check without interest, and loan money at the uniform rate of 4 per cent to every one offering security worth double the amount of the loan. This plan is not an expense to the government, but a source of large revenue. It secures the government amply, which the Baltimore plan does not. - It relieves the distress of the common people, which the Bal timore plan does not. It protects not only note-holders but depositors, who are un secured now and under the Baltimore plan would be still worse off. In a word, the Baltimore plan is in the interest of the bankers, the Hill Banking System is in the interest of the people. Consider them both, and ask your congressman to vote for the one you believe in. And send us 2$c. immediately for the book, "Money Found" has no equal in its line. Address, TINGLEY & BURKETT, Attorneys-at-Law, 1026 O St., Lincoln, Neb. Collection mads sod mon.j rrmlttsd sans day . couecuHi, DE LAVAL GREAM SEPARATORS Address, for catalogue and particulars. Or The Oc Laval SeMHTO Co., Eloiii, III. M Cortlandt Street, New York. Mutual.: No Fire Insurance accepted from terrttory covered by local company. II. SWIGART, Secretary, ' LINCOLN, NEB. Wealth Makers Pub. Co., Lincoln, Neb. HOMES IN THE SUNNY SOUTH. No hot winds, billiards, nor crop fall tires. Na tural Clover, Timothy and Blue Grass. Fuel cheap. Coal 1 per ton at bank. Dry wood fl.M per cord dellvured. All kinds of fruit that grow In this latitude. You will And all these ad ran tatres in the country adjacent Calhoun, Henry county, Ho., 13 mlls from Clinton, the county seat; population 6,000. Located on the M. K. i T. K. R. TO miles southeast Kansas City. We haTe a list of good farms for sale at from $10 to fftO per acre. Cora yields from 80 to 60 per acre, flax from S to 18 per acre and other crops Im Sroportlon. We will cheerfully fir and Inform. on required. Call on or address, BABTUOLKMKW A ALBIOJf, Real Estate Agents, Calhoun, Hs