THE American Plutocracy

BY

M. W. Howard, Member of Congress, Seventh Alabama District.

Illustrations by A. A. COBB.

" Here, on the soil enriched with the blood of the patriotic dead, is to be erected an aristocratic monarchy, with wealth as its God."— Wendell Phillips.

NEW YORK. HOLLAND PUBLISHING COMPANY, 1287 BROADWAY. Copyright, 1895, by M. W. HOWARD. All rights reserved.

THE HOLLAND LIBRARY.

Entered at the post office at New York, N. Y., as second class matter. Issued Quarterly. Subscription price, $2,00 per year. Goldsmith, the sweet and gentle poet, said: 11 111 fares the land to hastening ills a prey, Where wealth accumulates and men decay." and he expressed a truth, the depth of whose meaning we of America are beginning to understand. As we look over the country to-day we see two classes of people. The excessively rich and the abject poor and between them is a gulf ever deepening, ever widening and the ranks of the poor are continually being recruited from a third class, the well- to-do, which class is rapidly disappearing and being absorbed by the very poor. On one side of this gulf we see the people toiling day and night, in the fields, the mines, the factories, working for meager wages, scantily clad and poorly fed and when the year's crop is gathered or the day's wages are paid we see the products of the farm and the fruits of the toil transferred across this inseparable gulf and delivered to those who are on the opposite side. An inspection shows that they are well clothed and that they have every comfort and luxury. They live in splendid mansions, in gorgeous palaces. We see no farms, no mines, no mills, no factories, for the dwellers on this side of the gulf do not labor. Yet there is piled up all the products of the farms, the mines, the factories which came from the other side. A little study of the situation reveals the fact that the laws are such that this vast army of people on one side are compelled to labor and toil in poverty in order that the few dwellers on the other side may lead lives of idleness and luxury. One of these classes represents plutocracy, the other represents the great masses, the toilers of the nation. The greatest struggle of all the ages is the one now going on between these two classes. Plutocracy is endeavoring to widen and deepen the chasm while the people are trying to bridge it until there will be a common ground on which all can meet on an equal footing. The rapid concentration of wealth in the hands of a few is the most alarming sign of the times and unless speedily checked portends the decay of our national greatness. The danger is so imminent that thinking men everywhere are alarmed, and it is with a desire to arouse the people and let them see whither they are drifting that I have written these pages. I have an unwavering faith in the honesty and patriotism of the masses and believe that when the critical moment arrives they will exhibit the spirit of our ancestors when they declared what "all men are, and of right ought to be, free and equal." M. W. HOWARD. New York, September 1, 1895. To the toiling millions ot America. To all who love freedom. To all who oppose plutocracy. To all who favor A government of the people, For the people and By the people This volume is respectfully dedicated. EPIGRAM FROM LINCOLN. ' You can fool some people all the time—you can fool all the people some of the time, but you can't fool all the people all the time." LINCOLN.

EPIGRAM FROM GARFIELD. 'Whoever controls the volume of money in any country is master of all its legislation and commerce." GARFIELD. CONTENTS.

CHAPTER. PAGE. I. The Else of Plutocracy . . 7 II. The Money Power . . . .16 III. The Great Issue—Plutocracy v. Democracy . . . .24 IV. The Trail of the Serpent . . 31 V. Trusts 40 VI. The Heritage of Death ... 51 VII. The Sound Money Fanatic . . 60 VIII. Modern Brigands . . . .71 IX. Easter Morning .... 82 X. Blind Followers . . . .100 XI. The Impregnable Intrenchment . 110 XII. Slavery 122 XIII. The Canker Worm . . . . 130 XIV. Not Charity, but Justice . . 141 XV. The Twelve Apostles of Wealth . 150 XVI. How Plutocracy Enslaves . . 156 XVII. Princes and Paupers . . . 166 XVIII. The People Triumphant . . 198 Appendix A. 207 Appendix B. 211 Appendix C 216 Appendix D ...... 225 PLUTOCRACY

CHAPTER I. THE RISE OF PLUTOCRACY.

The millionaire is a product of modern civ­ ilization. He was wholly unknown to our Eev- olutionary forefathers. He could not have flourished in the same atmosphere which gave birth to our Declaration of Independence. But, as we have grown more refined in our ideas, more aesthetic in our tastes, and more profligate in our manners and expenditures, there has grown up the spirit of "money get­ ting." And as this mad rush for wealth swept us on, the spirit of liberty took flight, and now the spirit of gain and avarice presides over our institutions. At the time of his death, George Washing­ ton was the richest man in this country. He was worth probably eight hundred thousand dollars, a sum not equal to more than one- eleventh of the annual income of William Waldorf Astor. Prior to 1860 we had in this country but three millionaires. This year wit- 8 nessed what may be called the beginning of the Coal Oil Age. Soon there sprang up the most gigantic trust the world has ever wit­ nessed, making its promoters fabulously rich. It was this coal oil trust which sowed the seeds of political and legislative corruption which have germinated and borne such a fruitful crop. When the late war closed, the race for wealth was renewed with more zeal, and men and women became money-mad. Abraham Lincoln, the friend of the people, the equal of Washington in every respect, saw with the eye of a true prophet some of the dire calam­ ities likely to befall the nation in consequence of certain conditions growing out of the war. In 1864 he wrote these memorable words: " Yes, we may congratulate ourselves that this cruel war is nearing its close. It has cost a vast amount of treasure and blood. The best blood of the flower of American youth has been freely offered upon our country's altar that the nation might live. It has been, in­ deed, a trying hour for the Eepublic; but I see in the near future a crisis approaching that unnerves me and causes me to tremble for the safety of my country- As a result of the war, corporations have been enthroned and an era of corruption in high places will follow, and the money power of the country will endeavor to prolong its reign by working upon the prejudices of the people, until all 9 wealth is aggregated in a few hands and the Republic is destroyed. I feel at this moment more anxiety for the safety of my country than ever before, even in the midst of war. God grant that my suspicions may prove groundless !" How prophetic were these words. Surely he must have had a presentiment of his ap­ proaching martyrdom and been accorded a glimpse into the beyond and a panoramic view of the future of this great commonwealth, for the unity of which his blood was soon to be shed. Ah, noble patriot, America's great commoner, divinely appointed and divinely inspired, to-day we are living in the epoch which your prophetic soul foresaw, and we are, entering the somber shadows of doom and impending dissolution which you pre­ dicted would hover over the nation, and un­ less God speedily raises up from the ranks of the common people a leader with thy great­ ness of intellect, thy goodness of heart and grandeur of soul, the people from whose ranks thou didst spring, and whom thou didst love even in thy years of glory, will be in a bondage far more oppressive, more galling and cruel than were the poor black men for whom thy great heart did bleed. At the close of the war plutocracy was not so all-powerful as it is to-day, but the growth has been rapid. The war left one section of the country rich, triumphant; it left the South 10 poor, desolate. It left both sections bitter, prejudiced, intolerant. The North entered upon an era of unprecedented prosperity; the South upon a struggle for bread. Human slavery was abolished, and the North, rejoic­ ing in the triumph of liberty, forgot that there were many other reforms necessary, forgot that there were other triumphs in the name of liberty to be achieved. The South, desolated and humiliated, strove only to bet­ ter her material condition. Both sections lost sight of the, fact that liberty is a tender plant and requires constant watching and careful culture. They heeded not that there has ever been a spirit opposed to human rights and human liberty, slumbering, perhaps, at times, but ready to burst forth like a volcano whenever the people ceased to be watchful. Both sec­ tions turned their backs upon the future, and steadfastly gazed into the past, and year after year fought the war over again. Pa­ triotism slumbered and slept while politi­ cians, not statesmen, kept watch and ward. The money power now came upon the scene and peeped cautiously around at first, but see­ ing that the people no longer were zealously guarding their liberties, seeing that crafty politicians were steering the ship of state, and that the people were blindly following their leaders, who continually fanned the flames of sectional bitterness, it became bold 11 and threw off its timid, fawning air, and as­ sumed a most insolent swagger. It began to stretch out its long arms in all directions and grasp with its greedy fingers the products of the people's toil; yet the people, blindly de­ luded, heeded not, but went on shutting their eyes and closing their ears to the perils which surrounded them. So it became an easy mat­ ter for plutocracy to strengthen its foothold, and soon it began to fasten the shackles of slavery upon the people, and all the while they kept on chattering of the past, forgetful of the duties and dangers that surrounded them, and blind to the future. The masses have grown poorer each year, while plutocracy has grown richer. To-day there are in the city of New York 1,157 indi­ viduals and estates worth a million dollars each. There are in Brooklyn 162 individuals and estates worth at least one million dollars. In the two cities there are, therefore, 1,319 millionaires. But many of these are worth a great deal more than one million dollars, they are multi-millionaires. For instance, John D. Eockefeller is worth f 125,000,000; William Waldorf Astor, $120,000,000; Jay Gould's es­ tate, |100,000,000; Eussell Sage, f 90,000,000; Cornelius Vanderbilt, f 80,000,000, and so on down the list. It is estimated that there are now in this country about thirty-eight hun­ dred millionaires. Let it be remembered that while one of 12 these men accumulates his ten, twenty or a hundred million dollars, he does so, not by his own labor in producing the wealth, but by some legalized method of robbery by which he steals what others have earned. Thirty thousand men, or fewer, own one-half the wealth of this country, and two hundred and fifty thousand, just one quarter of a million, out of a population of almost seventy million souls, own almost or quite eighty per cent, of our total wealth. Thus we see that one-half of the wealth produced in this country an­ nually goes as tribute to thirty thousand per­ sons. In other words, one-half our popula­ tion, or thirty-five million people, are all the time employed in working for thirty thousand of their fellow-men, who are no better than themselves. But eighty per cent, of the an­ nual wealth production goes to two hundred and fifty thousand persons. So we have the appalling spectacle of almost seventy million people contributing all their earnings above a meager sustenance, to the favored two hun­ dred and fifty thousand, who, like a mighty octopus, suck the lifeblood out of the nation. This organized band of plutocrats has man­ aged to control legislation, and to get posses­ sion of every avenue of commerce and trade, and crush the life out of all competition and opposition, and now plutocracy reigns su­ preme, and instead of fawning for favors, as was its wont in its embryo days, it now forces 13 all the world to come and worship at its shrine. Despite the fact that this country went through the most destructive war ever known on this planet, and despite the emancipation of four billion dollars' worth of slaves, we have grown richer at the rate of two hundred and fifty dollars for every day and hour from 1860 to 1890. During that period of time there has been accumulated one hundred thousand million dollars, enough to secure a competence for every man, woman and child in all the land, enough to provide a comforta­ ble home for every family, enough to educate every child, clothe every half-naked little body, and put shoes on all the little feet to protect them from the snows of winter, to guard against every calamity, and at last to give a decent burial and modest tombstone to every one over whom floats the American flag. And where is this wealth to-day? Who enjoys the fruits of all the toil, the anxiety, the hardships, the tears? Where have gone the earnings of almost seventy million peo­ ple? Half of it into the coffers of thirty thou­ sand men. Eighty per cent, of it into the cof­ fers of two hundred and fifty thousand. It is said that just prior to the fall of the Eoman Empire, the entire wealth was in the hands of nineteen hundred men. How long will it be, if the present ratio of gain be main­ tained, ere a few hundred men will own all 14 the wealth of this magnificent country? Then what will be the fate of our boasted Constitu­ tion, our blood-bought liberty? I cannot more appropriately answer these questions than to again quote the language of the im­ mortal Lincoln: "The money power of the country will en­ deavor to prolong its reign by working upon the prejudices of the people until all the wealth is aggregated in a few hands, and the Republic destroyed." Lincoln uttered these words when all the world was rejoicing over the overthrow and destruction of human slavery, but in the hour of triumph, when the shouts of liberated slaves were filling the land, the hand of des­ tiny fell heavily upon liberty's greatest cham­ pion, and he christened with his blood this new-born freedom. Can it be possible that when his matchless spirit bade a tearful fare­ well to the people over whom he had watched with a fatherly care, and the slaves from whom he had so recently stricken the shack­ les, that weeping Liberty, deprived of her be­ loved lord and master, also departed from our land, to seek for the spirit of him who gave his life blood for the poor and oppressed? Let us hope that the spirit of liberty is not yet departed, and with Lincoln pray Cod to avert the impending danger. We can yet save our American institutions. Will we do itj ere it is too late? Total assessed value of all real and per­ sonal property, census of 1890 $17,139,903,495 Owned by thirty thousand persons 8,568,851,747 Owned by two hundred and fifty thousand persons 18,711,927,796 OwTned by almost seventy million people. . 3,419,980,699 Per capita of real and personal property, owned by 'seventy million people, about. 4.88 Per capita of real and personal property, owned by two hundred and fifty thou­ sand people 34,275.00 Per capita of real and personal property, owned by thirty thousand people 285,628.00 15 OHAPTEE H.

THE MONEY POWER.

When reformers talk of the "money power" they are often sarcastically asked the ques­ tion, "Who or what constitutes the 'money power?' Where does the 'money power' have its headquarters? Can you giye the names of the men who are members of this so-called organization?" It is the purpose of the au­ thor in this chapter to answer these questions. In certain sections of the country it is al­ most, high treason to speak of a money power, and the man haying the courage to do so is at once called a crank, an agitator, an anarchist, the foe of society, an enemy to his country, and an aliep. from God. He is looked on with suspicion by the sleek, well-fed bankers. He is ostracized by society, he is boycotted in business and called an ingrate and hardened reprobate by the wealthy, fashionable churches. The environments haye been so strong that thousands of men and women, who are to-day 16 HETTY GREEN.

17 suffering from the oppressions and high­ handed outrages of plutocracy^ do not dare to raise their voices against it. But, notwith­ standing all the vituperation, oppression and contumely which a person must bear when he rebels against existing conditions, there are to-day not thousands, but millions, of the com­ mon people of this country and of the world in open rebellion against this money power. Occasionally some great paper, like the New York "World," catches the notes of prog­ ress, hears the tramp of the marching hosts and sounds the bugle blast of warning. These things prove that there must be an all-power­ ful force or combination, so strong, indeed, that society, public opinion, the rich churches, the bankers, the military and the courts are all arrayed on its side. But I can give more incontestible proof than this, that there is a money power. I offer the testimony of Ohauncey M. Depew, a multi­ millionaire, and a member of the money aris­ tocracy. Surely the evidence of this most re­ spectable millionaire will not be questioned. Here is what he once said: "Fifty men in these United States have it in their power by reason of the wealth which they control to come together within twenty- four hours and arrive at an understanding by which every wheel of trade and commerce may be stopped from revolving, every avenue of trade blocked, and every electric key struck 18 dumb. Those fifty men can paralyze the whole country, for they can control the circu­ lation of the currency and create panic when­ ever they will." Think of such power for evil being lodged in the hands of a few men; the power to stop every wheel of trade and commerce, paralyze the whole country, control the circulation of the currency and create a panic at will. It is indeed an appalling thought. Fifty men, cold and heartless, who have grown rich off the toil of others, who never produced one dollar of wealth, who have reaped where they have not sown, to be able to throw every laboring man out of work and to turn millions of women and little children into the streets to starve. These men have ac­ cumulated their millions, for the most part, by robbing honest toil of the fruits of its la­ bor, and now that their hearts have grown more greedy and avaricious, will they hesi­ tate to bring about all these dire calamities which Mr. Depew so graphically pictures, if by so doing they can add a few more millions to their own wealth? My own opinion is that Mr. Depew has very much overestimated the number of men nec­ essary to produce a panic. I think that twen­ ty-five men, and even a much smaller number than this could create, at any time, a panic which would bring widespread disaster and ruin. Take, for instance, the twenty-five 19 wealthiest men in this country. They are worth in the aggregate one billion, two hun­ dred million dollars, a sum almost equal to all the money—gold, silver and greenbacks— we have in the United States, the total amount in circulation, Oct. 1,1894, being esti­ mated in round numbers at one billion six hundred and fifty-flye million dollars. It can easily be seen that these twenty -flye men, by locking up their wealth, could create a panic and contract the money of the country so that all business would be stagnated. These twenty -five men are worth one-four­ teenth as much as the total assessed value of all the real and personal property in the United States. They are worth one-half as much as the entire farm products of the whole country in one year. In endeavoring to ascertain if there is in fact a money power, and to get some idea of its magnitude and influence, let us study the following table of figures:

Total value of the assets of the railroads is. $11,855,968,000 Capital and surplus of the National banks. 931,260,000 Assets of principal joint stock companies doing business in the United States.... 176,000,000 Assets of the life and fire insurance com­ panies 1,300,000,000 Twenty-five millionaires 1,200,000,000

Total value $15,463,228,000

This is an aggregate of wealth equal to the value of all the farming lands, fences and 20 buildings in the United States, added to the total farm products for one year. It is more than nine times the value of all the money in circulation in this country. It is one-third, or five billions, more in value than all the money in the entire world. After a careful study of these figures can any thinking man doubt that there is a "money power"? But I have the testimony of another most important witness to offer. Hear what the Hon. William Windom, late Secretary of the Treasury, says on this ques­ tion. "I repeat to-day, in substance, words ut­ tered seven years ago, that there are in this country four men who in the matter of taxa­ tion possess and frequently exercise, powers which neither Congress nor any State Legis­ lature would dare to exert, powers, which, if exercised in Great Britain, would shake the throne to the foundation. "These men may, at any time, and for reas­ ons satisfactory to themselves, by a stroke of the pen, reduce the value of property in the United States by hundreds of millions. They may, at their own will and pleasure, embar­ rass business, depress one city or locality and build up another, enrich one individual and ruin his competitors, and when complaint is made, coolly reply, 'What are you going to do about it?' The channels of commerce, being owned and controlled by one man, or a few 21 men, what is to restrain corporate power, or to fix a limit to its exaction upon the people? What is to hinder these men from depressing or inflating the value of all kinds of property to suit their caprice or avarice and thereby gathering into their coffers the wealth of the nation? "Where is the limit to such power as this, and what can be said of the spirit of a great people who will submit without a protest to be thus bound hand and foot?" Other evidence might be offered that there is a "money power," and that it is making its baneful influence felt all over the land, but we need no further proof. The idle mills, the deserted factories, the abandoned coal mines, the mortgaged farms, the millions of idle la­ borers, the wretched homes, the ragged in­ mates, the careworn, hollow-cheeked women, the pale, emaciated, hungry children, testify in a language more eloquent than I can em­ ploy of the existence of this monster which threatens civil liberty. These tell us that the calamities pictured by Mr. Depew as possible are now upon us, and we know the source from whence they came. For years the people have been deceived by the minions of plutocracy, but at last hunger, want and wretchedness are causing them to open their eyes to the perilousness of their sit­ uation. In the language of Mr. Windom, we ask the question, "How long will a free peo- 22 pie submit without a protest to be thus bound hand and foot?" God grant that there may be a mighty awakening of the people from Maine to Cal­ ifornia, and from the Lakes to the Gulf, and may the spirit of freedom which made Bun­ ker Hill possible, and the loye of liberty which inspired the great Lincoln, fill the heart of every toiler of this nation until they will rise up and overthrow the boastful "money power" and pledge themselves anew to the principles of the Declaration of Inde­ pendence. To earn the amount of William Waldorf Astor's fortune would take a man, working at one dollar per day, 300 days in the year, 400,000 years. To earn his income for one year, at the same price per day, would require one man to work, 29,666 years. To earn his income for one day would require one man to work 81 years. To earn his income for one hour, it would require a man to work three and a half years. 23 CHAPTEB III. THE GREAT ISSUE—PLUTOCRACY v. DEMOCRACY.

In placing the above title at the head of this chapter I do not mean Democracy as rep­ resented by the so-called Democratic party of the present day, but real, genuine Democracy. The Democracy that contends for a govern­ ment of the people, for the people, and by the people. I do not mean the Democracy of Grover Cleveland, for it is only plutocracy mas­ querading in a stolen costume. I mean the Democracy of Thomas Jefferson, Andrew Jackson and Abraham Lincoln. The issue is now clearly defined and it is to be the greatest, the most stupendous struggle of all the ages. It is the uprising of the peo­ ple against the money power. It is quite the fad among certain large daily papers representing the money power to say there is no plutocracy, that it is all a mere hallucination. They scoff at the idea that this question is to enter into the politics of 25 the future; but while they thus scoff and pre­ tend to fell no alarm, there is no question but what they hear the mutterings of the ap­ proaching storm. But the more imminent the danger, the more arrogant and insolent the plutocrats and the Wall Street subsidized press become. It was so before the French Revolution. It was so with Charles the First, it was so with England when our Revolution­ ary fathers were compelled to declare for free­ dom. It was so with the slave-holding South when it would accept no terms of compromise; and so to-day the money aristocracy, intoxi­ cated by power, reveling in an excess of wealth, surfeited with a redundancy of money, has grown bold and arrogant in its demands, and asks that the toilers of the nation, those who work with brawn and brain, be made slaves to this libidinous plutocracy. The Rev. T. DeWitt Talmage speaks as fol­ lows on this momentous question: "The greatest war the world has ever seen is now going on between labor and capital. The middle classes, who have hitherto held the balance of power and acted as mediator between two extremes, are diminishing, and at the present ratio we will soon have no mid­ dle classes, for all will be very rich or very poor, and we will be divided between princes and paupers, between palaces and hovels." That time has already arrived. We have shown,and will do so more fully in these pages, 26 that a few individuals are excessively rich, owning the fruits of the toil and thrift of many generations, while the people, "the backbone and sinew" of the country, "the salt of the earth/' have been robbed so long that they have nothing left. And yet, the greedy, grasping money power is not content, is not willing to leave the peo­ ple alone with their burdens of debt and sor­ row; not willing to leave to them the mere shadow of a once proud freedom, but is seek­ ing now, by artful methods and devilish machinations, to increase the burdens and in­ tensify the sorrow and leave not a single ear-mark upon our American institutions to tell future generations that this was once the land of the free and the home of the brave. The greatest tools of plutocracy in this country to-day are Grover Cleveland, Presi­ dent of the United States, and his trust cham­ pion, Attorney-General Eichard Olney. Time was, in the days of our fathers, when a man holding a high office who willfully re­ fused to discharge the duties which he had taken an oath to faithfully perform, would hare been impeached. Upon what degener­ ate times have we now fallen that the At- torney-General of the United States persist­ ently refuses to enforce the anti-trust law, and is upheld in his nefarious course by the Presi­ dent. And yet these men call themselves Demo- 27 crats. Shades of Andrew Jackson, what a misnomer! Bnt these tools of plutocracy are hastening the ruin which is coming upon the heads of the masters whom they serve. Their open de­ fiance and disregard of the law has aroused a perfect storm of indignation throughout the land, and the people who have long been blinded "by the sophistries of the money power, are now beginning to understand what the is­ sue is to be. It is the rule of wealth against the rule of the people. If wealth is to rule, our great nation must perish; if the people once regain the reins of government and rule wisely, we will have the happiest people and most prosperous country of all the ages. To show that I am not alone in believing that this is to be the great dominant issue of the future, I quote from a speech deliv­ ered by Senator John J. Ingalls. "We cannot disguise the truth that we are on the verge of an impending revolution. Old issues are dead. The people are arraying themselves, one side or the other of a por­ tentous contest. "On the one side is capital, formidably in­ trenched in privilege, arrogant from con­ tinued triumph, conservative, tenacious of old theories, demanding new concessions, en­ riched by domestic levy and foreign com­ merce, and struggling to adjust all values to its own gold standard. On the other side is 28 labor asking for employment, striving to de­ velop domestic industries, battling with the forces of nature and subduing the wilderness. Labor, starving and sullen in the cities, reso­ lutely determined to overthrow a system un­ der which the rich are growing richer and the poor are growing poorer, a system which gives to a Vanderbilt and a Grould wealth be­ yond the dreams of avarice, and condemns the poor to poverty from which there is no es­ cape or refuge but the grave. Demands for justice have been met with indifference and disdain. The laborers of the country asking for employment are treated like impudent mendicants begging for bread." Laborers of America, whether you work with brawn or brain, will you longer close your eyes to the great issue? You owe it to yourselves, to your wives and children and to posterity to face this great issue like men, to throw off party shackles, lay aside partisan prejudice, and get out from under the party lash; and, as did our fathers at Bunker Hill and Yorktown, let us fight for freedom. It is a battle, yea, a terrible battle. Plu­ tocracy is thoroughly organized and equipped for the conflict. Let the people rally round the Stars and Stripes, shouting the battle-cry of freedom. On the side of the money power will be the hired tools and minions of pluto- racy, who sell themselves for gold. On the other side, free men who are willing to sacri* flee much to still maintain equal rights for all and special privileges for none. Men of America, let us win the battle while we can do so by constitutional methods. Now it need be only a battle of ballots.' But if we prove recreant to our duty and betray the trust which our fathers have reposed in us, then constitutional methods will not avail, and this continent will be shaken by a mighty revolution. The signs of the times are so plain that they may be read by all. A wayfaring man, though a fool, cannot mistake them. Let us be wise to-day, To accumulate one million dollars, a man would have to earn and save $100 a day (Sun­ days excepted) for thirty years. To earn the fortune of John D. Rockefeller would therefore require the saving of $100 a day for 3,750 years. Suppose the working man could save ten cents a day, then to accumulate $1,000,000 would require 30,000 years. To accumulate Rockefeller's fortune, at a saving of ten cents a day, would therefore re­ quire 3,750,000 years. It would require 10,000 men, each saving ten cents per day, 375 years to accumulate his fortune, and saving a dollar per day it would take 10,000 men 37 1-2 years. What working man can save even ten cents per day above the support of his family? Yet these are the men who have earned Rocke­ feller's fortune for him as well as the fortunes of all the other members of the American plutocracy. so 6HAPTER IV.

THE TRAIL OF THE SERPENT.

"And the trail of the serpent was oyer them all."—Bible. Plutocracy should be called the great na­ tional crime. It is certainly a sad reflection on our patriotism that we have allowed it to so intrench itself in power, that the people are wellnigh helpless. But we have sown the wind and must reap the whirlwind. This con­ dition has come upon us because of our leth­ argy, and now we are bearing the punishment for our unfaithfulness. While the curse rests most heavily upon the masses of the people, it does not fail to visit all classes. The stubborn fight of the poor for bread finds its counterpart in the frantic efforts of the rich to acquire more money. There is misery in the hovel and a feverish unrest in the palace. There is hunger gnawing at the crust of bread in the alley and the fierce craving of the heart in the mansion. We meet the beggar in the street and look 82 into the sunken, downcast, furtive eye; we go into the busy marts of the world's commerce, and the burning, restless, eager eye of the speculator pierces with eagle-like scrutiny. Truly can it be said that the trail of the ser­ pent is over them all. The spirit of avarice is devouring the great heart of this nation. The greed for gain gets such possession of men?s souls that they be­ come demons. They rush into the maelstrom of money-getting, and soon lose all fear of God and love for their fellow-men, and before they realize it, they have become slaves to a passion which is as cruel as fate and as re­ morseless and unrelenting as death. Come with me to the great New York Stock Exchange if you would see one of the evils which plutocracy has given us. We must go up into the gallery, for it costs thousands of dollars to buy the privilege of going upon the floor where the gambling is going on. Ah, you can hear them now, before we are half­ way up the stairway. Let us get a good posi­ tion, where we can look down upon the wild scene. Now you see them; yes, hundreds of men, running hither and thither, shouting, gesticulating, like madmen. See the mes­ sengers, a hundred or more, dressed in uni­ form, carrying messages and orders for the operators on the Exchange. Watch the ever- changing panorama as the stocks rise and fall. Look at the excited group just over ^^'fclfctifa-at, ^ \4

RUSSELL SAGE.

COL. JOHN JACOB ASTOR.

33 there. One little man, with red face and wild eyes, is waving a paper above his head, and shouting, screaming, yelling, until it almost deafens you. There has been an unlucky turn in the stock market for him, and now he is trying to sell his holdings before there is an­ other drop and he is ruined. But look over on the other side of the room. The announcement has just been made of the great rise in coal oil stock, and there is a wild rush of men in that direction. They run like a herd of maddened, stampeded cattle, and the roar that comes up from the pit becomes more terrific, and the shouts of exultation, mingled with the sullen cries of defeat, drown your voice so that you cannot be heard. A large, elegantly-dressed man, with gold- rimmed spectacles and silk hat, was a large holder of the fortunate stock. He throws his silk hat high in the air; it falls at his feet, and he kicks it around like a football. In his fren­ zy at his success he crushes his spectacles un­ der his feet, and dances with all the gyrations and demoniac yells of an Indian brave or a wild Zulu. This morning he came down town almost a pauper, one more unlucky turn of the wheel of fortune and all would have been lost; but luck was on his side, and now he is a millionaire. I see another man, who has sunk down and sits in a recess over against the wall. Pain, dis­ appointment, dejection, despondency, mark 84 every feature. His eyes are bloodshot, and they stare about vacantly. He casts a look up to the gallery, where we are standing, and that look is full of despair; but no one pays the slightest attention to him. He came to the Stock Exchange this morning worth a mil­ lion dollars. Luck was against him, and he lost all. Now he sits there a pauper, and al­ ready he is forgotten. The men who knew him an hour ago now pass him by as though he were a stone figure. He puts on his hat and silently ambles out into the street. Let us follow him, for the maddening roar, the wild cries have driven us almost into a frenzy. Yes, those men below are mad; every one of them is as mad as the maddest, wildest lot in all Bedlam. Nothing on earth can be compared to the scenes in the pit of the Stock Exchange. Nothing in all the universe, unless it be the infernal pit of Hell, where Satan and his imps dance, and shout, and scream, and yell, and laugh their demoniacal laughs over the pros­ trate forms of bleeding, suffering victims. But we must not lose sight of the man we are watching. The day is cold; the rain and sleet come down in a perfect storm of fury, but he heeds it not. In a little time he is soaked to the skin, but he feels not the cold. Now he walks out upon the bridge, and we suppose that he is going to his home in Brook­ lyn. Along the. walkway we follow him. When he reaches the center of the bridge, he 35 walks hastily out to where there is no obsta­ cle in the way, and before we realize what he is going to do, he leaps wildly into the air, and his body shoots downward with almost light­ ning-like rapidity, and drops with a heavy thnd into the muddy waters of the river. Ah, he rises! but the pain, the anguish, have gone out of his face; his spirit is struggling to be freed from its prison-house, and once again he sinks, to rise no more. One man has won a million dollars, and goes home to elegance and splendor; another man has lost a million dollars, and has gone to find a watery grave, unwept, unhonored and unsung. In every large city we have these gambling hells. In this business, which plutocracy has made a most honorable one, thousands of men are engaged. They never earned an honest dollar in their lives, yet many of them are worth millions. How have they made it? In gambling on the prices of corn and wheat which they never grew, but which has been produced and sold by the honest old farmer at a price so small that he is hardly able to pay his taxes and the annual interest on his mortgaged farm. They have made it specu­ lating on the cotton which they never saw and never will see, while the poor farmer in the South, who sells it for four or five cents per pound, is unable to send his little children to school even for three months in a year, and 36 must see them go barefoot in winter, and look with pity on their tatters and rags. Every dollar gained by one of these gam­ blers is taken from some honest toiler. Every million they accumulate means a multitude of wretched homes and desolate firesides. While money rules the country, there is no help for it. There can be no hope for the people. But the curse of plutocracy, as already said, is not confined to any class. It is a vulture which will eventually destroy those upon whom it preys, and then it will turn and rend those Whom it enriched. One night I walked through a poor, misera- ble, dirty street in the city of New York, where the poorest, most wretched of God's children are huddled together. It was close upon the hour of midnight. Upon the stone steps of a filthy, vile tenement house sat a lit­ tle girl, who, from her appearance, was not more than seven years old. In her arms she clasped tightly her tiny sister, of not more than three. Both were, hungry, pale, dirty, emaciated. Both were clad in tatters and rags. Both were fast asleep, the head of the younger child resting upon her sister's shoul­ der, the brown curls of the elder mingling with the golden curls of the baby, while upon the dirty little cheeks of the elder child stood two tiny tears. I stood still and looked at the wretched waifs, and I thought, Are these, indeed, God's 37 own little ones, and did He really say, "Suffer little children to come unto Me, and forbid them not, for of such is the Kingdom of Heaven"? Angels must nightly weep oyer such scenes as these, for they are not isolated cases, but they are legion. Oh, Plutocracy, thou friend of the rich and robber of the poor, surely the vengeance of a just God will soon be visited upon thee. During the great strike last year I was in Chicago, and as I walked along State Street at night, I saw hundreds of women, some old and haggard, some young and beautiful, all hungry and wretched. They were openly so­ liciting men. In their desperation they would beg—yea, plead, wildly, fiercely, for money enough to buy just one loaf of bread. Many of them told me they had not tasted food for twenty-four and even forty-eight hours. They said that they could find no work to do, and had been turned into the streets to starve. One poor child I saw weeping bitterly and moaning, "Oh, God, must I be forced to sell myself, soul and body, for a loaf of bread?" Plutocracy, thou art responsible. I arraign thee before the bar of public opinion. I charge that plutocracy robs our tender girls of their virtue, steals from our little children their daily bread, deprives them of an education and makes them prematurely old. It forces tears to the eyes of the mothers of the land, 38 pales their cheeks, bows their forms and breaks their hearts. It robs men of their inde­ pendence, the laborer of his hire and turns out every year a vast army of tramps. It fills the jails, the alms-houses, the brothels and the gambling hells. It is guilty of most of the murders and suicides. It gloats over hu­ man woe and fattens on human suffering. The more wretchedness and poverty it can produce, the more flourishing and prosperous it will become. Plutocracy is on trial before the American people, and Liberty looks on in breathless suspense. The total crop value in 1889 was $2,460,< 107,454. The total real estate mortgages in 1890 were $6,019,679,985. On this basis it would take the entire crops of the country for almost three years to paj the real estate mortgages alone, to say noth­ ing of all the other indebtedness, private and public. The farmers and laboring men must pay all these real estate mortgages, and all the time plutocracy is forcing them to take less and less for their cotton, wheat and labor. 39 CHAPTEK V.

TRUSTS. In an article published in the "Forum," Mr. Chas. F. Beech gives the following definition of a trust: "An agreement among the producers and venders of a certain sort of merchantable commodity for their mutual protection and profit in business." In a little work on trusts by W. W. Cook, of the New York bar, he defines a trust thus: "A trust is a combination of many compet­ ing concerns under one management, which thereby reduces the cost, regulates the amount of production and increases the price for which the article is sold. It is either a monop­ oly or an endeavor to establish a monopoly. Its purpose is to make larger profits, by de­ creasing cost, limiting production and increas­ ing the price to the consumer. This it accom­ plishes by presenting to the competitors the alternative of joining the trust or being crushed out." 40 41 The author's definition of a trust is: "An organized effort to rob both producer and consumer, and to steal all the fruits of honest labor. This to be done in defiance of all law and every principle of right, justice and humanity." Let us examine into some of the operations of the so-called trusts and see if the definition of Mr. Beech, the apologist for trusts, will stand the test of criticism. In the first place, is the trust founded on an agreement between the producer and vender for mutual profit? Let us take the great beef trust, for instance, and see who is benefited by it. Eecently the trust has made most outrageous advances in the price of beef. Was the producer bene­ fited? By no means. The advance in the price of beef cattle was so slight as to be al­ most imperceptible, so there could have been no agreement with the producers. In this instance producer and consumer were robbed. No trust has ever yet been formed that ben­ efited the laboring man. If the producer is benefited at all, it is when a lot of wealthy corporations band together and form a trust, as the whiskey trust, for instance. Here the distillers limit the output and regulate the price, and are consequently the beneficiaries. But what about the primal producer? The man who grows the corn, the fruit and other products out of which the liquors are made? Is he benefited by the trust? Certainly not. 42 Trusts are the outgrowth of plutocratic rule. Almost everything we eat or wear is controlled by some trust. The Standard Oil trust is, perhaps, the most powerful and ab­ solute trust in the country. It not only con­ trols the oil traffic in the United States, but is now reaching out its grasping fingers to control the whole world, and there is but lit­ tle doubt but what it will succeed. Then come the sugar trust, the beef trust, the whiskey trust and trusts galore, until we are dumbfounded with the list. Write the history of the Standard Oil trust and the whis­ key trust, and you will have pages blackened by the blasts of Hell and stained with human blood. From every page wo aid stare the eyes of hunger, the gaunt, pinched faces of suffering humanity. Between every line you would see the bright nails upon the coffin lid. Outlined on every page there would stand a hideous gallows. And at the turn of every leaf you would hear the creaking of prison doors and the rattle of felons' chains. These trusts have been guilty of bribery, lying, per­ jury, high-handed robbery, midnight assassi­ nations and cold-blooded murders. They have crushed competition, bankrupted thousands of honest men, oppressed the poor, robbed and plundered the helpless, until to-day they are absolute and supreme masters of the situation, able to regulate production, control prices, grind the faces of the poor, build up enor- 43 mous fortunes for the trust fiends, elect Gov­ ernors and Presidents, own the Attorney-Gen­ eral of the United States, purchase Legisla­ tures and Congresses, and hold high, carnival while the dance of death goes merrily on, and people starve, and rot, and die all over the land. The trust first crushes all competitors by selling the "trusted" product for less than the cost of production, and when the small deal­ ers or producers can no longer hold out, they are paid a small sum of money and go out of business, and then the great trust, whicli has swallowed up all competitors, raises prices, according to the promptings of its cupidity. Another form of the trust is the combining of all the small trusts or corporations under one head and "pooling" the commodity to be handled. The profits accruing to the trusts are enor­ mous. The Standard Oil trust had an invest­ ment originally of not more than six million dollars. It issued ninety million dollars in trust certificates. These are worth to-day about three hundred million dollars, and are nearly all owned by a few men. This trust- has paid millions of dollars already to its or­ ganizers. The sugar trust has a capital of seventy- five million dollars, the actual value being about seven million seven hundred and forty thousand dollars. In 1893 it paid in dividends 44 ten million eight hundred and seventy-five thousand dollars, put aside a surplus of five million dollars, in addition to the enormous sums paid as salaries and the vast amounts spent in bribing legislators, corrupting offi­ cials and contributing to campaign funds. In addition to the trusts already enumer­ ated, there are a beer trust, a leather trust, a salt trust, a match trust, a coal trust, a bread trust, a railroad trust and hundreds of others; and last, but not least, an undertakers' Na­ tional Burial Gase Association trust. We must serve the trusts while we live, and when we die our relatives or friends, if they are able, and if not, then some charitable or­ ganization, must pay some trust two prices to bury us. These trusts are often formed by very pious and very religious men. The class of men whom Eobert Burns calls the "unco guid." The richest man in this country is John D. Rockefeller, who is worth one hundred and twenty-five million dollars. He made it out of the oil trust. He is a member of the Church, and has given large sums of money to relig­ ious, educational and benevolent societies. I suppose he has some great, charitable scheme working in his benevolent heart at the pres­ ent time, and that he needs some more money to carry it out, for the price of oil has been advanced, and the poor are now paying more than twice as much for it as they did a short 45 time ago. I quote from one of the daily papers of April 16, 1895: "There was a further rise in oil prices on the Consolidated Exchange here yesterday, and the market closed with $2.50 bid for cer­ tificates. "Befined petroleum in barrels was advanced from |10.50 to $11.50. "Oil men are talking $3 oil before the week ends, and if there were many certificates to be had here there would be the wildest excite­ ment on the Exchange. "A number of old oil speculators have left here for Oil City and Pittsburg, where the real excitement and trading are. "But the rise is felt elsewhere than on the Stock Exchange, where brokers buy and sell that which they never use. "It has come home to those who cannot af­ ford gas or electric light. A year ago oil of 150 degrees test cost them only five cents a gallon. Yesterday many of them had to pay 13 cents. "It is by the light of oil lamps on the East Side that many of the suits worn on Broadway are made. Old eyes grow dimmer and young eyes are injured plying the needle or model­ ling artificial flowers by the light of lamps in stuffy tenement rooms. "In that life where pennies are dollars, the increase means more self-denial, more pinch­ ing, a harder struggle. 46 "A safe oil that small dealers had been able to sell for five or six cents rose to seven last December. The poor people found this price for their midnight oil a great hardship, but a week ago it rose to nine cents, and since Mon­ day to 12 cents. "Many East Side grocers practically give the oil away at cost for the sake of the trade it brings; others sell at a narrow margin. But it is a necessity which, like sugar, they must carry." When the pious Mr. Eockefeller makes his offerings to the Lord, does he ever think of the drops of blood from broken hearts, the groans from squalid misery, the tears from human agony, which have been coined into each shining dollar? Does he realize that he is offering the Lord blood money? But the trust of which he is the leading spirit has so long been accustomed to bribe officials and legislators that Mr. Eockefeller actually has the impudence and assurance to try to bribe the Lord. Jesus Christ did not say to the rich young man, "Go, rob the poor of all they have, and bring the thousandth part to me as a bribe, a sort of sin offering, and then follow me." But he said: "Go, sell all thou hast and give it to the poor, and then follow me." When the Judgment Day comes, and themen whom Mr. Eockfeller has driven to suicide, the wretched creatures lie has hounded into 47 insane asylums, the women who have been forced into poverty the most abject, the chil­ dren whom he has stripped of clothing, de­ prived of food and turned barefooted into the street to leave foot-prints on the cutting ice and snow, all rise up as a cloud of wit­ nesses against him, and in answer to all the terrible accusations he says, "Lord, Lord, did I not give large sums of this money unto thee?" what think you the God of Justice will answer? Will it be, "Well done, good and faithful servant," or "Depart from Me; I never knew you." I have not the space in this work to treat fully of trusts, and can only touch upon the subject. The great question is, Shall the trusts con­ trol the people, or will the people control the trusts? Sir John Culpepper, in his speech in Parliament, thus spoke of trusts: "They are a nest of wasps, a swarm of ver­ min which have overcrept the land. Like the frogs of Egypt, they have gotten possession of our dwellings, and we have scarce a room free from them. They sup in our cup, they dip in our dish, they sit by our fire, we find them in the dye:fat, washbowl and powdering tub. They share with the butler in his box, they will not bate us a pin. We may not buy our clothes without their brokage. These are the leeches that have sucked the common­ wealth so hard that it is almost hectical." Let us overthrow plutocracy, and we will 48 destroy the trusts. There can be no halfway measures. No compromise between monopoly and the American people. Liberty and trusts cannot long exist together. One or the other will soon be destroyed. Let us rise up and crush them before they bind us hand and foot and make of our children abject slaves. WILLIAM C. WHITNEY.

JOHN D. ROCKEFELLER.

Kerosene oil, leather, beef and flour are four standard commodities of prime neces­ sity in every family. They are all controlled by the trusts-'—trusts created for the sole purpose of squeezing money out of the people and emptying it into the pockets of the plu­ tocrats. It needs but a simple calculation, using a family of five members as an illustration, to show how outrageous the operations of these trusts are, and how enormous their profits must be. If such a family uses ten pounds of beef a week of the grades on w" *ch the price has been advanced five cents a pound, they will now have to pay for it fifty cents a week more than they used to pay, or $26 a year. If they use the same amount of first-class beef it will cost them fifty-two dollars a year more. If such a family uses three gallons of kero­ sene oil a week, it will cost them twenty-four cents a week more than it used to, or twelve dollars and forty-eight cents a year more than it did before the Standard Oil trust put up the price. 50 If such a family requires ten pairs of shoes a year, two pairs for each member, it will cost ten dollars a year more to buy these shoes next fall than it would if there was no leather trust If such a family uses one barrel of flour a month, it will cost twelve dollars a year more for their yearly supplies than it would had the wheat market not been cornered. A family of five would therefore be robbed each year by the trusts as follows:

By the beef trust of $26.00 a year. By the oil trust of 12.48 By the leather trust of 10.00 By the wheat trust of 12.00

A total of $60.48. CHAPTER VI.

THE HERITAGE OF DEATH%

The author is aware that he will be called a "calamity howler" for attempting to de­ scribe the want, woe and misery which is so widespread in our country. He is conscious of the fact that every newspaper which is in sympathy with plutocracy will attempt to dis­ count the pictures of desolation and impend­ ing peril by sneers and sarcasm. But the burdens the people are now compelled to bear are so great that he would be untrue to him­ self and to those who bear them if he did not "cry aloud and spare not." Plutocracy has cursed the land with a thou­ sand ills, but if we can believe the signs of the times it has not done its worst. It yet has in store for the American people many more woes. Already it has given us a great army of unemployed. There are in the United States almost four million men who cannot find work enough to do to obtain their daily bread. This means four million tramps, for 51 32 when a man is out of employment and starts to seek work, he is at once classed by the plu­ tocratic press as a tramp. While these four million men are idle, there are almost four million homes desolate— homes where mothers sit by hearthstones which do not have the ruddy glow of burn­ ing coals, around which hover and shiver little children, hungry, wretched, ragged. There is no hope in the faces of the mothers; there is no light, no childish hapjuness in the eyes of the children. There are no papers or periodi­ cals on the table, no books in the libraries; there is no carpet on the floor, no music in the home, no joy in the heavy hearts of the inmates; there are no new shoes for winter, no nice clothes for Sundays and holidays; there is nothing to live for in the present, and nothing to hope for in the future. Each day the wolf comes nearer to the door; each hour the poor wretches are nearer to suicide, shame and death. Piece by piece the scant furniture is sold, and soon there is nothing left but a pallet of straw. The days drag slowly by into weeks, and the weeks lengthen into months, and one by one the wretched victims of pluto­ cratic rule fall by the wayside and find an un­ marked grave in the potter's field. The almshouses are filled to overflowing, the jails and penitentiaries have a plethora of prisoners, the madhouses are packed, the streets are full of homeless wanderers, the 53 morgue has each year a larger number of sui­ cides. The sweat shops resound to the groans of helpless children and frail women; the brothels are daily replenished from the ranks of our fair American girls. Thousands are driven to a life of shame each year. It can­ not be questioned that all these things are the outgrowth of plutocracy. A few greedy, grasping plutocrats and the wealthy trusts and corporations have gotten possession of all the wealth, so there is noth­ ing left for those who labored early and late to produce it. The daily papers are full of accounts of suffering, poverty, wretchedness, starvation and death, and even then the one- hundreth case is not reported. Here is the account of a young married man who was driven to robbery by starvation. It takes but a few lines to tell the story, yet it speaks volumes of human suffering: "New York, Jan. 29.—Driven apparently by lack of food and inability to support his wife and child, James Flower, 28 years old, an en­ gineer, committed highway robbery last night. When captured he killed himself by swallow­ ing some prussic acid which he carried on his person." Here is the story of another unfortunate, and the number is rapidly increasing: "James Mohar died o? starvation yesterday noon at the Brooklyn City Hosj)ital. A native American, he had walked the streets of New 54 York without food for eight days looking for work, and late Saturday afternoon fell ex­ hausted and unconscious at the Brooklyn tower of the great bridge. At the hospital all that science and unremitting attention could do was done. A special nurse gave her un­ divided attention to him. A nutriment was administered at frequent intervals, but the pa­ tient relapsed into insensibility. Said Dr. Molin, the house surgeon, as Mohar drew his last breath: 'It is a clear case of starvation, nothing else. There are indications of Bright's disease, due directly to exposure and lack of nourishment; but otherwise he has no ail­ ments save exhaustion. In most cases it is impossible to save a patient when he is as far gone as this one, although we pull them through sometimes. After being entirely with­ out food for eight days, the organs are unable to assimilate even milk and whiskey, which we generally use/ " From the New York "World." of April 18.1 clipped the following account of the suffering caused by the high-handed operations of the oil trust in advancing the price of oil to more than twice what it was worth: "Isaac Beck and his daughters, Sarah and Sophie, work as clothing finishers. They be­ gin at 5 o'clock in the morning and work un­ til long after midnight. "'And all we manage to earn within that time/ said Sarah, the elder daughter, 'is not 55 quite a dollar. My poor mother went crazy over the work. "'I mustn't cry/ she said. 'The tears will interfere with my work. We must be quick and deft now as long as the daylight lasts, because the 15 cents that we pay for oil eats up a good deal of our profits/ "Aaron Kleber occupies a room adjoining that of the Becks. His wife is stone-blind and sickly. They have a fifteen-year-old daughter, Sadie, and a baby boy, Benjamin. Sadie's whole time is devoted to the baby. Food and shelter and clothes are got by the hard toil of the father. " 'All I can earn is 25 cents a day," he said, 'Light at night is a luxury beyond my reach. If it were not for the kindness of Mr. Beck, who allows me to sew by his light, I couldn't make more than 10 cents a day.' "While Kleber was talking his daughter and wife came in. The wife was holding her baby clasped to her bosom. "'Papa,' said Sadie, 'please get us some bread. It is getting late, and we haven't had a morsel all day. Mamma is faint, and Ben­ jamin ' "Well, it wasn't necessary to utter any words. It was evident that Benjamin was starving. His face was no larger than a fist, the ghastly white cheeks sunken as if they would meet, and the black-encircled eyes were set deep in the sockets. 56 "Kleber looked appealingly at his neighbors. A groan broke from his lips. "'We, too/ said Beck, 'have eaten nothing tor day.'" Only the other day a boy was found under a cart, gnawing the putrid flesh off of a bone with all the avidity of a hungry dog. He was ragged, dirty, unkempt—a miserable spec­ imen of humanity. Indeed, he looked more the wild beast than he did one of God's chil­ dren. When asked where he lived and who he was, he replied that he was nobody and lived nowhere. Not long ago, in the city of Philadelphia, a man who had in his employ a large number of hands making coats, was asked why he did not put a new roof on the building, because the old one was so rotten that it let in the rain and the snow, and his workmen were dying from pneumonia because of the exposure. His answer was, "Let them die. It does not con­ cern me. Men are cheaper than shingles. Where one man dies there are ten to take his place." A frail, delicate-looking girl stood at the corner of Broadway and Fourteenth Street in the city of New York. It was 10 o'clock at night, and the wind was bitter cold. She had on no wrap to shield her from its piercing blasts. A well-dressed man approached, and she stopped him and begged him to go with her to a house of prostitution. The gentleman 57 asked her why she, almost a child, with a look of innocence on her face, should be soliciting men on the street. She began to weep, and finally told him the following pathetic story: "My father died a year ago and left us pen­ niless. We struggled along until three months ago, when my poor mother died. I had a po­ sition where I could earn enough to keep bread for myself and my two sisters and brother. We lived in a small attic room. I was ill a week, and when I went back for my old place, the proprietor curtly told me that it had been filled and he did not need me. Since then I have walked all over the city, hunting- work but finding none. "To-night there is not a crust of bread in our miserable room, and the children have been crying like their little hearts would break, and begging me to go out and get them something to eat. And I came on the street determined to do so, sir. There is no use in begging; I have tried that only to be rebuffed and insulted. So I determined to sell my vir­ tue. I know that woman's virtue, at least, possesses a money value in the markets of the world, and I am willing to exchange mine for bread to keep my sisters and brother from starving. Their pinched, hungry faces and pleading cries haunt me, and 1 can endure it no longer." As she told her story, carriages rolled by in which sat well-dressed women, upon whose 58 arms and necks flashed thousands of dollars' worth of jewels. Men strolled along who wonld not hesitate to spend their tens of thou­ sands of dollars on a single wine supper, but there was not one of them who would have given a penny to save her from shame, or looked in pity at her poor, mangled form had she thrown herself under a cable car and been crushed beneath its wheels. Six months ago, in the streets of Omaha, Neb., splendid horses were selling at ten dol­ lars each. The other day a horse sold in the State of Oregon at seventy-five cents, and a gentleman with a drove of good horses offered to sell the entire lot at the rate of a cent per pound. The heritage we are leaving to our children is another Egyptian bondage, unless the spirit of liberty soon be rekindled. Yea, it is truly a heritage of death and a grave with the rats and vermin. Here is a table showing the assessed value of property in the following States in 1890: Idaho $6,440,876 Arizona 9,270,214 New Mexico 14,675,209 Wyoming 13,621,829 Montana 18,609,802 Washington 23,810,693 Utah 24,775,279 Total $111,224,002 John D. Kockefeller is worth $125,000,000, or more than $13,000,000 more than the com­ bined wealth of these seven States and Terri­ tories. He is worth more than the total assessed value of the real and personal property in any of the following States in 1890, to wit: Ver­ mont, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Ala­ bama, Mississippi, Arkansas, Colorado, Ne­ vada and Oregon. m OHAPTEE VII. THE SOUND MONEY FANATIC. Pick up any of the daily papers, almost, and they are filled with sneers at the "free silver lunatics/' But you will never find an argu­ ment against the free coinage of silver. All they can do is to cry "sound money" and in­ dulge in cheap wit and poor ridicule. They have erected a golden calf and they bow down and worship their idol, but are un­ able to give a reason why they do so, at least the majority of worshippers are, and those who could give a good reason for their wor­ ship dare not do so for fear that the other worshippers, seeing what asses they have been making of themselves, would rise up in their fury and rend them. They are like the idolatrous worshippers we are told of in the Bible who stood up for the space of two hours and cried "Great is Diana of the Ephesians." So it is with these blind worshippers. When asked and pressed for reasons, they shout at the top of their voices, 61 "Sound money, sound money, an honest dol­ lar, an honest dollar; let the poor man's dol­ lar be as good as the rich man's." And all the time that they are keeping up this silly shout, the poor man hasn't a dollar, not even a penny. The rich man has it all, and the poor man can't get work enough to buy bread. These people have been deluded and de­ ceived until they have become fanatics. They forget that the gold dollar is not an honest dollar. The honest dollar is the one which al­ ways maintains the same purchasing power. It is the dollar which will pay as much when the mortgage falls due as it would have paid when the debt was created. And when our financial system gives to the dollar an ever- increasing purchasing power it becomes a dishonest dollar. But what about the old stereotyped cry of "let the poor man's dollar be as good as the dollar of the rich man"? Can that be truly said of gold? Gold is the money of the rich, and since the demonetization of silver the pur­ chasing powrer of the gold dollar has been doubled. The rich have practically all the money, and the poor, of whom there are over sixty millions, are compelled to work for the rich in order to get this honest dollar of the poor man. The poor man goes to the rich man for em­ ployment, and is offered fifty cents a day for his services. But he says, "you formerly paid 62 me a dollar a day. I can't afford to work for less." The rich man smiles and says, "True, you formerly worked for a dollar a day, but then I did not pay you in honest money; hut now we are on a sound money basis and your fifty cents will be worth more to you than the dollar formerly was." The poor fool accepts the price and goes to work, the ardent cham­ pion of sound money, and when election day comes round he is eager to get to the polls to vote for the "poor man's dollar." At the end of the year he receives his wages, counts his "sound dollars" and finds that he has just one hundred and fifty of them. And he slyly chuckles to himself, as he pockets the gold, saying, under his breath, "Oh, yes, Mr. Kichman, my dollar is just as good as yours." He goes home, and the next day visits his country town to attend to some urgent bus­ iness there, all the while congratulating him­ self on the fact that one hundred and fifty dol­ lars of "sound money" is worth as much as three hundred dollars of "unsound money." About two years ago he borrowed some money through a loan agent and gave a mort­ gage on his farm. There was still a balance of one hundred dollars due on the mortgage. He went to the agent's office to pay the bal­ ance. The agent made out a receipt for one hundred dollars, the balance due, and passed it over, together with the cancelled mortgage. The "honest dollar" friend picked up the mort- 63 gage and glanced over it with a smile of sat­ isfaction. His eyes rested on the name of the mortgagee, and he exclaimed, "Dog gone me, this is payable to Mr. Abraham Isaac Ikle- heimer, the gentleman for whom I have been at work for the past year. I tell yon he is an honest man, because he wants a poor man's dollar to be just as good as the rich man's dol­ lar. Now I will give you some of the same good sound money he gave me." He counted out fifty dollars, placed it on the table, gath­ ered up his receipt and mortgage and started for the door. The agent called to him and said, very politely, "You seem to have made a mistake. You have given me only fifty dol­ lar." "Oh, no," said "sound money," "it is no mistake at all. Mr. Ikleheimer told me that one dollar of 'sound money' was worth two dollars of 'unsound money,' so he paid me one hundred and fifty dollars for my year's work, whereas I used to get three hundred. So of course fifty dollars settles the hundred- dollar balance on the mortgage because the money he let me have when I gave the mort­ gage was not 'sound money.' It was only sil­ ver." "Now, old covey, come off the perch and come down with that other fifty dollars, or I'll have you locked up." "But—but—" tried to reason "sound money." "Oh, to the devil with your arguments. It's m the money I want. You talk to me as though I were a fool." So the poor bewildered fellow counted out another fifty dollars and walked out into the street, the tears in his eyes, for he had set his heart on carrying home a new bonnet and gown for his wife, and shoes for the little ones, and some nuts and candies to gladden their innocent hearts, but alas! these hopes were all destined to be dashed to the ground. Then he walked sadly over to the court house to pay his taxes. The amount was twenty dollars, and he expected to pay it with ten. But the tax-gatherer glared at him and muttered something about the lunatic asy­ lum. Now he goes to his grocer to pay his bill, and it is twenty dollars, and not a cent less of his "sound money" will suffice to pay it. He gets a hair-cut and shave at the barber shop, and it is the same old price. He goes to the hotel for dinner and the price is just the same. He owes his lawyer for drawing up the mortgage and goes to pay him, and it takes five dollars, the old price. Then he takes the train home, and the fare is three cents per mile, just as it was in the days of free silver. He takes out his pencil and a piece of paper and figures out the result of the day's bus­ iness as follows: Started out with one hundred and fifty dol­ lars in "sound money." •\

C. S. BRICE.

Paid mortgage $100.00 Paid taxes 20.00 Paid grocer 20.00 Paid lawyer 5.00 Paid hotel bill 75 Paid barber .35 Paid railroad fare . 3.75 Total $149.85 Balance on hand .15 Then he said, "I think I have been a blamed fool on the money question. If we were not on a free silver basis the account would have stood this way: Year's work $300.00 Paid mortgage 100.00 Paid taxes 20.00 Paid grocer 20.00 Paid lawyer 5.00 Paid barber 35 Paid hotel bill 75 Paid railroad fare 3.75 Total $149.85 Balance on hand 150.15 Then the account would have gone on as follows; Spent for wife, $18.75; spent for children, $27.40; spent for self, $11.50; total, $57.65; on hand for a rainy day, $92.50. The "unsound money" would have carried joy and comfort into the home; the "sound money" robbed it, and left the inmates with nothing to cheer them and gladden their hearts. The trusts, the wealthy corporations and the plutocrats control all the money in the country and the people are paying them in­ terest on it. Seventy million people are all 60 the time working, providing they can get work to do, for these institutions and rich men, and for what do they labor? To get a small, a very Infinitesimal portion of this money to use for the purpose of paying inter­ est to the rich man, taxes, rents to the wealthy landlord, and to buy coarse clothing and food. So the question with the almost seventy million laboring peopile is not "How much of this or that commodity can I pur­ chase with a dollar?" for they have no dollars, but the question which concerns this class of people is "How much of my labor or my com­ modities does it take to buy a dollar?" It is the dollar, dear friends, we are trying to buy. It now takes twice as much wheat, twice.as maay pounds of cotton, twice as many days of labor to purchase a dollar as it did before the demonetization of silver. The sound money fanatic tells us that now we are on a single gold standard basis, a dollar has twice the purchasing power it formerly had. I grant them this. Let us see how it works. The rich man's dollar (for we must not forget that the poor man hasn't the dollar, and is all the time working for it) will purchase just twice as many days' labor as formerly. It will buy twice as many bushels of wheat, twice as many pounds of cotton, twice as many tears, twice as many nights of toil of the poor sew­ ing woman, twice as much misery, twice as many drops of blood. 67 But after the poor man has given double to get the dollar, he finds that his interest on his mortgage to the rich man is the same, all his debts remain the same, his taxes are the same, his beef, his oil, his coal, and nearly everything he has to buy remain at the same price, because they are controlled by trusts. Thus it can readily be seen why the plutocrats want to demonetize silver. To do so doubles the value or purchasing power of every dollar in the hands of the rich man. And it doubles the value of every mortgage and every bond which he holds. But the plutocrat who understands why he is a gold-bug does not dare to give the real reason, because he knows that all his deluded "sound-money" followers would rise up from the shrine of Moloch, where they are bowed, and in their fury at finding out what fools they have been making of themselves, they would help to overthrow plutocracy. One of the most remarkable papers yet is­ sued by the gold-bugs is one emanating from the White House, bearing the signature of Grover Cleveland. In this letter, addressed to some Chicago gentlemen, he sounds the bugle blast and raises the black flag of plutocracy, and cries "On to battle." The people are ready to meet the hosts of Shylock, headed by this strutting Goliah, and fight them to a finish. In this ponderous production Mr. Cleveland 68 attempts to array the wage-earner against the farmer by suggesting that if the farmer's productions were enhanced in value, under free silver, it would not enure to the benefit of the wage-earner, because he would have to pay more money for what he bought of the farmer. This statement is fallacious for two reasons: First, because his wages would be increased in proportion to the enlargement of the vol­ ume of currency. Second, because his wages would be in­ creased in a certain ratio to the increase in the farm products which he would have to purchase, and the amount he would gain when it comes to paying fixed charges, such as rent, taxes, official salaries, interest on mu­ nicipal, State and National bonds, interest and principal on his own individual indebted­ ness, would far more than compensate him for any small loss he might sustain on the in­ creased cost of farm products. Here is a clause in the President's letter, which should be preserved in the archives at Washington as the greatest curiosity of this wonderful production. It reads as follows: "If reckless discontent and wild experiment should sweep our currency from its safe sup­ port, the most defenseless of all who suffer in that time of distress and national discredit would be the poor, as they reckon the loss in their scanty support, and the laborer or work- 69 ing man as he sees the money he has received from his toil shrink and shrivel in his hand when he tenders it for the necessaries to sup­ ply his humble home." This would be a most comical, laughable, farcical statement, were it not on a serious subject and, made with such ponderous dig­ nity. Gro to the workingman and tell him that his dollars will "shrink and shrivel in his hand," and then let him unclasp his hand and allow you to see what is inside of it, and you will find, Mr. President, the hardened, cal­ loused marks that show the horny-handed son of toil, but not a dollar will you find. It was squeezed out of his hand long ago by the sleek, well-fed millionaire, and if it ever shrinks and shrivels at all, it will do so in his soft, jeweled hand. Such a statement coming from the Presi­ dent of this country is enough to make the poor shudder. Oh, the pity of it! Oh, the trag­ edy of it! The single gold standard is the stronghold of plutocracy, the powerful bul­ wark behind which it is intrenched. Free men, sons of sires who bled for liberty, this is a goodly land, which our fathers have given us, but we have surrendered it to old plutoc­ racy, our worst enemy. In numbers and pa­ triotism we far outnumber the robber host. So let us go forth, storm the enemy, rout him from his intrenchments and repossess the land, Our total indebtedness is $40,000,000,000.00 Our annual interest is 2,400,000,000.00 We pay per capita each year in interest 34.28 The wealth producers, who are the laborers of the nation, pay this enormous sum each year, and to whom? To the American Plutoc­ racy. What have they out of which they are to meet this annual interest? Corn $537,000,000 Wheat , 213,000,000 Other cereals 450,000,000 Wool 22,500,000 Cotton 175,000,000 Total $1,397,500,000 This lacks over a billion dollars paying our yearly interest. GHAPTEE VIII.

MODERN BRIGANDS.

Years ago in the old country there were a) class of men called brigands. In this country the same class were called highway robbers They were banded together for the purpose o^ theft and plunder. They usually met then victims on the public highways and compelled them to give up a portion of their belongings, They were a continual terror to the State and a menace to society. Large rewards were of fered for these outlaws, and they were hunted down like wild beasts and shot on sight. If captured they were hanged or garroted with little ceremony. This sort of brigandage has been almost effectively crushed out of exist­ ence. In place of the old-time brigand, who lived in the mountain fastness and was the hated and hunted of all men, we have the mod­ ern brigand, who lives in the most gorgeous palaces, and revels in the most costly luxury and splendor, and possesses riches beyond the dreams of avarice. He is courted and feted by society and honored by the State. 72 It will be well to notice the points of dif­ ference as well as the points of resemblance between the modern brigand and the ancient brigand, his prototype. The ancient brigand produced no wealth himself, but lived off of the fruits of other men's industry; so does the modern brigand. The ancient brigand lived by robbery and plunder so does the modern brigand. The ancient brigand often divided a portion of his booty with the poor, the modern brigand sometimes gives a small portion of his stealings to charity. The an­ cient brigand defied the laws of God and man, so does the modern brigand. But here the re­ semblance seems to cease, and we will look at the points of dissimilarity. The ancient brigand robbed the wealthy, the well-to-do. The modern brigand robs the poor. The ancient brigand took only a small portion of the store of the rich, the modern brigand takes all the earthly possessions of the poor. The ancient brigand took his plun­ der openly on the highway, the modern brigand gets his by stealth, by "ways that are dark and deeds that are foul." The ancient brigand sometimes held his victim until some friend would pay the booty for his ransom. The mod­ ern brigand robs his victim of his last dollar, appropriates the home that shelters him, con­ fiscates his lands, and then sells him and his children, into perpetual slavery. The ancient brigand was ostracized by so- 73 ciety, anathematized by the Church and hunt­ ed by the State. The modern brigand is lion­ ized by society, made a "pillar in the church" and a hero by the State. The ancient brigand took only enough for his support, and left all the world free. The modern brigand takes all that the laboring people have, and forces the world into slavery. The ancient brigand never took life unless compelled to do so in self-defense, the modern brigand murders men, women, innocent chil­ dren and helpless babes, alike without any ex­ cuse or reason in the world except for personal gain. But why go further in examining the points of difference? You are already convinced that the modern brigand is a thousand times worse than his ancient brother, and you are even now saying he ought to be hanged, burned at the stake, or drawn and quartered. Be care­ ful, dear reader, what you say, for you are talking about the American plutocrat. He is the modern brigand. If you think too loud you will be called an anarchist. The modern brigand has the courts, the rich fashionable churches, the military and many high officials who are ready to do his bidding and uphold him in all that he does. If the people should try to reclaim, even a small proportion, of what this old robber has taken from them, they would be arrested and imprisoned by the courts, frowned upon by high officials, shot 74 down by the military and denied a burial by the aristocratic churches. Let us examine and see what inroads mod­ ern brigandage has made into our country. We are paying to the robber brigands $2,400,- 000,000 a year interest, tribute money, that we must pay in order to buy our peace. This is $34.28 each for every man, woman and child in the land. Every dollar of this must be paid by the producing classes, and not a penny by the rich, idle consumers. We have been pay­ ing this levy and getting along by rigid econ­ omy. Eecently the brigands held a council, however, and decided that it would be more profitable to them to own all the land, all the manufactories, all the railroads—in fact, to own absolutely everything in the broad land, and reduce the people to a condition of serf­ dom. So they decided to destroy one-half the people's money, and they did so. Now it is just twice as hard to pay the tribute as it formerly was. It takes twice as much of the people's products and labor, but the annual dole must be measured out for the brigands now have everything under mortgage, and if the people fail to pay the interest, they have courts, sheriffs and soldiers ready to dispos­ sess the nation. The total amount that we are due these bri­ gands is forty billion dollars. This is a per capita indebtedness of a fraction over five hun­ dred and seventy-one dollars and forty-two 75 cents. It was a simple and easy matter to dou­ ble the amount of the total indebtedness and annual interest. It only required the destruc­ tion of one-half the money with which the people had to pay. They destroyed it, and now the people have to pay in wheat, cotton, corn and the various agricultural products, and also by labor in the mines and fac­ tories. Since the destruction of the people's money it takes just twice as much corn and wheat and twice as much labor to pay the interest as it formerly did. In other words, by the stroke of a pen, the robbers increased our total in­ debtedness from |40,000,000,000 to $80,000,- 000,000, an increase in our per capita indebt­ edness from 1571.42 to $1,142.84, and the annual per capita interest from $34.28 to 168.56. The brigands fondly hoped that the people could not bear this increased burden, but while it caused widespread suffering, the dir­ est poverty, and the greatest destitution, they have gone on making sacrifices and half starv­ ing, so they could meet the annual interest. Eecently the brigands have held another coun­ cil and proposed to take away from the people all the silver money they yet have in circula­ tion, all the silver certificates, greenbacks, Treasury notes, etc. This will take away al­ most two-thirds of the money yet left in circu­ lation. They not only propose to destroy this 76 money, but for every dollar so taken from the people and destroyed they propose to issue to themselves bonds, payable, principal and in­ terest, in gold, and compel the people to pay them. We will reckon the burdens as being dou­ bled again. Then we would owe the brigands $120,000,000,000, which would make our per capita indebtedness $2,285.68, and our per capita annual interest would be increased to $137.12. They propose to leave in circulation only the gold which was on Oct. 1,1894, $500,- 126,248. This is a per capita circulation of only $7.12. This is the amount theoretically in circulation. The amount of gold actually in circulation is not over $3.50 per capita. Of this sum the plutocrats have at least eighty per cent., so if this last robbery is carried out as planned, the almost seventy million people will have a per capita circulation of seventy cents in gold to pay a per capita annual in­ terest of $137.12, and a total per capita in­ debtedness of $2,285.68. This is modern brigandage, upheld by the law and made respectable by society and the plutocratic churches. Will the people forever submit to be thus robbed or will they rise up and retake their own? The greatest of the modern brigands is perhaps the Standard Oil trust. It is estimated that it has robbed the people within two weeks of $50,000,000, yet this old brigand is endeavoring to dodge its 77 taxes. It has become so powerful and has de­ fied the law so long that its arrogance and im­ pudence are almost intolerable. In this connection I quote an interesting ar­ ticle from the New York "World" of April 20. "BLACKMAIL AND NO TAXES. "How many of us understand f 50,000,000? To nearly all the people of this Republic it means seven ciphers and the figure five. It is wealth beyond the common wit of man to grasp. Working night and day for twenty years, without pause for food or sleep, one man might count it all; twenty men could not count it in a year. It is a sum that means food, clothing, comfort to whole areas of this country; its loss, its taking away means the present pinch of want to thousands. "In the last two weeks the Standard Oil trust has forced up the price of oil until its profits are believed to have reached $50,- 000,000, the sum which none of us can count in twenty years. This money will be paid at last by the poor, a dollar from one, two dollars from another, perhaps only fifty cents from a third. These will be losses easily understood and heavily felt. This is the blackmail of mod­ ern industrial power. "In these same last two weeks this same Standard Oil trust has calmly said that it will fight the law, will not pay the tax on incomes, and will try to smash and break down what 78 the people have set up. The man who earns f5,000 will pay his $20 tax and say nothing; the trust that squeezes $50,000,000 from the poor in two weeks will pay nothing. "The man who can stop this sort of thing is Eichard Olney, Attorney-General of the United States. The man who can force Eich­ ard Olney to do this is Grover Cleveland, Pres­ ident of the United States." And the "World" might have added" that if the Attorney-General does not do so,and if Mr. Cleveland does not force him to, the people ought to demand that they both resign. But these rich trusts can violate the law with im­ punity, and they and all the other brigands can defy the law and refuse to pay taxes, but the poor man with a humble cottage, or the small farmer with his forty acres of land and a horse and a cow, cannot escape, but must contribute toward the support of the govern­ ment. The rich brigands are unwilling to pay taxes to uphold the government after it has enriched them. These brigands rob the people and then the military comes in and protects them and helps them to retain their booty, and after the dis­ turbance is all over, they sally forth and force the people to pay taxes to support the soldiers who are ever ready to shoot them down. The brigand has no conscientious scruples. He is a robber and thief by birth, choice and profes­ sion. He has no respect for the law and no 79 sense of right and honor, so when it becomes necessary to avoid the payment of taxes he "perjures himself like a gentleman." Two of New York's millionaires have just shown the world to what lengths a modern brigand will go to keep from disgorging any of his ill-got­ ten gains. Again I quote an editorial from a leading New York daily: "THE OATH OF THE GOULDS. "White lies are not considered heinous of­ fenses. But they are sometimes so much off color as to take upon themselves a'very som­ ber hue. "In the hearing over the Goulds' tax assess­ ment yesterday, Edwin Gould and Howard Gould testified that they owned no property in New York, were not residents here, but voted in Westchester county, and paid taxes there. Howard Gould further swore that he holds no securities in this city and has no bank account here. "It may cause some persons to wink the other eye when they hear that the Goulds are not residents of New York, and, so far as this city is concerned, are in a condition of pauper­ ism here. But, then, there is a wide difference between a tax assessment of ten million dol­ lars and one of about half a million dollars. A greater difference, indeed, than there is be­ tween a white lie and a regular highly colored whopper." 80 Here are these two millionaires taking the pauper oath. His Satanic majesty in his most devilish, fiendish moments could not conceive of any­ thing one-half so diabolical. The days of the modern brigand are numbered. His arro­ gance and blind stupidity to the tempest that is brewing are evidences that the day of doom draweth nigh. Let the people once fully real­ ize that they have been, and are now being, robbed of such vast treasure and they will be driven to frenzy, and then in terror the poor, bewildered brigand will cry for the rocks and mountains to fall upon him and hide him from the wrath of his victims. A CONTRAST.

There are many trusts in the country, and the amount of their capital is fabulous. The cattle trust has a capital stock of $13,000,000; the salt trust, $20,000,000; the whiskey trust, 135,000,000; the cotton oil trust, $42,000,000; the lead trust, $45,000,000; the sugar trust, $75,000,000; the tobacco trust, $30,000,000, and the Standard Oil trust has one man among its organizers who is said to receive as his an­ nual dividend $6,000,000. It is estimated that the combined capital of all the trusts in the United States amounts to more than $1,000,- 000,000. These enormous aggregations of wealth exert immense power for evil, and are manifestly antagonistic to the general wel­ fare. They increase prices on the necessaries of life. They reduce the wages of working- men. Thev control production. They lessen the demand for labor. They throttle the com­ petition in trade and manufacture. They monopolize the wealth of the land. They bribe and corrupt our legislative bodies. They dom­ inate both the Democratic and Eepublican parties. Si CHAPTEE IX.

EASTER MORNING.

On Easter morning we are supposed to cele­ brate the resurrection of the Saviour. As a matter of fact, the origin of the custom had no connection with the resurrection of Christ, but we so celebrate it and rejoice because this great Keformer, this true Friend of the Poor, rose from the dead and triumphed over the oppressions of the money power, the persecu­ tions of the proud and haughty. We celebrate the day with new Spring suits and Easter bonnets; but, dear reader, do you realize that if Ohrist should come to our modern Easter service in one of our fashion­ able city churches, that the ushers would re­ fuse Him a seat and hustle Him out of the house, calling him a "crank." There would be a smart craning of necks and a great shaking of ornaments, feathers and flowers on the new Spring bonnets, but no one would open the door of his pew and invite the Saviour in. On this Easter Sabbath morning I started 82 83 out to see how the Saviour was worshipped in the great money-getting metropolis, New York City. The air was cool and bracing, the rays of the sun bright and invigorating. On the fashionable thoroughfares there were throngs of well-dressed people, wending their ways to the churches. Occasionally I met & poor, tired, haggard woman, a wretched, care­ worn man, but no one stopped to speak a cheering word to them, nor were they even given so much as one sympathetic look. A poor, wretched old woman sat on the curbstone at a street corner looking pleading­ ly into the faces of the passers-by, holding out an emaciated, palsied hand, but no one stopped to drop a penny in it. They did not have time to do so. They were going to wor­ ship the Saviour, who had died and risen from the dead so that the burdens of poverty might be lightened and the poor and rich placed on an equal footing. A wretched little beggar boy, who carried two crutches, sat upon the door-step of a brown-stone mansion. He was wan and weary—so weary, weak and hungry that he had to sit down and rest. The owner of the mansion, with his wife, richly attired, daz­ zling with jewels, came out, their sumptuous carriage rolled up, and the arrogant pluto­ crat crabbedly commanded the little waif to get off the steps, threatening to call a police­ man if he did not do so. He did not see the 84 pained expression in the child's features or catch a glimpse of the tears as they trickled down the poor, hollow cheeks. Oh, no; he had no time for these things; he was going with his rich, proud wife to Easter service on this beautiful Easter morning to worship the risen, triumphant Saviour. I entered one of New York's most magnifi­ cent churches. The people poured in in throngs. There were great banks of flowers, the music was distressingly grand. The min­ ister preached a sermon on the Eesurrection- and told of the beauties and joys of Heaven. It was cold, formal, iand as chilling as death. I looked everywhere for the Christ, but He was not there. I went to a number of fash­ ionable churches, but I could not see Him. I inquired for Him, but people stared at me, calling me a crank. Finally, I went out upon the street, now wellnigh cleserted,and at a little distance I saw a group of three. A man with long, flowing hair and the most benevolent face I had ever seen, and the same old lady and little boy I have already described. And I looked more in­ tently, and, lo! it was none other than the Saviour whom the people in the great churches were seeking, and here He was with these two beggars. He had just given to each a glass of cold water, and now He was taking out of a basket some loaves and fishes and lus­ cious-looking fruit. Then He sat down and 85 told them the beautiful story of the Cross, and at its conclusion he took each by the hand and said: "Come with Me, and I will share with you My home. And you shall never hun­ ger or thirst again, and I will dry the tears from your eyes and take all the pain away from your hearts, and you shall be at rest." As He went along the street, leading the two wretched outcasts, the worshippers were com­ ing out of the churches; the}^ look at Him, laughing derisively and saying, "poor old crank." From the daily papers the author has clipped the following scenes of Easter morn­ ing. "Between those two hours Easter Sunday was compassed. Between those two hours the parade of fashionables, the parade of peox3le who would be fashionable and the parade of people who owe everything to dressmakers, tailors and florists, proceeded up and down Fifth Avenue. "The women were well dressed. There was nothing extravagant—except always the bills. The one thing noticeable to the observer who is not fashionable was the number of wings about them. There were wings to their little bonnets. Angels themselves, why did they need wings? There were wings to the lapels —'lapels' is masculine, but that's the only word to describe it—there were wings to the lapels of their corsages. There were wings 86 everywhere—their gowns, their coats, every­ where. They were indeed angels, with wings spread for flight, hut sweet enough for this earth. "Barring the ornamentation of these hats and gowns, which turned the Avenue into a kaleidoscope of ever-changing color, these women adorned themselves with flowers* The wonder was where so many violets came from. The "modest violet" had plainly been ravished from her remotest corner. "The splendor of the service at St. Patrick's Cathedral was equal to an}^ previous endeav­ or in the direction of Easter worship. Great crowds poured in at the several big entrances steadily from 9:30 until 11 a. m., when the celebration of solemn pontifical mass was be­ gun. The edifice having filled by this time, the doors were besieged by many hundreds for whom there was no accommodation. "Archbishop Corrigan was the chief cele­ brant of the mass. He had many assistant clergymen, and he wore the gorgeous Colum­ bian vestments of white satin, embroidered in gold, made especially for use at the great national celebration of over two years ago. "The mass was celebrated amidst magnifi­ cent floral decorations similar to those al­ ways characterizing the adornment of the Ca­ thedral on Easter Day. The altar was pro­ fusely dressed in Easter lilies bound with pink and Nile-green ribbon. The sanctuary 87 was prodigal in its display of lilies, palms, other plants and pink roses. "In old Trinity Church the observance of the day began at 6 a. m. with the celebration of the Holy Communion, followed by another an hour later, and one in German at 8 a. m. Morning prayer was at 9:30 a. m. In the high celebration at 10.30 a. m. the music was most elaborate. Upon the altar were masses of white roses, callas, field daisies and lilies, slashed here and there with strips of green, and directly behind them the tall white tapers and the background of heavy ferns. On each side of the altar stood three huge masses of hydrangea. Along the chancel steps were a few lilies and ferns. The services were con­ ducted by the rector, Dr. Morgan Dix, assisted by the vicar, Eev. J. N. Steele, and the curates, A. W. Griffin and J. J. Eowanspong. Dr. Dix preached." Trinity Church, be it remembered, is the one owning so many rotten, foul tenement houses, where the tenants were compelled to live in dirt and filth and pay high rent to fill the coffers of the church until the city author­ ities, moved to pity, compelled the church to better provide for the welfare of its tenants. This it would not do until after a legal strug­ gle. I do not make these comments to in any way reflect on the good work done by the churches, but I am endeavoring to show that 88 plutocracy, like the deadly canker worm, has entered the hearts of the people, and we are "money mad," and, for the most part, have de­ parted very far from the teachings of the Man of Galilee. In the midst of all this gayety, this splendid display of money, other scenes were being en­ acted. Tragedies in real life: There were two parades Easter Sunday that contrasted strangely. One came in with the gray of the morning; the other with the sunshine. One was the parade of fashion, of wealth, of youth and beauty of this great city. The other of pov­ erty, misery and starvation. Everybody saw the one, but only those who took part viewed the other. In New York there are charities and charities. Great build­ ings some of them are housed in. Armies of clerks putter away at great ledgers. There is an air of bustle to everything. The needy are attended to—sometimes—but the bread to keep life in the body isn't stacked up behind the great safes. The pinching cold isn't ward­ ed off by warm garments which fill the shelves. There is red-tape on every hand. It stretches from the corners of the rooms to the ceilings and across every way. It winds about the movements of the slowly moving clerks, and binds, Oh, so tightly, the open hands that do not need it. Well-meaning folks are in charge, but the one whose stomach is empty 89 might perish before the aid sought is forth­ coming. At the corner of Tenth Street and Broad­ way is the Vienna Bakery. A Mr. Fleisch- mann owns it. He is rich. From 9 p. m. until 2 a. m., hundreds of employees are busy in the great basement turning out thousands of loaves of bread and rolls hot from the great ovens, to be sent all over the city and out of it. As early as midnight, sometimes—and Eas­ ter eve it was earlier—a little knot of men be­ gan to gather at the corner of Broadway by the bakery. As usual, they were in black. Curiously enough, there is nothing white about their appearance except their faces. As their numbers increased each arrival took his place on the line that began to stretch out to formidable proportions. There were tall men and lesser ones, and on their faces was that look of hopelessness, vacancy, if you like, which born of despair seems al­ ways part of those who think of hunger as an every-day occurrence. One couldn't seem to see where they came from. Up from the side door to Broadway the line stretched, and then on for a block up Broadway. ISTot a word was spoken, or ever is, for that matter; silent, piteous, with a gnawing at their stomachs, this parade of the hungry began to slowly move as the bakery door was opened at 2 a. m., and Max, the big 90 foreman's assistant, began to hand each man as he- passed a loaf of bread. As soon as received, no wolf could be quicker with a bit of meat, and off into the darkness that Easter procession scurried. Some with the loaf un­ der the tattered coat, so that the owner might not be tempted to eat it before he reached home and the hungry ones. A big policeman stood on the corner, but they didn't need his service. The last comer took the last place on the line. It wouldn't be well for him to have tried to get ahead of any one. Starving men won't stand any non­ sense. Once in a while one of the men would return to the line after getting a loaf, and the second was never refused. "If a man needs two he can have them," said the baker. "The Lord forbid that I'd refuse." Eagerly, earnestly, desperately they pushed along in Indian file until shortly the line, which had been standing for hours, turned the corner of Broadway and reached up past Grace Church for a block and a half, had all been served. Out of the blackness of the door­ ways across the street and up and down Broadway hobbled the lame and the crippled who had been unable to maintain their place in the line of weary waiters. Have you ever seen real poverty? Have you ever seen husbands and fathers of families who day after day are facing starva­ tion? 91 Have you ever gazed upon a solemn column of five hundred men who have not a penny with which to provide for their little ones? You have read of cases of destitution. You have read of the tidal wave of hard times which last year threw out of employment many, many thousand men. And you have read how during this season of great distress the "World" distributed through its Free Bread Fund more than a million loaves of bread to feed the starving poor of the East and West sides. Go any night at midnight to the corner of Tenth Street and Broadway and you will find that this is true. You will see such a sight as you have never seen before in your lives. If you go at 10 o'clock you will see perhaps half a dozen beginning to form the line of eager waiters* If you arrive at midnight you will see 150 men. If at 1 o'clock perhaps 300 men, and later on, when the bakery door is thrown open, you will see double this number. If ever there was a real, practical, worthy charity in this world, it is the charity of Fleischmann, the baker. For a long time it has been his custom to distribute in the early hours of the morning each day all of the loaves of bread that his great bakery has left over from the previous day's baking. He does not advertise this, and indeed he does not have to, for the poor, the real suffering, starv­ ing people have found it out. All the long 92 dreary nights this same shivering, trembling line of people can be seen, and Mr. Fleisch- mann knows that no man will stand all night in front of his bakery door waiting to carry home a loaf of bread unless he needs it. And so this Easter parade shuffled along, while Miss McFlimsy was dreaming of her new gown and bonnet, and with the daylight came the other parade of fashion, frivolity and wealth, the latest gowns and millinery. Creations of Worth and Felix fluttered by. All the colors of the rainbow, all the textures imaginable. Some with the thought of the day's meaning, some with the lightest of chat­ ter on their lips, that parade passed by. And the contrast! Many of these men once had prosperous homes, but plutocratic greed has swallowed them up,and now they are helpless, hopeless. Down at the Jefferson Market Court there were other tragedies in real life. A long line of criminals, some hundred or more, stood waiting to hear their doom. There were old men and old women, young men and young women, boys and girls. The gray hairs of age in the long procession were closely fol­ lowed by the golden locks of youth. There were cases of drunkenness, prostitution, af­ frays, brawls, theft. Borne of the faces I saw were sad, pathetic, but most of them were hard and brutal, All were full of hopeless despair. 93 One little fellow, ragged and dirty, was charged with stealing a loaf of bread. His only defense was starvation. "Five dollars and costs," coldly responded the judge. A very old woman, perhaps seventy-five, was charged with being drunk. She had no de­ fense except wretchedness. "Ten dollars and costs," was the metallic reply. Several women between the ages of twenty and forty were then driven in like sheep to the slaughter pen. They were charged with soliciting men on the street. Their faces showed that they had no defense, except that they had been driven to this calling by pov­ erty. "Ten dollars and costs in each case," coolly remarked his honor. There was a great contrast between the din­ ner enjoyed on this Easter Sunday by the plutocrat, who never earned a dollar, and that enjoyed by the plain working man, who earned the plutocrat's wealth for him.

THE PLUTOCRAT'S DINNER

MENU. Little Neck Clams. Clear Turtle Soup. Planked Delaware Shad, Cucumbers. Breast of Spring Chicken, Fresh Mushrooms. Spring Lamb, Mint Sauce, Fresh String Beans. Sorbet. Roast Snipe, New Asparagus. Lettuce and Tomatoes, Camembert. Strawberries and Ice Cream. Coffee. 94

WINE LIST. Sauterne. Amontillado Sherry. Pontet Canet. G. H. Mumm's Extra Dry. Cliquot, Yellow Label. Cigarettes. Liqueurs. Cigars. THE WOBKINGMAN'S DINNER MENU. One loaf of bread. "Water. Once more allow me to present the contrast which shows the ever-deepening, widening and dangerous gulf between the rich and the poor. The first description is taken from the New York "World/' and is as follows: Victoria, Queen of England, is said to be very particular about her bed, and to have a deep-rooted objection to changing from one couch to another. Her bedroom is a very sim­ ple, unpretentious one, and almost any woman in the land can boast a sleeping apartment quite as good as that of the Queen of Great Britain and the Empress of India. The heavy bed, with its canopied top and curtains for keeping all draughts from the royal sleep­ er, several chairs, a thick warm rug, a great table of carved mahogany, some good pict­ ures, including a portrait of Prince Albert, complete the apartment in Buckingham'Pal­ ace in which Her Majesty slumbers. Mrs. S. Van Eensselaer Cruger, who is Ju- 95 lien Gordon in the literary world, has one of the most artistic bedrooms in America. The crowning glory of the room is the bed, which is a representation of a swan. Each feather is exquisitely carved in the white enameled wood by hand, and the proportions are won­ derful in their exactness. A canopy of white silk falls from the tall, slender neck, adding to the beauty, conceal­ ing none of the lines in carving. The cover­ let is of rich white satin, covered with filmy lace. Mrs. Cruger has pillows on her pretty bed, and these have day slips of satin much be- frilled with lace. The monogram on the cov­ erlet and pillows is done in white, and there is not a touch of color about the whole affair. The color scheme of the room is dull pink. The walls, carpets and hangings are of this exquisite tint. The dressing table, with its quaint chair, the framing of the tall cheval- glass, and the carved woodwork of the Colonial mantelpiece are of glistening white enameled wood. A few choice watercolors and bits of rose-flecked china give a homelike look to the room.

LIKE A PINK SHELL.

Lillian Eussell rejoices in a sleeping apart­ ment which suggests nothing so, much as a great, pearly, pink sea-shell. Her little single bed is of brass, but scarcely a trace of the 96 glittering metal can be seen, so" much of mother-of-pearl has been used. Not only to inlay, but to coyer the pillows and bars, has the gleaming substance been used. The drap­ eries are of white silk bolting-cloth, painted in pink morning glories and delicate arbutus lined with palest pink satin. Soft white lace oyer pink satin forms the covering for the bed and for the hard, round bolster, and falls on both sides almost to the white velvet carpet. The dressing-table is of pink enamel, inlaid with wreaths and Cupids of mother-of-pearl, with faint traces of gold. The oval-shaped mirror is framed in a wreath of costly morn­ ing glories. The hand-mirror is of mother-of-pearl, set with jeweled monograms. All of the brushes and toilet belongings are of gold and exquisite, shiny, pearly-like substance. The dressing-chair matches the toilet-table in color and ornamentation. It is a quaint little affair, with cushions soft as down. There is no back,of course, so that the maid can brush Miss Russell's golden curls with all ease and despatch, but the arms are broad and curving, and upon these the singer rests her dimpled elbows and avoids much of the fatigues of toi­ let-making. I will now give a description of the bed oc­ cupied by a poor working girl, honest and vir­ tuous, who has been out of employment for several weeks. in #

COLLIS P. HUNTINGTON.

97 A plank slab, a little straw and one ragged old blanket. I hope the reader will pardon me for in­ serting tl\e following incident, but it is an apt illustration of the profligate use of money in the midst of starvation. Mr. Tree, the gentle­ man referred to, is an English actor, whom the American plutocrats have been running after, and who goes back to England with a goodly sum of money earned by the American laboring man: "Just as the Paris was about to sail last Wednesday Beerbohm Tree, the English actor, made frantic efforts from the rail to attract the attention of Clarence Fleming, who acted as his American representative, and who was strolling down the pier. "

BLIND FOLLOWERS.

In 1864 President Lincoln made the follow­ ing prediction: "The money power will endeavor to pro­ long its reign by working upon the prejudices of the people until all wealth is aggregated in a few hands." Could he live to-day he would see the ful­ fillment of his prophecy. Nearly all the wealth has been aggregated in a few hands, and the money power is now industriously engaged in working upon the prejudices of the people and using every artifice to delude and deceive them. So far it has been quite successful, and how much longer these tactics will be availing remains to be seen. The cunning of plutocracy equals the in­ genuity of the devil. For thirty years it has kept aflame the sectional bitterness engen­ dered by the War. In the North there has been a vigorous and 100 im persistent waving of the bloody shirt, while in the South it has been the race problem, "nigger supremacy," as we call it down there. In the North the shibboleth has been, "vote as you shot." In the South it has been, "down with the carpet-bagger and Yankee." All these years the people of the two sec­ tions have been ready to fly at each other's throats' politically, while the money power has urged them on. There is one discovery which I have recent­ ly made, that is perhaps worth mentioning. All the plutocrats have a perfect understand­ ing among themselves. They have no sec­ tional bitterness, no political prejudice. Pol­ itics with them is a matter of business. They support political parties for the return they expect to get in dollars and cents. They care not whether the Democratic or Repub­ lican party wins, so long as both parties fa­ vor the money power. No one in this country really cares anything about politics, except the politicians who are seeking the boodle, which is supplied by plu­ tocracy, and the people, the toilers, the wealth- producers of the nation, who are all the time voting just as the money power wants them to. At every election they vote for men who will rivet more closely upon them the fetters of slavery. The plutocrats, the class for whom all laws are enacted, care not a whit for politics, 102 Every four years there is a great commotion throughout the country, and the Democrats nominate a candidate for President, and the Eepublicans nominate a candidate, and then both parties go to plutocracy and say, "We must have campaign funds with which to make this fight." They get the money, and then the loud-mouthed campaign orators go out to har­ angue the people, and each abuses the other's party, and says the leaders are the meanest men on earth, and that the members of the party are all .too corrupt to occupy even a humble place in one corner of His Satanic Majesty's Kingdom, and they proceed to wave the bloody shirt on the one side in the wildest alarm, while the followers on the other side shout at the top of their voices, "Nigger, nig­ ger!" and when the people are all worked up, almost to a frenzy, the wily old plutocrats get together and determine which candidate must be elected, and at once go to manipulating and wire-pulling, so that they can accomplish their purpose. They arrange with the leaders for certain financial legislation in the interest of capital, and then dine at Delmonico's, and over their costly wine and cigars they chuckle about what fools they are making of the people. All this time the poor, deluded voters are howling themselves hoarse, carrying torch­ lights, beating tin-pans? blowing horns, and making fools of themselves in general, think- 103 ing that they are patriotic and are doing great things for their country. They are blind foL lowers. The leaders make all the noise and flurrjj they can, and the voters fall into the process sion. They allow thmselves to be misled bj) false issues'and blinded by foolish prejudices. Year after year they have gone on voting the old party tickets, never thinking, never caring, saying, "The nominee of my party is good enough for me." Until now thej look around in a dazed sort of way and as! stupidly, "Where are we at?" It is clear to any thinking mind that botli of the old parties are the friends of plutocracy The leaders—a great many of them—are un« der plutocratic influence. Both of the old par­ ties go to the money power for campaign funds, and put themselves under obligations to plutocracy at the very outset. But a great tidal wave of reform is sweeping over the land, and the people are not quite such blind followers as they have been. They are beginning to think for themselves, and understand that the great beating of drums, mounding of tom-toms, blast of trumpets and blazing of torches are a ruse to lead them away from the real issue and make them become the celebrants of plutocracy's triumph over labor's downfall, and the laboring man has been the chief rejoicer at his own funeral, not realizing what it all meant. 10! Heretofore workingmen have been known to nominate candidates for office who were friends of labor, but on election day they would refuse to yote for their own candidates and cast their ballots for the candidates of plutocracy. Then the heads of labor organizations will tell the men that they must not go into poli­ tics as an organization. At the banquet re­ cently given in the city of New .York to John Burns, M. P., the labor leader of England, Mr. Gompers, who was then at the head of the Federation of Labor of America, warned the assembled laboring men against going into politics. But when Mr. Burns, the brainy leader and true friend of the workingman, spoke, he said that the only way to get relief is for the laboring men to go into politics. Of course he was right, and of course Mr. Gom- pers and every other intelligent man knows that Mr. Burns spoke the truth. There was a time in this country when the workingman was as good as the capitalist, and was so treated, but to-day capital is placed above labor, and the man who toils to pro­ duce the wealth is no more—nay, not half so much—in the eyes of the plutocrat as the ox or the horse. He is only wanted so long as his services are useful and his vote is needed, and then he is turned out to tramp and starve, or beg of his more fortunate fellow-workmen. 105 Although capital has been placed above la­ bor, thus reversing the laws of God and every principle of justice and right, the poor, de­ luded laboring classes have gone on, blindly following the bustle and noise kept up by the hirelings of plutocracy. Lincoln had a different notion about labor. He thought that it was prior to, and higher than, capital, and that capital should be de­ pendent on labor, instead of labor having to bow to capital. I can do no better than to quote his words: "Monarchy itself is sometimes hinted at as a possible refuge from the power of the peo­ ple. In my present position I could scarcely be justified were I to omit raising a warning voice against this approach of returning des­ potism." "It is not meet nor fitting here that a general argument should be made in favor of popular institutions. There is one point in this con­ nection not so hackneyed as most others, to which I ask a brief attention. It is the effort to place capital on an equal footing with, if not above labor, in the structure of govern­ ment." "It is assumed that capital is available only in connection with capital; that nobody labors unless somebody else owning capital, some­ how by the use of it, induces him to .labor. Labor is prior to, and independent of capital. Capital is only the fruit of labor, and it could 106 never have existed if labor had not first ex­ isted." "Labor is the superior of capital, and de­ serves much the highest consideration." "No men living are more worthy to be trust­ ed than those who toil up from poverty. None less inclined to take or touch aught which they* have not honestly earned. Let them beware of surrendering a political power which they already possess, and which, if surrendered, will surely be used to close the door of ad­ vancement against such as they, and to fix new disabilities and burdens upon them till all of liberty shall be lost." The people have already surrendered their political power into the hands of the trusts and money-changers, and the question now is, Will they still follow blindly until all their liberty shall be lost? If the workingmen band together, they are called anarchists; if they strike for living wages, it is called mob violence. When has the military been sent out to compel greedy, grasping plutocracy to do its duty by labor. Never. How often have sol­ diers been sent to shoot down and maltreat strikers and compel them to submit to the demands of capital. Always when plutoc­ racy asked for it. So far have we departed from the principles above declared by Lincoln that a daily paper, published in a great city largely populated by 107 workingmen, recently gave utterance to the following remarkable sentiment: "When the communistic cry of bread or blood comes up from the laborer, we should administer a decoction of strychnine in quan­ tities amply sufficient to meet the emergency in every case that neither bread nor blood will disturb them hereafter." And the pity of it is that such sentiments as these can be expressed here in this land of the free and home of the brave, without causing one word of comment among the workingmen. But the time is coming when such red-mouthed minions of plutocracy as the man who wrote these anarchistic utter­ ances, as well as the arrogant monsters whom they serve, will cringe and bow before the workingmen of America. Labor is prior to and above capital. It possesses a dignity which capital does not. Let us no longer crawl upon our bellies and lick the dust at the feet of capital, but let us rise up like men and make capital our servant. Labor created capital, therefore labor is the rightful master, and capital should be the obe­ dient servant. Workingmen of America, be no longer blind followers, but be the flower and chivalry of the land. In his farewell address to the American peo­ ple Andrew Jackson, commenting on the evils of the national banking system, said: "We are not left to conjecture how the moneyed power, thus organized and with such a weapon in its hands, would be likely to use it. The distress and alarm which per­ vaded and agitated the whole country when the Bank of the United States WAGED WAE UPON THE PEOPLE, in order to compel them to submit to its demands, cannot yet be forgotten. "The ruthless and unsparing temper with which whole cities and communities were op­ pressed, individuals impoverished and ruined and a scene of cheerful prosperity suddenly changed into one of gloom and despondency ought to be indelibly impressed on the mem­ ory of the people of the United States. If such was its power in a time of peace, what would it not have been in a season of war, with an enemy at our doors? No nation but the freemen of the United States could have come out victorious from such a contest; yet xos 109 if yon had not conquered, the government wouid have passed from the hands of the many to the hands of the few; and this or­ ganized money power, from its secret con­ clave, wonld have dictated the choice of yonr highest officers and compelled yon to make peace or war, as best suited their own wishes. "The forms of yonr government might, for a time, have remained, bnt its living spirit wonld have departed from it." CHAPTER XL THE IMPREGNABLE INTRENGHMENT.

There is no question but what plutocracy has gained a stronghold in this country. It is thoroughly intrenched, well fortified and ably defended. To those who love liberty; to those who hope to see the highest state of civilization attainable; to those who want to see such a condition of society as will bring the greatest good to the greatest number, the momentous question to-day is, " How can we dislodge the money power?" As pointed out in the preceding chapter, one of the great barriers which stand in the way is the blind following of the people. Men who are half-starved will walk up to the polls, gaunt, ragged, hollow-eyed, with visions of roofless homes, cheerless hearthstones, de­ spondent wives and wretched children in the background of their mental vision, and some well-dressed plutocrat will shake hands with them (the only day in the year when he would in notice them at all), pat them on the backs, and place tickets in their hands, and the poor fel­ lows feel so much flattered that they are the most eager men you see on election day to vote in the interest of plutocracy. Again, the money power has a strong ally in the owners of large manufactories and com­ mercial establishments. Here the owners give the men to understand that their posi­ tions depend upon how they vote. Thus I have seen thousands of honest, intelligent, free-born American citizens driven to the polls like cattle to the slaughter house and compelled to vote against their own interests, their convictions and their consciences. Most of them had dependent families or relatives, and the thought of seeing the wolf at the door held such terrors for them that they did the bidding of plutocracy, shutting their eyes to the future. For a poor home and a frugal living for a little while they were willing to sacrifice all of the future years. It was the old story of Esau selling his birthright for a mess of pottage. Plutocracy has unlimited capital at its command. It has nearly all the wealth which has been accumulated on this magnificent continent; therefore the money power can spend millions of dollars every four years to carry the election, for will it not get such legislation and such an administration of the law as will enable it to get back all the money 112 it pays out, with interest compounded ten times oyer? Plutocracy sends its literature into every home, it employs the best and brightest polit­ ical speakers. It owns nearly all the great daily papers of the country, and many of the weeklies. The papers continually teach false economic and political doctrines. In New York Oity some of these papers are openly anarchistic. They have advised plu­ tocracy to ignore and violate the income tax law and refuse to pay taxes upon incomes. They say that this law ought to be stamped out of existence. One of the most noted examples of the plu­ tocratic organs (is /perhaps the New York " Sun." It is the ardent and faithful champion of plutocracy as opposed to the people. And yet it claims to be a Democratic paper, and to love the principles of government as laid down by Jefferson and carried out by Jack­ son. What a farce it all is? Nay, not a farce, but a tragedy, for the people have been mis­ led until they have forgotten what democracy really is, and, although plutocracy has been substituted for democracy in all except the name, they go on believing that they are still clinging to those principles for which the Revolutionary heroes fought, which Jefferson BQ ably expounded and Jackson so faithfully W. K. VANDERBILT.

113 defended, and Lincoln so fully embodied in his life and shadowed forth in his death. I had a conversation the other day with the editor of one of the New York dailies, and he said to me: "Many of us are compelled day after day to write editorials supporting financial poli­ cies which we detest. We must support plu­ tocracy in order to keep our positions." " The papers here differ politically on the surface, but when it comes to the money ques­ tion they are all agreed. Most of them are owned by Wall Street, and of course they do the bidding of their masters." I have talked to a great many newspaper writers in New York City, and am firmly con­ vinced that at least seventy-five per cent, of them are opposed to plutocracy in all of its forms and favor almost, if not quite, every plank in the Omaha platform of the People's party. Yet the power of plutocracy is so strong that they are compelled to barter their thoughts, their very individuality, for bread. Men have said to me something like this: " Oh, as an individual, I favor the free coin­ age of silver, the abolition of national banks, and the government ownership of railroads, telegraph and telephone lines, etc., but as an editor I favor the single gold standard, the ex­ tension of the power of the national banks, and am opposed to government ownership and control of anything." 114 I have asked them why they thus stultify themselves, and it was always the same old answer, "It means bread, and we cannot af­ ford to do otherwise/' The following are the words of John Swin- ton, delivered before the New York Press As­ sociation in response to a toast, "The Inde­ pendent Press": " There is no such thing in America as an independent press, unless it is in the country towns. You know it, and I know it. There is not one of you who dare express an honest opinion. If you express it, you know before­ hand that it would never appear in print. I am paid $150 per week for keeping my honest opinions out of the paper I am connected with. Others of you are paid similar salaries for doing similar things. If I should permit honest opinions to be printed in one issue of my paper, like Othello, before twenty-four hours my occupation would be gone. The man who would be so foolish as to write hon­ est opinions would be out on the streets hunt­ ing for another job. The business of the New York journalist is to distort the truth, to lie outright, to pervert, to vilify, to fawn at the feet of Mammon, and to sell his country and race for his daily bread; or, for what is about the same thing, his salary. You know this, and I know it; and what foolery to be toast­ ing an 'independent press/ We are tools, and the vassals of rich men behind the scenes. 115 We are jumping-jacks. They pull the string and we dance. Our time, our talents, our lives, our possibilities, all are the property of other men. We are intellectual prosti­ tutes." There.is no weapon sharper or more effec­ tive than ridicule. This is employed by the plutocratic papers to great advantage. They represent all the reformers as having long whiskers, wheels in their heads? and hayseed in their hair. They caricature the leaders, and keep at it so continually that the people soon come to look on all persons who are dissatisfied with present conditions, and who want to exchange the old regime for better things, as cranks. These tactics to-day hold a terror for thousands, and keep them in the lines of the two old parties. Another stronghold of plutocracy is its power to ruin financially millions of men if they refuse to vote as the money power dic­ tates. Take the farmers of the country, and their farms are nearly all under mortgage, and the humble homes of the wage-earners are in the same condition. If a voter thus situated shows signs of dis­ loyalty to the money power, a trusty agent is sent to wait on him. Usually it is the local banker. He writes the recalcitrant voter a very polite letter requesting him to call at the bank. The voter does so, and the banker invites him into his private office. 116 When comfortably seated the banker pro­ ceeds as follows: " My dear sir, I know that you are a patri­ otic citizen, a very conservative man, and friendly to good government, and as the bank feels especially interested in you, I took the liberty of asking you to call. "I have heard some rumors to the effect that you were getting these new-fangled ideas into your head, but I trust that such is not the case, for I am sure that you want to be­ long to a respectable, high-toned party, and you cannot—no, really cannot—my friend, af­ ford to join this new' party. « Why, dear me, they are all a lot of cranks, and if they should get control of the govern­ ment, the bankers of Wall Street, and es­ pecially the bankers of London, would lose confidence, and there would be universal ruin and our bank would have to call in all of its loans/' He has grown so pathetically eloquent dur­ ing this recital that the tears are standing in his eyes. The farmer leaves the bank, know­ ing that if he votes for either of the old par­ ties his mortgage will be extended for an­ other year, but that if he does not do so it will be foreclosed at once and his family thrown out of a home. The struggle is a hard one, but he yields at last, and on elec­ tion day votes the ticket handed him by the banker. 117 The impression is all the time being made that all those that have broken away from the old parties and joined the People's party are disappointed office-seekers and generally a disreputable lot. In the East a full-fledged Populist from the South or West is looked upon as a great freak, American people want to be respectable; oh, most respectable, and therefore they do not want to be placed in the same class with the wild-eyed, long-haired and whiskered and foam-flecked-lipped Populists. They would rather be respectable than right. They would rather be respectable and be slaves than to bear the scorn and ridicule and be free. Bespectability!—oh, such respectability— God save the mark. It is the respectability of the devil. It is the respectability which crucified Jesus Christ. He was the greatest reformer of all the ages, and because He came preach­ ing a new regime He was hunted by Herod while yet a babe in arms. Because He preached the rule of the people and opposed the rule of plutocracy He was hounded through life by the money power. Because He dared to tell the plutocrats that they were thieves and liars, "whited sepul- chers full of dead men's bones," He was called a crank, an impostor, a hypocrite, a madman, and even a devil. 118 Because He went into the Temple and scourged the money-changers, they became more bitter in their persecutions, until at last with their money they bought his life and stood around and scoffed and jeered while He died upon the cross. Jesus Christ preached liberty and freedom. He placed labor above capital; He advocated the overthrow of plutocracy and the rule of the people, and for these causes He incurred the displeasure of the money power and was put to death. To-day we are fighting the same battle, and if Christ were here upon earth now the Amer­ ican plutocrats would crucify Him. We have reached the greatest crisis of all the ages, and now we are about to witness the triumph of the principles for which Christ died nearly nineteen hundred years ago, or else to see the final ending and going up in smoke of that beautiful dream of the philosophers of all the ages, the " Brotherhood of Man." Another powerful ally of plutocracy are the fashionable Churches. These are eminently respectable, and are always arrayed on the side of the money power. They could not af­ ford to go into a movement started among the people. Oh, no; they have made too great an improvement on the teachings of Christ for that. He, indeed, came to the poor, the despised, the friendless, but your modern aris­ tocratic Church could not afford to follow his 119 example. If He were here now and should go into one of these purse-proud, haughty churches, as he did when here on earth, con­ demning plutocracy in his scathing language, the congregations would be shocked. Such Churches as these are always opposed to reform, and stand in the way until the very last moment. Of course, this does not apply to all Churches nor all ministers. Many preachers are doing good work in the ^cause of humanity, and as the crisis approaches nearer and near­ er they will be found on: the side of the people just as Christ was. Judging by past events recorded in history, it seems evident that the great battle which Christ commenced is soon to be fought to a finish. The crisis seems to be present all over the civilized world. People everywhere seem to realize intuitively, if not otherwise, that we are living in a great epoch, one which will mark the future of this country for weal or for woe. Plutocracy, after having thoroughly in­ trenched itself, has sent out its hordes of van­ dals and overrun the land and driven the peo­ ple to the very last ditch. Now they are brought to bay and turn upon their oppressors. Have they courage and patriotism enough yet left to win the battle? Yes, they have, for the God of Justice fights for them. 120 The breastworks of plutocracy will be scaled, and as Christ scourged the money­ changers from the Temple at Jerusalem, so now will the people drive plutocracy from its last intrenchment and bury it to be resurrect­ ed no more. PBOPOSED CONSTITUTIONAL AMEND- MENT. Precluding Private-Property-Eight Carried to Absurd Infinitude. Now Approved by the Veteran Lawyer, Judge and Sena, tor, LYMAN TRUMBULL. No citizen, nor resident, nor investor in any or all States, Territories or District, compris­ ing the United States, shall be permitted to possess, in all kinds of property, an aggregate value of more than One Million of dollars; which sum shall be the limit of private prop- tray in or for any individual, joint-individual, guardian, trustee, or other form or device of private estate ownership, or reserved for each inheritor or legatee. And whenever or wher­ ever such private ownership or holding or re­ serving shall be found to exceed the limit above named, the excess shall al be con­ demned as a public nuisance and a public peril, and be accordingly forfeited into the United States Treasury. And the States, etc., shall, each and all, enforce this Amendment by necessary or penal legislation; failing which, Congress shall so enforce it. 6HAPTEE XII.

SLAVERY.

There are tens of thousands of people yet living who remember the time when this en­ tire country was ablaze with excitement over the question of human slavery. The greatest, the bloodiest, fiercest war ever fought was the one which resulted in the overthrow of this damnable institution. The story of this momentous struggle has been told ten thousand times in story and in song; and whenever the camp-fire is lighted those who wore the blue and those who wore the gray tell over for the hundreth time of the hardships, the hairbreadth escapes, the deeds of valor and acts of unselfish heroism. Once each year, in almost every city, the people come together, and amidst the strains of patriotic music and an abundance of good cheer, celebrate Lincoln Day. They rejoice that such a lover of his kind, such a champion of the poor, enslaved, benighted negroes was given to the world. 123 Eloquent addresses are delivered by emi­ nent orators, and those who thus yearly meet believe that they love the memory of him whose name has been made sacred by the prayers and tears of the liberated slaves. They annually engage in self-gratulatory thoughts and retrospections as they contem­ plate the spectacle of the black men of the South enjoying their precious freedom. It seems that it never once occurs to these people that slavery has not been abolished in this country; that the negroes of the South are not free, but that they are in a worse, a more galling bondage than they were before the war. Under our benign constitution they are made free and equal, but as a matter of fact they are not free. Before the war, a sturdy, healthy negro was worth from one to two thousand dollars, and it was to the owner's interest to see that he was well fed and well cared for, so that he would be capable of per­ forming efficient services; and he was also warmly clad, and when overtaken by sickness, the best nurses and physicians were obtained, and everything was done to bring about a speedy recovery. If, perchance, he died, the master gave him a respectable coffin and a decent burial, and perhaps shed his tears upon the new-made grave. If the slave left any children, he could die in peace, feeling assured that they would 124 be well fed and clothed, so that they wonld grow np to make strong and nseful servants. They could be bought and sold like so many cattle or sheep, and the family ties were thus sometimes broken up, and some most pathetic, heartrending scenes were witnessed. The thought of human slavery was so re­ volting that a wave of indignation started in the North, which swept over the country and finally culminated, in the overthrow, of this detestable institution of human slavery. Not only is the negro in a state of slavery worse than he knew before the War, but the masses of the white people are also in bondage. They are in no better condition than the negroes are. They are all slaves together, slaves to the money power—the American plutocracy. Then it was human slavery, now it is in­ dustrial slavery. Then there were only about three million slaves; now there are more than fifty millions Then slavery existed only in a small number of States; now it is confined to no State or section of the country, but can be found in every nook and corner of the Union. Then there was a large section of the coun­ try to champion the cause of the slaves; now they must fight their battles alone. One of the remarkable features of the late war was that the poor white men of the South could be induced to fight to continue the in- 125 stitution of slavery, when they themselves were in almost as bad condition as the ne­ groes; and to-day we witness the same inex­ plicable anomaly of a large portion of the in­ dustrial slaves vigorously engaged in forging the fetters, not only for their brethren, but for themselves. The object the South had in view was to build up a slave-holding aristocracy, and to accomplish this end, the slave-holders were aided by those whom the negroes sneeringly called "pore white trash." The purpose of the money power is to build up a moneyed plu­ tocracy, and in the furtherance of this purpose it is aided by the laboring men whom the plu­ tocrats refer to as "servants" and "dogs." To-day we need the emancipation of the slaves a thousandfold worse than we did in 1862. The evils of slavery as it then existed were few as compared with the crying evils of to-day. The suffering then endured by the slaves was inconsequential when compared with the widespread misery of to-day. The slavery we now endure is taking into its grasp the labor of the people and confiscat­ ing their homes. It is driving men to suicide, to the madhouse, to the highways to tramp. It is driving women to the workhouse, "to the streets and the dens of prostitution. In the mills of the North the white slave- wife works by the side of her slave husband. In the cotton and cane fields of the South the 126 white and black slave wives toil in the same fields together by the sides of their slave-hus­ bands, where their slave children, half-naked and half-starved, creep about like little old men and women, so young in years, so old in misery. Only a few years in the future, if there be no change for the better, I see the slave-husband at the blazing forge, stripped to the waist, hammering the red-hot iron, his slave-wife upon the other side of the anvil, also naked to the waist, plying stroke about with her husband, as he directs her where to strike, and the merry ring of the anvil is answered by the discordant cries and pitiful wails of their newborn babe, as it lies near by wrapped in swaddling clothes. I see the neat little farmhouses razed to the ground, and thousands of acres of land, which once were owned by small farmers, now con­ verted into vast estates owned by a single money baron, and the former freemen and owners of the soil will be serfs and vassals. I see the gulf between the rich and the poor ever widening and deepening, until all are either plutocrats or slaves. The middle class in this country was for­ merly larger than both the capitalistic and wage-slave classes combined; now the wage- slave class is larger by almost five millions than both the other classes combined. Soon the middle class will entirely disap- 127 pear, the plutocratic class will be small in numbers, but mighty in power, and the re­ mainder will belong to the wage-slave class. These are not the imaginings of a diseased brain, or the fancies of a romancer, but they are logical conclusions to be drawn from the inevitable trend of events. We need an Abraham Lincoln to direct the slaves of America who are now groping blind­ ly in the dark. They feel the scorpion stings of slavery's lash which plutocracy is plying, but there is hardly an outcry. They bear it in sullen silence. But occasionally some poor woman, with a starved babe on her breast, lifts her tearful eyes and pours out the pleadings of her brok­ en heart to Him who also felt the scourge of plutocracy upon his innocent shoulders and the cruel crown of thorns on his Godlike brow, and some day—ah, some day—-the God of Justice will pity and answer. If Abraham Lincoln were alive to-day, he would champion the cause of the people, and then plutocracy would heap scorn, persecution and vituperation on the man whose name and memory it now pretends to revere. As a matter of fact, when he was assas­ sinated the plutocrats secretly rejoiced, for in his death they were rid of their most dangerous enemy. If he lived now plu­ tocracy would scoff him, maltreat him, de­ spise him. 128 Many of those who now celebrate his natal day would secretly plot his destruction. If he lived in this year of grace 1895, and should give utterance to the same sentiments which he expressed in 1864, the plutocrats would say: "Poor old fellow, he is in his dotage. He has outlived his usefulness. These senti­ ments might have been countenanced thirty years ago, but they have no place in our ad­ vancing civilization." There is still left us the right of suffrage, and we have it in our power to throw off the yoke of slavery and make capital the servant of labor. If the people who feel the weight of overpowering burdens, who already hear tKe clank of slavery's chains, will only vote together, they can easily wrest this land from the robber money barons. They can free themselves, and their children, and future generations will rise up to sing their praises and call them blessed. If they fail to act now, the time will surely come when plutocracy, grown arrogant, in­ solent and wellnigh all-powerful, will take away the right of franchise, and then there will be no hope short of a world-wide revo­ lution, which will stain every rood of ground, every blade of grass and every nodding flow­ er with the crimson blood of human victims. I>t us heed the warning while it is called to-day, for "the night cometh when no man can work." /

GEORGE GOULD.

In 1865-6 we owed public debt, $2,845,000,- 000; indiyidual debts, none. About $60 per capita in circulation. As a result we bad prosperity and happi­ ness. Four millionaires. No tramps. In 1895 our piiblic debt is $1,000,000,000; other debts, $40,000,000,000. About $10 per capita in actual circulation. Eesults: Adversity and misery prevail. Four thousand millionaires. Four million tramps. 129 6HAPTEE XIIL

THE CANKER WORM. "Our legislatures have been bought and sold till we think no more of it than the buy­ ing and selling of so many cattle and sheep in the market. Monopoly is a danger com­ pared with which slavery is small indeed."— Henry Ward Beecher. However much we may try to disguise the fact, we cannot blind ourselves to the politi­ cal corruption which threatens our institu­ tions. Our nation is reeking with bribery, fraud and corruption. Legislators, Congressmen and Senators sell their political virtue, their personal integrity, just as openly and shamefully as the aban­ doned strumpet sells her body to every li­ centious brute who happens to possess the price. So notorious, so shameful have become these corrupt practices, that good men^shrink from accepting public office. In the better days of the Republic it was an honor to hold 181 office, but now almost every official is looked on with, suspicion. If lie is not known to be corrupt, or, in common parlance, a "boodler," lie is always suspected as being open to tlie reception of a bribe. So degenerate have we become, that even after a man is known as a "boodler" he is al­ lowed to remain in office, and society is al­ ways ready, with outstretched arms, to re­ ceive him. In the days of Washington, Jefferson, Jack­ son and Lincoln the American people justly prided themselves upon the record which our statesmen had made as being pure, honest and courageous. But the spirits of these great men must weep over our modern degeneracy. To-day we have the reputation of being the corrupt- est nation under the sun in our political meth­ ods. To show that even foreigners have ob­ served how our lawmakers have prostituted themselves, I quote from the letter of a French nobleman, the Marquis De Castellane, who re­ cently visited this country: "Washington is the cradle of the political Constitution of tke United States. It is there that the nation has its guardians, from the general-in-chief to the private soldiers. The President of the Eepublic is almost as power­ ful as an absolute king, vetoing the decisions of the House, which is elected by the suffrage of all, choosing his Ministers at will, govern- 132 ing, if need be, without any contradiction, against the will of the majority of the repre­ sentatives. The Senate is essentially corrupt, and therein consoling to Frenchmen who have known the secret history of Panamist politics. The deputies are without authority, without position; a class of employees recognized to be, unfaithful beforehand by those who ap­ point them. They live in the noble city of the severe lines, side by side, for a few months every year, eager in greediness, uniquely pre­ occupied in the tariff question; for all Amer­ ican politics has no other object than the raising and the lowering of tariffs, every State making at its own pleasure its laws of de­ fense and of social morality. "Every one sells himself there, consequently every one is bought, and when an American wishes to hurl an epithet of scorn at the head of one of his compatriots, he says 'he is a politician/ so that not only Senators and Deputies are neither considered nor respected; they are not even regarded. They do not count; they are passed in silence; they are 'anybodies/ as we say in France. "They tell you freely in Washington that such a Senator has received 12,000,000 francs from American refiners to vote an import duty on foreign sugars. Another has received as much from the proprietors of the silver mines of Colorado that he may vote the Silver bill, which obliged the State to buy from them 133 every month several million bars of silver, when silver was worth half as mnch ^as the gold with which this same State was obliged to make its payments. "These people at least have a high idea of their value. They do not sell themselves for a plate of lentils. The extent of their venality is so great that their compatriots themselves do not refuse them a certain admiration. "Public office in the United States is re­ garded as a factory in which the directors sell the products at a more or less remunerative rate. The citizens consider them a necessary evil to which one must accustom one's self." * # * * * "And I ask myself in leaving the city of pol­ iticians if the shadow of the great and honest Washington will not rise suddenly some day and condemn this exotic society which might be capable of destroying his immense work if it found such a course to its personal in­ terest!" In this country lobbying has become a pro­ fession. Indeed, I ought to class it with the fine arts, for the expert lobbyist is certainly an artist in his line. Many Senators and Con­ gressmen, when they fail of re-election, remain in Washington the remainder of their lives and engage in lobbying for a livelihood. Thousands—yes, millions—of dollars pass through the hands of these professional lobby­ ists, which is used as a corruption 'fund to 134 bribe Senators and Congressmen. This mon­ ey is furnished by the trusts, the combines and the rich corporations. This system of bribery is one of the evils of plutocracy. Political corruption has built up plutocracy, while plutocracy has developed corruption and bribery, until they have be­ come a part of our institutions. We have reached the point in the history of this great, free country when plutocracy can pass any measure it wants, and can de­ feat any proposed law which is inimical to its interest. The corruption fund, on which it can ever draw, is wellnigh inexhaustible, and the sums which it is enabled to offer to each corruptible Senator and Congressman is so great that it would dazzle the eyes, turn the brain and sati­ ate the desires of a Midas. To the bribe-taker it means wealth, splendor, power and luxury beyond the dreams of the most fastidious. Plutocracy can well afford to thus lavish upon the unfaithful servants of the people sums of money to make them rich, for each dollar so invested will bring back a hundred. The sugar trust, if reports are to be be­ lieved, has bribed Senators and Congressmen, spending large sums of money, and has all the while been robbing the people of the fruits of their labor, piling up colossal fortunes for the owners of the stock in the trust. Yet the the men who are at the head of this trust, and 135 whose corrupt practices are well known, are among the honored, celebrated men of th

NOT CHARITY, BUT JUSTICE.

"The mistakes of the best men through gen­ eration after generation has been the great one of thinking to help the poor by alms­ giving and by preaching of patience or of hope, and by every other means, emollient or consolatory, except the one through which God orders for them, justice."—Buskin. In every great city there are charity or­ ganizations, and good men and pious women devote much of their time to the collection and distribution of money among the poor and helpless. The Churches give away large sums in charitable work. Individuals con­ tribute a great deal of money to the starving poor. It would be impossible to even approxi­ mate the amounts thus spent each year. It takes a small army of employees to carry on the work of charity. Thousands of families are now subsisting partially or wholly on charity. The number 141 142 is not decreasing, but is eyer on the in­ crease. As our country grows and develops, as we build more magnificent homes and costlier churches, as railroads and telegraph lines keep reaching out and exploring new fields, as our commerce grows, it seems that we would have fewer objects of charity, until by and by there would be little use for char­ ity at all. Such, however, is not the case, for within the shadows of the costly homes, the splendid churches, the abjectly poor are multiplying at a frightful rate. Thousands of people haye starved in America within the past twelve months; tens of thousands are now suffering for want of bread; millions have not the ordinary comforts of life. Yet there is no famine in the land. We have no pestilence, which has prevented the farmers from producing their usual crops. We have had no universal drought, wliich has burned up all the cotton, the corn, and other cereal products. We have had no murrain which has killed all the cattle. We have had no cholera to destroy the . hogs. We have had no pestilential disease to take away all the sheep, yet the people are starv­ ing, and must be fed out of charity's spoon. The granaries are bursting with wheat; the bins are filled with corn; the stock-yards 143 are overflowing with cattle, hogs and sheep; the fields of the South have been white with cotton—an abundance everywhere through­ out the entire country. Of it we can say, as was said of the Promised Land of Canaan, "It flows with milk and honey." Notwith­ standing all this, the people are starving. Soup houses have been established for the poor. Cheap lodging houses have been pro­ vided. Parks have been opened up, filled with trees, birds and flowers, where the poor can go and carry their scrawny, sickly little chil­ dren. Free bath-houses have been provided for the poor, and now free places of amuse­ ment are being talked of. Millions are annually spent to provide food to keep them from starving, and yet they are famishing, falling by the wayside, and dying all around us. It seems that charity has not been a suc­ cess. Would it not be wise to study the causes of its failures and seek a remedy? I do not believe that we need or want all this so-called charity. Indeed, I do not think it is charity at all. It is simply the price which plutocracy annually pays to maintain itself in power. It is the very small pittance it doles out to the people it has robbed. If the money had not been taken away from the people they would not be reduced to such a pitiable state, and it would not be neces­ sary for the rich to contribute to their sup- 1U port. There is plenty and to spare in this great country of all that goes to make up hu­ man happiness; then why should it be neces­ sary for such a large portion of the human family to subsist on the crumbs which fall from Dives' table? It is not charity we want, it is not charity we need. What we want, what we need, what we ought to demand and what we must have is JUSTICE. Yea, the justice which guaran­ tees to every man the fruits of his honest toil, justice which protects the weak against the strong, and prevents the powerful robber from appropriating that which the laboring man has accumulated through years of toil. Justice, which will give to every man em­ ployment and reasonable compensation for what he does, and after his day's work is done and he lies down to sleep, a justice that will guard the day's earnings, however scant they may be, and prevent the thief, who will not work, from coming at the hour of midnight and robbing him. Under the reign of plutocracy a few rob­ bers steal the earnings of the people, take all they have, and leave them penniless, and when they are starving they give back a, few pence in charity to buy crusts of bread to keei) life in their poor, miserable bodies. Such charity as this is the charity of tEe devil, which would keep his victims alive, so tKey could endure torture for a while longer. J. PIERPONT MORGAN.

145 Away with such charity. It is a mockery, a delusion and a snare. It is a blot on our American civilization. It is an insult to God. The charity we want is the charity of the heart. The charity we want is the charity of Christ, which offered to every man a just reward for his labor. The charity we want is the charity which will take from the robbers that which they stole from the people while they were sleep­ ing, after their hours of toil, and restore it to its rightful owners. Oh, charity! charity! What farces are per­ petrated in thy name; what hypocrisy; what crime. Our modern charity permits a _Van- derbilt to erect a fence around his Fifth Ave­ nue mansion costing forty thousand dollars while the people are starving. It permits a minister of the gospel to wear at his church service on Christmas Day a pair of sandals worth ten thousand dollars, while within a stone's throw of his church a family of six persons were living for two days on twenty cents' worth of soup bones. It is a charity which enables an Astor to spend forty thousand dollars a year to put new flowers each morning on his wife's grave, while thousands, just as good as she, lie in the potter's field, without a slab to mark their resting places. A charity which makes it possible for the 146 daughter of a Vanderbilt to give a birthday party at which one of the cakes was worth over two thousand dollars, while people on the next street were starving. A charity which converts happy homes into wretched hovels, turns respectable garments into filthy rags, changes smiles into tears and laughter into weeping. God pity the people who are cursed with such charity. It is our charity which sends millions of dollars to the heathen, and for what? To teach them charity, for does not the Bible say, "The greatest of these is charity"? Yes, we will teach them the charity which will open saloons, fill gambling hells, people almshouses and establish brothels. We will give them a charity which will lead to theft, suicide and murder. We will show them by our charity how the strong may rob the weak, how a few may ac­ cumulate all the wealth and enslave all their fellow-men. However horrible this picture may seem, this is just the charity we teach them. Oh, we are sick and tired of all this pre­ tended charity. The farce and sham have been carried far enough. It is high time to call a halt. Our fathers, when they gave us this land, did not suppose that we would degenerate into a nation of paupers. But this seems to be where we are drifting. 147 First we are slaves to the money-power until all our wealth has been confiscated, and then we become paupers, receiving a small pittance at the hands of those who have robbed us, and we in turn must all the while continue to labor for them. This country is becoming a great poor- house, where a nation of tramps labor for a coterie of plutocrats. The richer the country becomes, the more paupers we have, and the more servile they are, for all the wealth for which thy toil flows into the coffers of the rich and becomes a weapon in the hands of the money-changers for making more paupers. How long will the people be fooled, ca­ joled and hoodwinked, and be satisfied with the crumbs which fall from the table of Dives when they themselves, by infinite toil and suffering, produce each choice viand and every tempting delicacy which enrich his groaning board, around which sit the favored of plutocracy, while those who labor to make the banquet so brilliantly gorgeous lie at the gates of the greedy Shylock, eating "the dirty crumbs which fall from the table, while the dogs of the rich man lick the sores caused by ceaseless toil and exposure. Take away yoxir charity and give us jus­ tice. Justice! Justice! The cry goes up from thousands of crushed, broken hearts. Peter ©ooper, of New York, one of the most intelligent and successful business men Amer­ ica ever produced, discussed the colonial money as follows: "These colonial notes being adopted by all the colonies led to an unexpected degree of prosperity, so great that when Franklin was brought before the Parliament of Great Brit­ ain and questioned as to the cause of the wonderful prosperity growing up in the col­ onies, he plainly stated that the cause was the conyenience they found in exchanging their various forms of labor one with an­ other by the paper money which had been adopted; that this paper money was not only used in the payment of taxes, but, in addition, it had been declared legal tender. It rose two and three per cent, above the par of gold and silver, as everybody preferred its use. One of its advantages was its security against theft, as it could be easily carried and hidden, on account of it having no bulk, as all"kinds of specie must necessarily have. After Frank­ lin explained this to th^ British Government 149 as the real cause of prosperity, they immedi­ ately passed laws forbidding the payment of taxes in that money. This produced such great inconyenience and misery to the people, that it was the principle cause in the revolu­ tion. A far greater reason for a general up­ rising than the tea and stamp act was the taking away of the paper money."—Congress­ man John Davis, OHAPTEE XV,

THE TWELVE APOSTLES OF WEALTH.

The author has no intention of intimating that the twelve millionaires whose cuts ap­ pear in this volume are really worse than other men whose sole aim in life is to amass wealth at whatever cost. They are only human, and are prompted by motives of greed and selfishness. Those who belong to the plutocratic class are not so much to be censured as our unjust, unwholesome and pernicious laws, which make plutocracy possible. A study of the physiognomies of the " twelve apostles" will fail to reveal any evi­ dence of superior mental ability, and certain­ ly no traces of philanthropy. The only char­ acteristic which stands out in bold relief is that which distinguished Shyloek of old, as well as all the modern Shylocks—the burning desire to gather into their coffers all the wealth possible, to rob their victims of the last penny, to demand tHeir pound of flesh, and, wKen they have shed the last drop of 151 blood, to cast them ont by the wayside to rot and die. With no especial qualities of goodness to distinguish these followers of Moloch from the rest of mankind, and with no distinctively great or superior mental characteristics, we cannot refrain from pausing and asking the question, "Why have these people been so richly blessed, so highly favored, while the toiling masses are poorly paid, half-clad, and half-starved?" There are in this country to-dav twelve men who are worth one billion dollars, enough to give every man, woman and child in the land a little more than fourteen dollars and twen­ ty-eight cents per capita. The annual inter­ est on this sum at seven per cent, would be seventy million dollars, which is one dollar for every living soul in the United States. It is ia sum almost twice as large as the entire amount of gold theoretically in circulation in this country. While there are twelve men in this country who are worth one billion dollars, there are four thousand and forty-seven families who own one-fifth of the wealth of this nation. Again the question arises, "Where did they get it?" They never produced one dollar of all this wealth, they never labored to earn an honest penny, and have acquired it by grinding the faces of the poor, by robbing them of their 152 daily bread, and have been secured in their stolen booty by laws passed by perjured law­ makers. Nearly all the apostles of wealth are pre­ tended followers of Jesus of Nazareth, and occupy high places in the Church, and exert great influence in the State; yet, unlike the apostles of old, who had in their ranks only one Judas, these apostles of the God of Luxury and Avarice are nearly all Judases, ready to betray the Saviour for gold; but, un­ like Judas, they feel no remorse of conscience, and after they have robbed God's children they do not go off and hang themselves, Wt sit down like human vultures over the rotting carcasses of their prey and gorge themselves with their ill-gotten booty and plunge their long, bony fingers, like the talons of some un­ clean bird, into the heaps of gold which they have piled up on all sides. While they are thus engaged in living off of the life-blood of the nation, our lawmakers and courts are ever seeking some new avenue through which these human hyenas of mod­ ern society may more effectually carry on the robber warfare against their fellow-men. The Supreme Court of the United States has recently decided that it is unconstitution­ al for these men who have grown wealthy off the toil and life-blood of others, to pay a miserable, beggarly two per cent, on their incomes above four thousand dollars. 153 In the great cities like New York and Chi­ cago we find them making false tax returns, and very few of them pay, comparatively speaking, any taxes at all. In their methods they are upheld by the Churches, the courts and the military, and when pauperized labor dares to raise its head and beg for a few more crumbs for the starving women and children, the ministers from their pulpits advise the use of gatling guns, the military is ordered out, and blanket injunctions are issued^ and the courts decide that the leaders in the clamor for bread are guilty of contempt of court, and they are sent to prison and brand­ ed as felons. Such a course is driving the poor deeper into poverty. It is filling the slums to overflowing, and bringing upon those whom Christ came to lift up from poverty and suffering the appellation of "trash," "ver­ min," and "sewer rats." These money-mad plutocrats are so blind­ ed that they cannot see on every hand the evidences which threaten their overthrow. They are so deaf from listening long to the clink of gold that they cannot hear the mut­ tering thunders which portend the coming storm. At every sign of danger and God's displeasure they harden their hearts, and will not consent to release the people from bond­ age and, like Pharaoh and his hosts, they will be swallowed up in the Bed Sea of the people's wrath. 154 If they will not consent to give back to the people some of their hard earnings of which they have been robbed, the time will come when the people, lashed to fury, will rise np in their anger, and take back, not a portion, bnt all. " That prices will fall or rise as the volume of money be increased or diminished is a law that is as unalterable as any law of nature." —Prof. Walker. "If a government should contract a debt with a certain amount of money in circula­ tion, and then contract the money volume before the debt was paid, it would be the most heinous crime a government could commit against the people."—Abraham Lincoln. "Liberty cannot long endure in any coun­ try where the tendency of legislation is to concentrate wealth in the hands of a few."— Daniel Webster. 155 CHAPTER XVL HOW PLUTOCRACY ENSLAVES.

When we have "great financial panics," as we are pleased to call periods of distress, stagnation and want, we are prone to con­ sole ourselves with the thought that the world in all ages has been subject to these so-called panics, and that they are a sort of necessary evil. Indeed, it has all along been the prov­ ince of plutocracy to keep the people blinded and deceived, so that they will not study the true causes of these periods of distress. It is the purpose of the author, in this chap­ ter, to point out the cause which has led up to the world's great panics, and to suggest a remedy, which, if applied, will effectually pre­ vent them. I take it that Mr. Garfield stated an axio­ matic truth when he said that "Whoever con­ trols the volume of money in any country is absolute master of all industry and com­ merce." It is equally true that a large vol­ ume of money means high prices for land, 157 labor and products, while a small volume of money means low prices for land, labor and products. This being true, it necessarily fol­ lows that to double the volume of money in circulation will double the price of land, la­ bor and products, while to divide the volume of money in circulation will divide the price of land, labor and products, or will, in other words, reduce the price of land, labor and products one-half. Another proposition equal­ ly tenable is that if you destroy one-half of the volume of money in circulation, you double the purchasing power of that which remains. Keeping these principles well in mind, we will show how plutocracy produces panics, and how the masses are being enslaved. The inoney-power of the world mastered this question and understood these truths ages ago, and we have but to unfold the pages of history, and there to read the whole story in unmistakable language. First let us study the history of ancient Rome. Without the use of either gold or sil­ ver, Rome became mistress of the commerce of the world. Her people were the bravest, the most prosperous, the most happy, for they knew no grinding poverty. Her money was issued directly to the people, and was com­ posed of a cheap material—copper and brass —based alone upon the faith and credit of the nation. With this abundant money sup- 158 ply she built her splendid Pantheon and her magnificent courts and temples. She fought her battles and extended her domains, improved her agriculture, distributed her lands among the people in small holdings, and wealth poured into the coffers of Eome from every busy mart of the world. This was all done on fiat money, that had no value except legal value, but which was full legal tender money. At the commencement of the Christian era the legal tender money of Eome amounted to about $2,000,000,000, and all of it was in the hands of the people, in the various ave­ nues of trade and the industries, and was a per capita sufficiently large to do all business on a cash basis. But here the money power commenced to get in its work. Copper and brass were demonetized and gold and silver substituted, and the volume of money re­ duced from |2,000,000,000 to |200,000,000. During the process of contraction popula­ tion dwindled, the arts, learning, commerce and prosperity took their flight. The once proud, free and prosperous people were re­ duced to a condition of abject serfdom. Be- cause of a lack of a proper medium of exchange the price of labor, lands, and products fell; the lands were sold for taxes, and were soon concentrated in a few hands; the masses sank to the lowest depths of degradation, while the favored few amassed fabulous fortunes. 15S Prior to the fall of Borne 1,160 rich families, many of them with an income of a million and a half dollars yearly, owned practically all the wealth, while those whose industry and thrift had made it the proudest nation in the world- were mere serfs. The consequences of this terrible crime could not long be avert­ ed, so when attacked by Alaric, in the year 401 after Christ, Italy could find none to re­ sist, and Eome fell. Another striking illustration is found in the history of England, just prior to, during and immediately following, her war with France in the latter part of the last and be­ ginning of the present century. For a num­ ber of years before the commencement of that war the gold supply of England had not been sufficient to meet the demands of trade and commerce, and the condition of affairs in Great Britain were at a low ebb. She went through a terrible financial disaster, termi­ nating in the crisis and panic of 1797, which brought the nation to the brink of ruin and forced the government to suspend specie pay­ ment. This led to the issue and use of ir­ redeemable paper money to an enormous amount, thus turning adversity into pros­ perity. War had been declared with France; immense armies were in the field, with not a dollar to pay the expenses. But under the benign influence of an abundant supply of a full legal tender paper currency the next 160 eighteen years of the war were the most glor­ ious and most prosperous that Great Brit­ ain had ever experienced. During this period the people enjoyed gen­ eral and unexampled prosperity, oyer three million acres of unimproved land were brought into cultivation, and the exportation of manufactured cotton goods increased in volume from |35,000,000 in 1801 to $135,- 000,000 in 1822. The land-owners rapidly increased in num­ ber, and they tilled the soil, reaping abun­ dant fruits to compensate them for their toiL But no sooner had the war ended and the smoke of battle cleared away than this same old grasping money-power began to clamor for a contraction of the currency and a re­ sumption of specie payments. In 1816 silver was demonetized, and in 1820 a bill passed Parliament that full resumption of specie pay­ ments be restored in May, 1823. So the con­ traction of the currency began, and the awful consequences can never be written. The ef­ fect of this extraordinary piece of legislation was soon apparent, for the industries of the nation were paralyzed and commerce almost destroyed. Prices fell rapidly, that of cot­ ton in particular sinking in three months to half its former level. Mortgages were fore­ closed by thousands, and the owners of the soil became serfs. There were in 1822 165,000 land-owners; in 1861 the number had been GEORGE M. PULLMAN.

161 reduced to 30,000, and now half the Kingdom is owned by not more than a dozen men. It was the same old story of the money-power enslaving the masses for the purpose of en­ riching, a favored few. Now, let us look at the financial history of our own country, beginning at the close of the late war, and we will see the same cun­ ningly-devised schemes of the money-power to contract the circulating medium, and thus enrich the few at thejexpense of the nation's toilers. At the close of the war there was in actual circulation about $2,000,000,000 among 35,- 000,000 people. Ancient Eome had this amount at the time the money-power began its system of contraction. History, it must be remembered, repeats itself, and in the language of Patrick Henry, we "have no way of judging of the future but by the past"; therefore it may be well to bear in mind the similarity between the causes which produced the fall of ancient Eome and those which now threaten the downfall of our Eepublic. It is one of the great and inexplicable phe­ nomena that the business men should be ar­ rayed against the farmers, who constitute forty per cent, of our population, when the mercantile and commercial interests are wholly dependent on the agricultural pros­ perity of the country; but the fact that they are so arrayed is another proof of the truth 1G2 of the inspired utterances of Lincoln, when he said that "the money-power will endeavor to prolong its reign by working upon the prejudices of the people, until all of liberty is lost." That the people of this country may fully understand whither we are drifting, the author gives a comprehensive review of the financial wreck and ruin wrought in this country since the close of the war. Of course, the money-power pursued its old-time tactics—the same which produced the fall of ancient Borne, and the same which reduced the masses of Great Britain to serf­ dom. It was the old, old story of a contraction of the circulating medium. This began in 1867. In 1866 there were only 500 business fail­ ures of this country, but in 1867 the effects of contraction began to be felt, and there were 2,386 failures in business, with a total loss, to creditors of f 86,218,000. In 1868 there was withdrawn from circula­ tion and destroyed f 473,000,000, resulting in 2,608 failures, with a loss to creditors of 163,774,000. In the year 1869 there was withdrawn from circulation and destroyed 1500,000,000, and as a consequence there were 2,799 failures in business and a loss of |75,000,000. In 1870 there were 3,551 failures, involving a loss ol 163 188,272,000. Wages now began to percepti­ bly decline, men and women were thrown out of employment, and men began to seek work and were first called "tramps." In 1871 |35,000,000 of the people's money was destroyed, and we had 2,915 failures, en­ tailing a loss of 185,250,000. In 1872 only |12,000,000 were destroyed, but the business of the country had become demoralized by reason of a destruction of the currency, so that the business failures increased to 4,069, with a loss to creditors of $121,058,000. In the year 1873 came the demonetization of silver—the greatest crime of all the ages— and although the destruction of the paper issue in this year amounted to only $1,609,000, the business failures reached the appalling number of 5,183, involving a loss of $228,499, 000, throwing out of employment over one million men, who began the tramp for bread. In 1874 the sum of $171,579,445 were de­ stroyed, and as a consequence there were 5,832 failures, with a loss to creditors of $155,239,- 000. In 1875 $40,817,418 were withdrawn from circulation, resulting in 7,740 failures, with losses of $201,060,000. In 1876 there was withdrawn from circu­ lation and destroyed the sum of $85,000,000, and there were 10,000 failures in business, with a loss of $300,000,000 to creditors. In 1877 the failures reached 12,000, and 164 so on down they have gradually been on the increase, until the year 1893, they reached the enormous number of SIXTEEN THOUSAND SIX HUNDEED AND FIFTY, and in this glad year of grace 1895 they will probably reach 25,000 in number. The only hope of success the money-power has is to work on the prejudices of the peo­ ple until all wealth is aggregated in a few hands, and then, indeed, will the Eepublic be destroyed. This can: be done by the con­ traction of the currency, and the people can be fooled as they bow down and worship "party." All thinking people realize that we are drifting toward monarchy and serfdom un­ less we change the course of the "ship of State." Plutocracy has always enslaved by reduc­ ing the medium of exchange, and if the peo­ ple would conquer plutocracy they must do so by increasing the circulating medium, so that there will be a sum sufficient to transact the business of the country on a fair and equitable basis. Contraction means misery, hunger, ruin. .Expansion of the currency means prosper­ ity, happiness and joy. Which shall it be? The voters of America must decide. Gommenting on the spirit of party worship, Washington, in his farewell address, says: "The alternate domination of one fac­ tion over another, sharpened by the spirit of revenge natural to party dissension, which in different ages and countries has perpetrated the most horrid enormities, is itself a fright­ ful despotism. But this leads at length to a more formal and permanent despotism. The disorders and miseries which result gradu­ ally incline the minds of men to seek security and repose in the absolute power of an indi­ vidual; and, sooner or later, the chief of some prevailing faction, more able or more fortu­ nate than his competitors, turns this dispo­ sition to the purposes of his own elevation on the ruins of the public liberty." # # # "It opens the door to foreign influence and corruption, which finds a facilitated access to the government itself through the chan­ nels of party passion. Thus the policy and will of one country are subjected to the pol­ icy and will of another." # * # "A fire not to be quenched, it demands a uniform vigilance to prevent its bursting into flame, lest, instead of warming, it should con­ sume," tm CHAPTER XVII.

PRINCES AND PAUPERS. If the great masses of the common people of this country could, for one night, look upon the tinsel show and gaudy display of wealth on the ^ne hand, and the poverty, degra­ dation, the squalid misery on the other, there would go up such a protest against existing conditions that our lawmakers would be com­ pelled to grant relief. The recent weddings among the million­ aires have served to demonstrate the fact that there is a wide, inseparable gulf between the plutocrats and the people, and that it is ever widening and deepening. Such a profligate expenditure of money when there is such suffering abroad in the land can only happen in a diseased condition of society, and is always a forerunner of na­ tional decay. At one of these recent weddings the floral decorations alone cost sixty thousand dollars, and within an arrow's flight there were thou- 186 167 sands and tens of thousands suffering fotf bread. The plutocrats of America are money mad,, and, after having accumulated practically all the wealth, they are looking to Europe for titles. What a spectacle to see a fair young girl sell herself to some broken-down old scioi? of nobility for the sake of an empty title. Miss Vanderbilt recently married a lisping foreign dude, so that she can be called duch* ess, and for the title she paid ten million doL lars. The time has come in this country when brawn and brain, worth and merit, do noi count. It is only money—money and high< sounding titles. Indeed, our plutocrats are so in love with royalty that many of them are taking up their abodes in Europe and transferring their mil­ lions earned by the toilers of this country to where they can be near the titled fops whom they so much love to ape. The following lengthy account of the Paget- Whitney wedding is taken from the New York "World," and is reproduced here to show the follies and extravagance of plutoc­ racy. Indeed, it should be called crime, for it is nothing less. When we consider the man­ ner in which the plutocrats acquired their money, and take a look at the wretched vic­ tims whom they have robbed, it can only be calJed crime of the deepest dye: 168 WEDDED TO RAKE MUSIC. Mr. Paget and Miss Whitney United at St. Thomas's in Tasteful Splendor. NORDICA, DE BESZKE, FRANKO THERE. Mr. Cleveland, Mr. Lamont and Mr. Herbert Honor Ex- Secretary Whitney by Their Presence. NEW YORK'S SOCIETY SEEN AT ITS BEST.

The President Speaks at the Breakfast, and the Happy Pair Go to Coventry, Conn.

The wedding of Almeric Hugh Paget to Miss Pauline Whitney at St. Thomas's Church yesterday was a notable event. The most beautiful women in New York and the capital graced it. President Cleveland and Cabinet officers honored it; the bridegroom's sisters and brother had crossed the ocean to attend it. Socially, it was a triumph, for the four walls of the church held the very best people —the most exclusive. That is, of course, al­ ways gratifying to a young bride and bride­ groom. The management of the wedding was perfect. From a pictorial point, the interior of the church was charming, with its effects of white and green. From an artistic point, the music was superb. What else, when Nordica and De Keszke sing and Franko fiddles? The gourmet's palate was mightily tickled at the wedding breakfast, and the display of 169 presents delighted those who love jewels and plate. So, the most sincere friend of Mr. and Mrs. Almeric Hugh Paget can only wish that their lives will be as beautiful and as happy as their wedding. SOCIETY'S EVERY ANIMOSITY BURIED. The wedding was the more enjoyable be­ cause it gave rise to no heartburnings. For the moment, all the cliques in society who dearly hate each other forgot their jealousies, were cordial, or pretended to be cordial, that they might all add to the happiness of Will­ iam C. Whitney, and of his daughter, and of his new son. As they passed out of the church, Mrs. Willie K. Vanderbilt could have laid her shapely hand on the shoulder of her former brother-in-law, Cornelius Vanderbilt. Yet another thing added to the joy of this wedding: The bridegroom, young Paget, was an Englishman of noble blood, as they call it over there. Henry VIII., who, by the by, had several weddings, knighted his ancestor. The head of his family is a Lord Anglesey. Lady This and the Marchioness That call him cous­ in. His relatives are in favor with Victoria, and his brother is a friend of the Prince of Wales. ONLY THE JINGOES SAD. Yet noble blood was not bought and sold at this wedding, as it has so often been bought and sold. Young Paget, poor, came to this 170 country and made money. He went west, grew up with Minnesota, and helped Minne­ sota to grow up. Now he's rich. He met Miss Whitney on a voyage-to Europe. They fell in love. They were married. It was a wedding that was sad only to the jingoes. There was Whitney, ex-Secretary, who called this country's new navy into ex­ istence; there was Herbert, Secretary, who is nourishing the navy and adding to its strength. -And there was an Englishman mar­ rying another American heiress. War with England? You can quarrel with your cousins, but how is a man to fight with his sister's husband! The first of the invited to arrive at this fine and propitious wedding were the police. Hav­ ing no cards, these stalwart guests were not admitted to the church. Indeed, it was their duty to see that no one without a ticket got in the church. Their only other duty was to keep women, who blindly ran to see, from un­ der horses' hoofs. There were sixty-five police­ men under Acting Inspector MoOullough* They did their duty nobly. If you doubt it, try to say "no" to a woman. And if you're brave try to say "no" to a woman who is not invited to a wedding, and has set her heart on seeing that wedding. A WORD PICTURE OF THE CHURCH. The church doors were thrown open before 11 a. m. Many guests, invited within, were 171 waiting for that, and in they hurried. They saw the church in all the glory of its decora­ tions before there were other glories of man- tau-makers and tailors to distract their atten­ tion. They saw: Four arches of huge white chrysanthemums that spanned the central aisle and the pews on either side of it. A gate of chrysanthe­ mums cutting the central aisle into two—the entrance to the pews reserved for the most intimate friends, the most distinguished of those bidden—a gate always guarded by a St. Peter in fine clothes, one of the ushers. They saw the pillars decked to the capitals with white chrysanthemums and their green leaves, the balconies decked with white chry­ santhemums, the reading desk buried under Easter lilies, the chancel and the altar half hidden by delicate and lofty palms and white chrysanthemums. There was a riot of chry­ santhemums, a foaming flood of chrysanthe­ mums. Besides, the very first comers could feast their eyes on the ushers, arrayed in the pur­ ple and fine linen of the modern Solomon— frock coats, satin ties, collars that threatened the apple named after the ancestor of Mr. and Mrs. Paget and every one else, and patent leathers. These ushers were Jared Howe and Crawford Livingston, of St. Paul; Winthrop Eutherford, who is equally at home on the golf links; Henry Payne Whitney, the bride's 172 brother; H. iMaitland Kersey; John C. Fur- man, James M. Waterbury's brother-in-law, and William Cutting, Jr. The boldest of them was Mr. Eutherford. He wore a pink shirt, and his spats were white. THE MEN ALL LOOKED ALIKE. The ushers soon had their hands full. Some had their arms full. From a long, an unend­ ing line of carriages alighted hundreds of women, who entered the church. The men who escorted these women, the unfortunate men who work for them, their wives and daughters, the toilers of Wall Street, whose hands are calloused by clipping coupons, who labor for hours signing checks, who are doomed to organize banks and reorganize rail­ roads, are not worth talking about here. Ev­ ery one of them looked like the other one's elder brother. They had all been to their barber's, all wore shiny top hats, all wore frock coats, all tried to wear happy expres­ sions. They were oases in a desert of millin­ ery; black spots on the sun of fashion. But the women, young and younger—for there were no old women there. There were matrons, there were maidens. Paris for the moment must have given the apple of beauty to the matrons. To a man the gowns were bewildering. Careful observation would prove that fashion this year cares most for a woman's torso, m A FOREST OF AIGRETTES These women's heads, almost every one of them, were adorned with aigrettes. There was a forest of aigrettes, enough aigrettes for the Shah of Shahs, who wears one of dia­ monds, and for all his ancestors and all his sons. That, be kind enough to observe, is saying a great deal. These aigrettes sprang from bonnets that no man can describe. Then these women wore tippets—tippets of priceless furs, of ermine and sable, of the fur of the silver fox and of the seal; and they wore capes of lace and satin and jet and rich embroidery. But all their skirts were plain enough. Now, each woman was dressed quietly enough, nothing glaring, nothing out of taste. But seat 900 women in a church, with their aigrettes, their bonnets, their tippets, their capes, their dia­ monds in full view, their plain skirts out of sight, and the effect was dazzling. All these women knew each other, and as they walked down the aisle they nodded and smiled and beckoned and kissed hands. But they saved some of their smiles for the ushers. For were not the seats nearest the chancel more precious for the instant than rubies? But oftenest these smiles were wasted, for the St. Peter opened not the gate of chrysanthe­ mums.

THE TRIUMPH OF A BEAUTY# One young woman in a violet velvet dress 174 would not be refused. For full two minutes she stood at that gate cajoling its saint, while the women nearest her laughed and encour­ aged her. She made little moves. She knitted her arched eyebrows, she showed her white teeth—and the gate was opened to her, tri­ umphant. The pews were all occupied; millionaires' daughters filled the aisles, and their sons were being crushed against the walls and pil­ lars, when Dr. George W. Warren, the church organist, began to play a prelude. No one listened to it. Every woman was watching the last arriving guests. Among them were the women most remarkable for their riches or for their beauty. Mrs. John Jacob Astor, Mrs. Willie K. Van- derbilt, Lady Oolebrooke and Miss Paget, the bridegroom's sisters, were the objects of po­ lite curiosity.

IT WAS JUST LIKE THE OPERA# The whispering grew louder, and it never for a single moment ceased, while, hidden by the palms, Mrs. Garnm and the choir sang Weber's Bridesmaids' Chorus; while Miss Wi- nant, accompanied by the harp, sang an air by Handel; while Mrs. Gamm sang Torrento's "Show Me Thy Ways;" while Edouard de Eeszke sang Eossini's "Stabat Mater;" while Mme. Nordica sang the "Ave Maria," with the violin obligato by Franko; while Franko played a solo; while ISTordica and De Eeszke 175 sang "Le Crucifix;" while Nordica sang Bach- Gounod's "Ave Maria." All this while the flutter of conversation that often *arose above whispers stirred the air, which was heavy then, with the commin­ gled odor of perfumes. You would hear: "Ah, De Beszke! Lovely, isn't it?" or "Ah, Nordica! What a voice!" But no one listened to the music. It was quite like the opera, save that there could be no encores. ENTER, THE PRESIDENT. Just before noon Grover Cleveland, a very old friend indeed of Mr. Whitney and Presi­ dent of the United States, walked down the aisle to the front pew among the family. The 900 women raised their lorgnettes and looked through them at him. The President wore a frock coat, dark trousers and brown gloves. He appeared grave. Looking neither to the right nor left, and escorted by two ushers, he walked hurriedly to the place reserved 'for him. In a little while after him came Mrs. Dan­ iel Lamont on an usher's arm, and behind her the Secretary of War, trim, dapper and smiling, nodding here and there to his ac­ quaintances. Ten minutes later Secretary of the Navy Herbert appeared. He has a gray chin whis­ ker, like Uncle Sam's, and lacks the metro­ politan polish. It was gossiped around the 176 church that one of the ushers, not knowing Mr. Herbert, tried to seat him in a side aisle. ENTER, THE BRIDEGROOM^ At last the bnzz, buzz of yery small talk ceased, and eyery one looked straight ahead at the chancel steps. For the bridegroom had appeared there from the yestry, support­ ed by his elder brother and best man, Ger­ ald Paget, The bridegroom wore the inevita­ ble frock coat, dark trousers and patent leath­ er shoes. His white satin necktie was tied with studied carelessness. He wore no gloyes. THE BRIDAL PROCESSION^ Bishop Potter, Bishop Leonard, of Ohio— a great friend of the Paynes (Mrs. William G. Whitney was a Miss Payne)—and the Key. Dr. John Wesley Brown, rector of St. Thom­ as's, took their places in the chancel. They were to celebrate the ceremony. The choir began to sing the Wedding March from "Loh­ engrin/' the organ accompanying, and the bridal party entered. Instantly eyery one in the pews nearest the central aisle arose. Lucky, indeed, were those who sat in the gal­ leries, for when the people in the central pews arose, they shut the bridal procession from tie yiew of all others on the floor of the church. They, howeyer, are hereby informed that the ushers walked first in the procession. ANDREW CARNEGIE.

177 Then came four very young girls carrying baskets of white roses and lilies of the valley. They were Miss Dorothy Whitney, the bride's little sister, and her three cousins, the Misses Katherine Barnay, Laura Whitney and Fran­ ces Bingham. To insure the perfect happiness of all wom­ en who read this, it is necessary to pause here and state, on the authority of a dress­ maker, that the four little flower girls wore dresses of white mousseline de soie, with fichus of gauze trimmed with lace, white gloves and soft-plumed hats.

THE BEWILDERING BRIDESMAIDS, Following the flower girls walked the bridesmaids, a group of stately young women. Each wearing a gown different in color from the other, one seemed to see youthful beauty through a prism. "Two by two, dressed in yellow, white and blue," as the old nursery rhyme jingles, the bridesmaids walked. They were Miss Azuba Barnay, the bride's cousin, who wore yellow; Miss Emily Vanderbilt Sloane, in rose color; Miss Gertrude Vander­ bilt, Cornelius Vanderbilt's daughter, in white; Miss Beatrice Bend, in violet; Miss Susie Dimock, another cousin of the bride, in turquoise blue, and Miss Edith Blake Brown, in pale green. These bridesmaids wore plumed hats of vel­ vet, such as one sees on the heads of Henry ITS of Navarre and the Due de Guise in pictures of their time. The bridesmaids carried muffs. The effect of the sight of the bridesmaids upon the men in the church was bewilderingly pleasant. The women, calmer, looked at the bridesmaids and then at each other and said: " Worth made those dresses, my dear." THE BRIDE ON HER FATHER'S ARM. Last of all in the procession to the altar came, of course, the bride, leaning on her father's arm. Her dress, which has been so often described, was fit for a princess, and even a man could see that it fitted her fine figure to perfection. "Look at that veil; it cost a fortune," the women whispered as she passed. It was very credibly said that the train of Miss Pauline Whitney's bridal dress was just a little longer than the train of Miss Consuelo Vanderbilt's bridal dress, and that Miss Whit­ ney wished it to be so, and insisted upon it. However, that is mere detail. Miss Whit­ ney, leaning on her father's arm, was the picture of happiness. She was radiant. She was entirely self-possessed, too. She laughed and chatted with her father as they walked, he looking at her smilingly. When they reached the chancel steps, the ushers, the flower-girls and the bridesmaids separated and took up positions on the steps on either side. 179 The bridegroom came forward, and Mr. Whitney, releasing his daughter's hand from his arm, placed it in the arm of the man so soon to be her husband. SILENCE DURING THE CEREMONY. The ceremony began, and for the first time the polite chattering ceased. " Who giveth this woman to be married to this man?" Mr. Whitney took a pace or two towards the altar. " I do," he said, in a clear tone and distinct. In the silence the bridegroom's responses were audible over half the church. So were the bride's for that matter. Gerald Paget, who seems to keep his wits about him under trying circumstances, handed over the ring with admirable promptness. People nodded their heads approvingly as Almeric Paget re­ peated: "With this ring I thee wed, and with all my worldly goods I thee endow." The words meant something. The choir sang the nuptial hymn. The cere- money was soon ended. The bridegroom tuck­ ed his wife's arm in his and started up the aisle. Mrs. Paget retained the self-possession that Miss Whitney had exhibited. The brides­ maid to whom she had confided her huge bou­ quet of roses and lilies of the valley when the origan began to play Mendelssohn's Wedding 180 March for the procession out of the church was lost in happy reflection. Mrs. Paget smiled, nudged her and brought her back to this world, took the bouquet and went on with her husband. A LEAF FROM THE PATH. Behind them walked William 0. Whitney alone. He seemed dejected as he was leaving the church. After Mr. Whitney in this bridal recession­ al went the flower girls, then the bridesmaids. The ushers had split into pairs, so as to keep the aisle clear. That was thoughtful, for many women, forgetting themselves in their eagerness for a last glimpse, were standing on the seats of the pews. Some even climbed over the partitions between the pews and called to their friends: " Come up here; here's a better place." Such a thing has not happened in New York since the young Earl of Craven married Miss Bradley-Martin in Grace Church.

LEAVING THE CHURCH. Two ushers walked in front of Grover Cleve­ land, on whose arm was Mrs. Lamont, as he left the church, and two behind him. Then came Secretaries Lamont and Herbert, and then the kin of the contracting parties, Lady Colebrook and Miss Paget, under the wing of their brother Gerald. 181 The people left the church in an amiable mob, admiring the method in which the cere­ mony was conducted. " Charming, eh?" "Such music; divine!" " How well she looked!" Such expressions could not but be over­ heard, for the aisles and the doors were long the pews nearest the central aisle arose, blocked by the slow-moving throng. The police at the entrances gently urged them along. Some of the police touched their hats to one man in the crowd. He was a very old political friend of William C. Whitney. He was Eichard Croker. With him was Mrs. Croker, a handsome woman. THE CROWD PLUCKED THE FLOWERS. While the aisles were blockaded a woman thoughtlessly plucked a chrysanthemum from one of the arches. She set a bad example. Scores of women followed it. They soon stripped the bases of the arches of their flow­ ers, and so rudely did some pluck them that the white leaves were strewn on the floor like snow. Mr. Whitney intended to send the chrysanthemums to the hospitals, but his guests did not know that. A strange desire for the wedding chrysanthemums seemed to seize some of them. They plucked, not one flower, but bunches of them. One of the sex­ ton's assistants jumped on a pew seat and 182 cried: " Ladies, yon must not take chose flow­ ers." But that did not restrain them. The same passion for those flowers possessed the women who stood on the sidewalks waiting for the church to empty its guests. The wom­ en on the sidewalks begged their luckier sis­ ters for the chrysanthemums. One girl, who might have been a seamstress, approached a woman dressed in yelyet. "Madam," she said, "will you please give me one of those flowers?" " I will not," said the woman in velvet. A young man overheard. He took the one chry­ santhemum he had plucked and gave it to the girl. And she went away happy. WHAT APPEALED TO THE EYE. APPEARANCE OF THE BRIDE AND HER FATHER AND THE GOWNS. Every one in St. Thomas's Church yes­ terday exclaimed as Miss Pauline Whitney walked up the aisle with her father, "What a lovely bride!" Then the ex-Secretary came in for his share, for on a second look the com­ ment was, "What a distinguished-looking pair!" Those in the front pews—Grover Cleve­ land among them—who looked down at the bride, saw a sweet young face of oval form with a tinge of pink on the cheeks, clear gray eyes, regular features and a peculiarly pleas- 183 ant expression. On the fluffy dark hair brushed away was a coronet of orange blos­ soms. In her hand was a bouquet of bride roses fringed with lillies of the valley, and trailing down the skirt from up on the waist at one side a long garland of orange blos­ soms. Her bridal gown was of the very richest white satin and quite simply made, fitting to perfection. In the back it was of the prin­ cess style, while in front the waist and skirt were distinct, though this was not noticed under a crumpled girdle. The sleeves were simply enormous to the elbow and then be­ came close. The collar was of point d'Angle- terre, and there was a fall of this lace over the sleeves. To many of the women the problem of the cost of the magnificent point lace veil she wore presented itself as she passed. There were tiny roses and garlands in its meshes, and, covering, as it did, the train of tremen­ dous length, became a thing of beauty. No more variegated bouquet could be culled from the rosebud garden of girls than that composed by the bridesmaids. They were in turquoise blue, buttercup yellow, pale green, violet, white and rose—the shades of the rain­ bow, and in delicate tints. Moire poplin was the material used for the costumes, and the skirts were full, the sleeves bouffant, with just a bit of rare lace on them and the cor- 184 sage. There were some sable bands on the skirts and edges of the waist. A bit of it was on the velvet hats as well, and a touch on the skirts, and nodding plumes on both. The new Elizabethan ruff was to the fore, tn this case it was a fanciful affair of gauze combined with a flecking of fur. Miss Whit­ ney gave all the girls handsome brooches, and these they all wore. Among the other notable costumes were: Lady Colebrooke, of England—Dark-red velvet, trimmed with gold. Mrs. John Jacob Astor—Purple velvet, witK bonnet to match. Mrs. Van Eensselaer Oruger—Black satin, with black velvet bodice, trimmed with rose silk and lace. Mrs. Henry F. Dimock—Plain yelloAV moire, with lace. Mrs. Stuyvesant Fish—Dove gray veh^et, trimmed with fur, and bonnet to match. Mrs. C. S. Brice—Violet velvet, with fur. Miss Brice—Brown velvet. Mrs. William H. Vanderbilt—A very rich costume of black dotted brocade, with jet trimmings. Mrs. Sloane—Violet velvet. Mrs. James P. Kernochan—-Royal purple velvet, with fur and lace. Mrs. William K. Vanderbilt.—Black bro­ cade, with small bonnet, trimmed with a vivid red tip. 185 Mrs. William Jay—Brown cloth, with vel­ vet, and small hat to match. Mrs. Edward N. Tailer—Black satin bro­ cade, with jet. But it is useless to particularize further. MB. CLEVELAND'S TOAST. HAPPY LITTLE SPEECH AT THE BREAKFAST, MR. PAGET RESPONDING Mr. and Mrs. Almeric Hugh Paget had scarcely more than set foot in the dwelling of ex-Secretary "Whitney, at Fifth Avenue and Fifty-seventh Street, whither they were rap­ idly driven after the wedding,when the bridal guests arrived. They received congratula­ tions in the grand Fifth Avenue drawing- room, while an orchestra played. It was not long before the bridal breakfast was served, and the small tables, all gorgeous with blossoms, were scattered in close prox­ imity over the big hall, the little study, the great dining-room, the handsome library, the cozy reception-room and the grand ball-room. All these were necessary, as there were six hundred or more guests. On the end of the platform, built in the great semi-circular bow-window at the west­ ern side of the ball-room, sat the bridal party. Directly behind them, was a great bank of bright blossoms. 186 The menu was: Pot an Feu en Tasse. Oliyes. Celeri. Amandes. Oeufs Brouilles aux Truffes. Irroy '89. Oarre d'Agneau a la Bourgeoise. Pate de Foie Gras a la Gelee Cailles Egyptiennes. Salade Florentine. Johannis. Glace. Turban Annanes. Gateaux. Bonbons. Cafe. President Cleveland sat at Mr. Whitney's right. Lady Colebrooke, Mr. Paget's sister, was on the left. President Cleveland arose when the coffee came and made one of the neatest little speeches of his life—so every one said. He wished the newly-married pair all future happiness. He had known the bride from the time she was a little tot, and was conyinced of Mr. Paget's sagacity by his selection of a wife. Nothing could have de­ prived him of the satisfaction of being pres­ ent at the marriage of the daughter of his old friends, and his only regret was that Mrs. Cleveland was not present to behold the hap­ py pair, to whose health and prosperity he gave the toast. The bridegroom arose to respond. He said afterwards that he committed to memory one 187 of the brightest little speeches in the world, but he forgot it. Nevertheless, he did very well. He cracked a joke, but nobody laughed. It was a very good joke, too. He said that although he had lived in America several years he found himself now for the first time more than half an American. The failure of everybody to appreciate this did not deter him from making appropriate remarks in conclu­ sion. The bride retired to put on her going-away gown. When she came back all the ladies remarked on her fine appearance. The dress was made of cadet blue cloth, and trimmed with chinchilla. It was on the 4 p. m. train of the New York, New Haven & Hartford that Mr. and Mrs. Paget finally lost sight of an odd collection of old shoes and a few hundred pounds of Carolina rice. Then they had President Clark's fine special car, No. 100, all to themselves. They are to pass two weeks at Mrs. Di- mock's grand country place at Coventry, Conn GEMS OF EVEBY KIND. FORTUNES IN THE WEDDING GIFTS, SOME OF WHICH ARE YET TO BE OPENED. An astonishing array of bridal gifts was shown to the friends of Miss Pauline Whit­ ney Monday afternoon, at the Whitney resi­ dence. Mr. Whitney has arranged to divide 188 among his children their mother's splendid jewels. Miss Pauline Whitney's share of these was displayed with the other jewels. These comprise a very high tiara in a lat­ tice design, with huge diamond pendants, a diamond necklace, in a pattern of overlapping circlets, five diamond hairpins with globe heads, a diamond ribbon, composed of a solid succession of diamonds two yards long, a diamond and sapphire collarette of large, oval sapphires, surrounded with brilliants, a large flower brooch and other fine jewels. Colonel Payne presented his niece with three rows of big pearls, second only to the string collected by W. K. Vanderbilt in for­ mer years for his wife, which she has recently presented to the Duchess of Marlborough. Other gifts were: Mr. and Mrs. J. Pierpont Morgan—A ruby and diamond bracelet. Mr. and Mrs. Cornelius Vanderbilt—A long diamond-leaf pin. Miss Alice Paget—A blue enamelled heart. The Barney children—A pearl and cli- mond ring. Mr. and Mrs. Henry Whitney—A pin with one white diamond and two yellow diamonds. Earl of Listowel—Brooch of sapphires and diamonds. William C. Whitney—Splendid collar of pearls and diamonds. Harry Payne Whitney and Payne Whit- 189 ney—A little gold chain necklet, on which quivered a large diamond and emerald. Mr. and Mr. Claries W. Bingham—A mag­ nificent opal and diamond collar. Lady Paget—A diamond rose, with leaves. Lady Honoria Cadogan—Ruskin's "Seven Lamps." William Cutting, Jr.—Two silver bonbon baskets. Charles F. Crocker—Large silver tankard, W. H. Corning—Gold picture-mirror. Mrs. S. Van Rensselaer Cruger—Tall glass and gold vase. Mr. and Mrs. Richard Croker—Large silver- edged mirror. Roland Colebrooke—Silver ink-stand. President and Mrs. Grover Cleveland— Large two-handled centerpiece. Lady Colebrooke—Gold-headed stick. Miss Elsie Clews—Two small oval silver dishes. Miss Susie Dimock—Pour old silver salt­ cellars and spoons. Mrs. J. H. Davis—Gold heart-shaped box. Mr. and Mrs. Henry Dimock—Large silver centre-basket. Mrs. Chamberlain—A silver dish. Mr. Robinson—A fan. Mr. and Mrs. John Jacob Astor—A large silver vase. Mrs. Astor—Four silver salt-cellars and spoons. 190 Mrs. Henry Bentinck—A silver lamp. Miss Beatrice Bend—A silver oval open­ work dish. Ethel Brown and Edith Brown—A picture. Mrs. Geo. H. Bend—A silver cigarette case. Mrs. Charles H. Brayton—A pearl carved box. Francis Bingham—A silver lamp, with iron for hair. Elizabeth Bingham—Silver and glass vase. Harry Bingham—Gilt and bine paper-cnt- ter. Oliver Bingham—Silver cologne bottle. William Bingham—Glass bottle. Miss Aznba Barney—An empire lamp. Joseph Leiter—A large openwork silver centerpiece. Secretary and Mrs. Daniel Lamont—A painted fan, with pearl sticks. Miss Mary Leiter and Miss Nannie Leiter— Large, ronnd silver dish, with cover. D. O. Mills—A silver bread basket. Mr. and Mrs. Bradley Martin—Three big silver openwork baskets for the table, one being of immense size. Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Pulitzer—A watch set with rubies and diamonds. Mr. and Mrs. J. Wadsworth Bitchie—A sil­ ver tray. "N. Eeid—Four gold openwork dishes. Mrs. Bandolph—A silver box, with minia­ ture in top, set with rhinestones. 191 Lady Suffield—Six silver fruit knives. Mrs. Shepard—Two oval gold plates. Mr. and Mrs. Henry Sloane—An old bine and gold clock. Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Barney—A silver- framed, heart-shaped mirror. Frederic O. Beach — Silver and glass liqnenr bottle. Mr. Baldwin—A silver-framed mirror. Miss Alice Blight and Miss Edith Blight— A silver vase. Mr. and Mrs. Heber Bishop—A silver cup, with cover. Mr. and Mrs. I. T. Burden—An openwork oval silver dish. Mrs. Edward Bing—Two silver candle­ sticks. Perry Belmont—A small tortoiseshell and silver clock. Mavroyeni Bey—Two oval openwork silver dishes. Columbus C. Baldwin—Silver and Bohemi­ an glass vase. Frederic H. Betts—A silver fruit stand, grape pattern. Miss Helen Brice and Miss Kate Brice—A fan, with three queens' heads. Mrs. Chamberlain—A silver-covered dish. Count Sierstorpff—A fan with pearl and gold sticks. George Vanderbilt—A large silver center­ piece, with two handles. 192 William K. Vanderbilt—A feather fan, with ivory sticks. Mr. and Mrs. Orme Wilson—A silver loving cup. Mrs. James Whitney—A complete outfit of silver knives, forks and spoons. Dr. and Mrs. W. Seward Webb—An en­ graving, a copy of one of Meissonier's paint­ ings. Chauncey M. Depew—A silver tea set. Lady A. Paget—Two silver candlesticks, a silver tray, one dozen mother-of-pearl knives and forks. The unmarried Pagets—A silver-mounted ressing bag. The Rev. Mr. Scholto Douglas—Four silver gilt dishes. Minnie and Arthur Paget—Silver tea and coffee set, four pieces. Colonel Paget—A silver-gilt vase. Eeginald H. Dyke—Two silver candlesticks. Henry Bentwick—A lamp. Sir Everard Doyle—A silver plate-heater. Sir Edward Birkbeck—Silver-edged blot- ting-book. Hugh Cameroi^—A silver pencil. Hon. Mrs. Ward—£10. Lady Sophia—Silver links. Countess of Essex—A silver box. Sir Edward and Lady Colebrooke—A silver centerpiece. Miss Annis—Silver ink pot. A CONTRAST. A WORKING GIRL'S BED. PRICE $5.00. PICTURE FROM LIFE, NEW YORK PAPER.

193 Mr. jfeall—Blotter. Mr. and Mrs. William Butler Duncan—A silver ink pot. Mrs. E. Cole—A fan. Mrs. Otis—A silver lieart box. Marquis de Talleyrand-Perigord—A fan and a parasol. Charles Raoul Duval—A silver flask. Mrs, Endicott—A silver box. Mrs. William Edwards—A pearl crown brooch. Mrs. Barton French—Silver-capped glass bowl. Moreton Frewen—Gold pencil and seal. Mrs. Ogden Goelet—Old fan. C. W. Gordon—Fifteen volumes of Victor Hugo in English. Mr. and Mrs. Elbridge T. Gerry—Big sil­ ver bowl and spoon. John L. Gardner—Picture by J. L. Smith. Walter Gurnee III.—Old silver pepper cas­ ter. Miss Gurnee—Silver coffee pot. Mr. and Mrs. Hugh J. Grant—Silver box, with enamelled top. Miss Gurnee—Two glass and gold cologne bottles. James T. Gardiner — Two oval-shaped dishes. Augustus C. Gurnee—A silver bowl. Thomas F. Gilroy—A gold-mounted scent bottle. 194 Jared Howe—A set of books. Janet Henderson—A heart-shaped silver tray. William F. Harrity—A bronze Napoleon. Mr. Haven—A silver coffee pot, cream, sug­ ar and tray. Groold Hoyt—An old silver box. These and a great many more articles were displayed with the bridal gifts. There are still boxes and hampers apparently without end atthe Whitney residence containing gifts, the opening of which has been delayed on ac­ count of the wedding preparations. Let us look on the other side of the picture for a moment, and see the deadly contrast. I give it to my readers in the language of a little street waif: "It's dis way," he said; "in de summer we kin always sleep in de park, but when winter comes we got ter get inside. On de Bowery dare is lots o' lodging houses what charges ten cents fer a bed. Well, dey get all de rooms filled at dat price every night, an' when dat's done dey lets us fellers sleep in de chairs aroun' de stove in de office. Some hotels charge five cents for a chair, but ones de cheaper element patronizes only charges one and two cents. One cent jus' gets a plain chair, but two cents gets a cushion wid it. Any man can almos' rustle a cent, but when he can't de hotel men sometimes gets good an' lets him have a chair for nothing. Fin' 195 trouble in sleepin' in the chairs? Well, I should say not, young feller, after we sleep on de park benches all summer, we wouldn't know how to go about sleeping in anything else." I was told that one house on the Bowery rents out flye hundred chairs a night at three cents, while another disposes of three hun­ dred at flye cents, and scores of others dis­ pose of hundreds at one cent. About four or five years ago there was a dive on Water Street vhere men went and for ten cents they could get a pint of stale beer, and a bunk with a woman—outcast wretches oyer whose souls the blasts of hell had blown so fiercely that they had been transformed to fiends. And yet this is called a Christian land and a civilized government. Eead the following and tell me if all is well in this country: FOKTY-SIX THOUSAND LOST WOMEN IN POTTER'S. THE GRAVE TO WHICH THAT NUMBER GOES ANNUALLY. Baltimore, Oct. 15.-—At the session to-day of the National Social Purity Congress, Mrs. Edholm said: * " Of the 230,000 erring girls in the country, over half have been snared or sold into their lives of shame. " Their average life is five years. Forty-six 196 tnousand are carted out to Potter's Field every year. Over one hundred American homes have to be desolated every day to re­ cruit the ranks of shame. "Isn't it time that somebody is trying to save these girls from falling into those dens of iniquity? Twenty million Christians can rescue 230,000 erring girls, or surely the re­ ligion of the Lord Jesus Christ is a failure." If we will destroy plutocracy and take the reins of government out of the hands of the money power and restore them to the people and return to the honesty and simplicity of our forefathers, then we will not have the prince and the pauper jostling each other on our streets, and palaces and hovels will both give way to comfortable American homes, and we will have "peace on earth and good­ will toward all men." THE PANIC BULLETIN, ISSUED MAEOH 12, 1893, BY THE NATIONAL BANK- EBS? ASSOCIATION TO ALL NA­ TIONAL BANKS. Dear Sir: The interests of the national bankers require immediate financial legisla­ tion by Congress. Silver, silver certificates, and Treasury notes must be retired and the national bank notes, upon a gold basis, made the only money. This will require the authori­ zation of from |500,000,000 to f 1,000,000,000 of new bonds as a basis of circulation. You will at once retire one-third of your circula­ tion and call in one-half of your loans. Be careful to make a money stringency felt among your patrons, especially among in­ fluential business men. Advocate an extra session of Congress for the repeal of the pur­ chase clause of the Sherman law and act with the other banks of your city in securing a large petition to Congress for its uncondi­ tional repeal, per accompanying form. Use personal iinfluence with Congressmen, and particularly let your wishes be known to your Senators. The future life of national banks as fixed and safe investments depends upon immediate action, as there is an increasing sentiment in favor of government legal-ten­ der oaotes and silver coinage. OHAPTEE XVIII.

THE PEOPLE TRIUMPHANT.

" Trnth crushed to earth will rise again; The eternal years of God are hers; While error, wounded, writhes in pain, And dies amid her worshippers." In the midst of the conflict which is now going on, which is being waged so fiercely by the money power, the people grow weary of the struggle, and many of them fall by the wayside dispirited and heartbroken. The burdens they carry are so heavy, the night of darkness seems so long that they are almost ready to say there is no hope. Let us not be discouraged, dear friends, for we know that on our side we have humanity, truth, justice, God. We know that if we only continue, steadfast and faithful, we will in the end come off more than conquerors. Therefore, let us not be discouraged, let us not become faint-hearted, for the prize for which we contend is worth all the sacrifices 198 199 we can make, for it is the emancipation of the human race. True, we fight against powers and princi­ palities, against might and bigotry, against all forms of oppression, but at the close of the day the white flag of freedom will be un­ furled to the breeze oyer the ramparts where the black piratical flag of plutocracy now floats. We have not gone so far but what the battle may yet be fought out on constitution­ al ground and won by constitutional methods, It need only be a war of ballots. The people can win a decisive victory in 1896. If they will be wise and unite undei! the Stars and Stripes, on whose ample folds is written "a government of the people, for the people and by the people," they can gain the victory, and there need be no bloodshed. But if the people do not soon unite and w^rest this country from the rule of plutocracy there will be such a revolution as the world has never known. We must support a party wiiich declares a relentless war on trusts and monopolies, a party representing the people and antagonizing plutocracy. Give us a graduated income tax which will take a larger and larger per cent, of a man's income as it increases, until all beyond a cer­ tain amount goes back to the State. In other words, it ought to be made impos­ sible for a few men to obtain all, or nearly all; of the wealth, and those who have been 200 robbing the people for years ought to be com­ pelled to disgorge a portion of their stealings. Let there be a stringent law against trusts, and let this law be vigorously enforced. Let the government own all the railroads, tele­ graph and telephone lines, and let the munici­ palities 'own the street railways, the water­ works, the electric lights and gas. Prohibit alien ownership of lands. Abolish national banks, and let all money be issued by the government. Give us the free and unlimited coinage of silver at a ratio of 16 to 1, and sup­ plement the amount so coined by the issue of Treasury notes by the general government, so as to give us a circulating medium of fifty dollars per capita. Drive our unfaithful serv­ ants out of office, abolish lobbying and cleanse the Capitol. Can all these things be done? Most as­ suredly they can. The remedy is plain, the way is easy, if the people will only act in con­ cert. Of course, the plutocrats, in both the old parties, will be united, as they have always been, and will get up a sham battle over the tariff and other minor issues, and thus en­ deavor to divert the minds of the people from the greatest question which has ever con­ fronted us. They are waging, and will con­ tinue to wage, war on the people, yet they fondly hope to hoodwink enough voters to win another campaign. 201 All that millions of ill-gotten gain can do will be done to bribe and corrupt the people. The sugar trust, the beef trust, the leather trust, and hundreds of other trusts—the great corporations, the Shylocks—will pour into the coffers of the two old parties such vast sums of money that great streams of corrup­ tion will flow out in eyery direction, carrying their poisonous yirus into every city, town and hamlet in the land. After the campaign is over, and the mephi- tic bubbles upon the fetid bosom of the streams have burst, the stench which the foul and nauseous gases will leave behind will start a train of evils which will be the in­ heritance of future generations. The money barons have only to win a few more campaigns, and then they will purchase just the legislation they want, and the people will be robbed of all the land, because they now have most of it under mortgage, and all of liberty will be lost. When this is accom­ plished, Shylock can keep all his money, for he need not pour out such vast sums as a corruption fund, for he will have already achieved his purposes. Under the most recent piece of legislative robbery there has been a loss in property val­ ues to the Southern States of $90,284,580. In the Central and Western States there has been a net loss of $111,655,252, while the Western group have sustained a loss of $210,- 202 671,153. Thus this vast area of country has been compelled to sacrifice the sum of five hundred million dollars to the greed of Shy- lock. This shrinkage in value has taken place within the past year. While this has been going on, the pmto- crats of New York and the East have had the value of their holdings increased under the single gold standard by $337,800,753. This is only a slight foretaste of what is in store for us. These purse-proud plutocrats have grown so greedy that they have determined to possess all the wealth of this country, and they have learned that it can be accomplished by manipulating the finances. A few more administrations like Grover Cleveland's and the robbery will be complete. While this great shrinkage of value has been going on, and the wealth has been concentrat­ ing in the hands of a few, the President has loaded upon the shoulders of the laboring people a bonded indebtedness of one hundred and sixty-two and a half million dollars, to say nothing of the millions of dollars interest, and these bonds are held by the plutocrats, and the people, who are half-starved and half- naked,/must toil and suffer as never before in order to pay this additional levy of tribute to the modern brigands. Did the Egyptians ever grow less rigorous in their punishment of the Israelites when warned repeatedly by the Lord; did they ever 203 abate one jot or tittle of the grievous tasks imposed? Did the slaveholders of the South, when they heard the muttering thunders of war, become less arrogant? Oh, no. In every instance the burdens were increased, the tasks were doubled, the arrogance and intol­ erance became more unbearable. We cannot hope for mercy from our rich masters; they have no thought of lessening our burdens. Even now, as hunger stalks abroad in the land, they sit at sumptuous ban­ quet tables and plot other robberies and plan other schemes to complete the subjugation of mankind. They are shrewd and cunning; they under­ stand the people whom they are robbing, and know that they will not believe all these things, even when they are told to them, and that they will never rise up in rebellion until driven by hunger and desperation. They cal­ culate that the voters can be fooled for an­ other twenty years, and that by that time the spirit of Americanism will be crushed, and that the people will be so humiliated, so poor, so wretched, so helpless, that they will never dare to strike for freedom, but will go on sink­ ing lower and lower, until they are only sod­ den, sullen serfs. But, on the other hand, the spirit of liberty has been aroused, and burns anew in thou­ sands of hearts, and the blazing torch is be­ ing passed from hand to hand, and carried 204 from home to home, warning the people of their danger and preparing them for battle. The spirits of Washington, Jefferson, Jack­ son and Lincoln have returned to earth, and are fanning the smoldering embers of free­ dom which lie upon the altars of the people's hearts, and some night, while the plutocrats are drinking and revelling, darkly plotting against the people, these embers will sudden­ ly leap into flames of patriotism, and the spirit of 1776 will animate the common peo­ ple, and they will throw off the golden yoke of tyranny and refuse to longer remain in bondage. The struggle will yet grow fiercer. The night of doubt and uncertainty will yet be­ come more gloomy, the cries of distress and wretchedness will be more heartrending, and the oppressions and sufferings more appall­ ing. People will not see, they will not be­ lieve, until the burdens they bear crush all spirit of partisanship out of their hearts. But beyond this we can look; yes, stead­ fastly, hopefully, for we can see the break­ ing of the dawn, which will usher in a more perfect day. The first rays of the sun which is rising to light the new era are already visible to those whose faces are turned to the East, and soon they will be glinting the tree tops and gliding gracefully down into the valleys to chase away the shadows of the long night. Soon we will catch the sparkle of the 205 dew upon the mountain tops and get a whiff of the fragrant wild rose and thorn as their nodding branches dip into the cool waters of the purling streams. The reign of plutocracy will be ended, and we will witness the era of peace and prosper­ ity. We are liying in the greatest epoch of the world's history, one which marks the fu­ ture for the weil or woe of mankind. Prophets and seers of old looked forward to it. Jesus Christ preached its coming. The toilers of the world in every clime, in eyery land, haye an instinctive feeling that their burdens are soon to be lifted. The reign of the money god is enacting its last scene and preparing to exit, to be follow­ ed by the broader spirit of Christianity and brotherly loye, which is to rule oyer the new earth, wherein shall dwell righteousness. The prophet Isaiah said of this new era which is about to dawn on us: "And they shall build houses and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards and eat the fruit of them. They shall not build and another inhabit; they shall not plant and an­ other eat; . . . they shall not labor in yain nor bring forth for _ trouble; . . . the wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock and dust shall be the serpent's meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mount­ ain, saith the Lord." The United States Monetary Commission says: "However great the natural resources of a country may be—however genial its climate, fertile in soil, engenious, enterprising and industrious its inhabitants, or free its in­ stitutions' if the yolume of money is shrink­ ing and prices are falling, its inhabitants will be overwhelmed with bankruptcy, its indus­ tries will be paralyzed, and destitution and distress will prevail." Hume says: "Falling prices and misery and destruction are inseparable companions. The disasters of the Dark Ages were caused by decreasing money and falling prices. With the increase of money, labor and industry gain new life." 206 APPENDIX A.

ALIEN OWNEKSHIP OF THE LAND WE LIVE IK In this year of grace 1895 would it not be well to see what is becoming of the soil for which our fathers spilled their blood? We find the land about all gone—that is, the ti­ tle to it. The land, of course, remains in the same place, but the title to a great part of it is held by the English aristocracy and other foreigners, whose consent for Americans to occupy the land of this country can be ob­ tained by what the supposed owners consider a fair rental. If those whose favorite tune is "The land of the free and the home of the brave" would post themselves as to whom the land belongs, they might not feel so patriotic re­ garding it. Enormous tracts of land all along the Northern Pacific to Montana and across to California, not only of public domain, but 207 208 of habitation of settlers, have been made oyer to English syndicates, of which Lord Brassey is a central figure. Already the British have breweries and cattle-raising ranches; now they are monopolizing the land and lumber. Viscount Scully is a large holder and wire­ puller-in-chief. The greatest of the English holdings, and the persons interested, are these: The Texas Land Union—3,000,000 acres. Interested peers: Baroness Burdett-Ooutts, Earl Cadogan, the Duke of Beaufort, William Alexander Lochiel Stephenson, Douglas-Ham­ ilton, Duke of Beaudon, the Duke of Butland, Ughtred J. Kay-Shuttleworth, M. P., and Enid Ethel Cadogan (maid-in-waiting to the Queen). This syndicate owns whole counties in Texas, and tens of thousands of persons pay it ren­ tals. Sir Edward Beid—2,000,000 acres. This is a syndicate which owns land in Florida only. It includes the present Duchess of Marl­ borough, Lady Eandolph Churchill and Lady Lister Kaye. Viscount Scully—3,000,000 acres. His lord­ ship maintains an elaborate system of bailiffs. Syndicate No. 4—1,800,000 acres. This syn­ dicate has all its holdings in Mississippi. It includes the Marquis of Dalliousie, Viscount Cholmondeley, Viscountess Cross, Lady Gor­ don and Lady Biddulph. Marquis of Tweeddale—1,750,000 acres, 209 Phillips, Marshall & Co., London—1,300,000 acres. This firm has the whole peerage for its clients. The Anglo-American Syndicate, London— 750,000 acres. The funds of widowed peer­ esses are largely invested here. The lands are in the South and West. Byran H. Evans—700,000 acres. Mr. Ev­ ans resides in London. His lands are in Mis­ sissippi. The Duke of Sutherland—125,000 acres. The British Land Company—320,000 acres. This land is all in Kansas. William Whalley—310,000 acres. Mr. Whalley is the Squire of Peterborough. The Missouri Land Company—300,000 acres. This operates a Missouri domain, and has headquarters at Edinburgh. Bobert Tennant—230,000 acres. This is all farming land. Mr. Tennant lives in Lon­ don. Dundee Land Company—247,000 acres. Lord Dunmore—120,000 acres. Benjamin Newgas, Liverpool —100,000 acres. Lord Houghton (in Florida)—60,000 acres. English Land Company (in California)—50,- 000 acres. English Land Gompany (in Arkansas)—50,- 000 acres. Alexander Grant, London (in Kansas)—35,- 000 acres. 210 Syndicate No. 6—110,000 acres. This syndi­ cate includes members of the English nobil­ ity. The land is in Wisconsin. M. Elfenhauser, of Halifax—600,000 acres. The land is in West Virginia. Syndicate No. 1—50,000 acres. This is a Scotch concern, and its land is in Florida. It is claimed that fully 20,000,000 acres of American land are thus owned by great land­ owners in England and Scotland. This does not include the Holland Syndicate, which owns 5,000,000 acres of grazing land in West­ ern States, nor the German Syndicate, own­ ing 2,000,000 acres in various States. The absentee English landlords have intro­ duced a system of extracting rents by agencies and bailiffs. A committee of American ten­ antry presented a memorial to London own­ ers of land, setting forth the ruin that stared the farmers in the face. As a result Baroness Burdett-Coutts was mild, but the Duke of Sutherland played the historical role of his family. As "he who owns the land of a country also owns the people of that country," our boasted freedom is seen to be a delusion, and the War of the Revolution a lamentable failure. APPENDIX B.

A EEMAEKABLE INTEKVIEW. The people of this country have but little idea of the power and aims of the men who, from this place, are controlling the politics of the United States. The power of money, concentrated and managed by brains, is very great, but never was it as daring and ugly as it is to-day. Your correspondent met at a social gathering a few days ago one of the men who had returned from Washington, where he had been to consult about the pend­ ing bond issue. He was full of his mission and praise for President Cleveland. "I think," said he, "Mr. Cleveland is the greatest President we have ever had at the head of this government. We never had a man so fearless of politicians or the people as he is, and the good part of it is, that while he is fearless of them, the politicians are all afraid of him." "That is true; but is it not also true tKat He has about ruined his party?" 211 212 "Certainly he has, but it is better for the country that he has. The Democratic party has served its purpose. All that clap trap that Jefferson invoked 100 years ago about equality and about the masses and classes, is the veriest nonsense now. Sensible men know there is not one word of truth ir it, and the people here are getting tired of it. What this country needs now is a stronger government and more protection to the rights of prop­ erty. This everlasting twaddle about equal rights has played out, and rich people get so disgusted with it that they go to Europe where they never hear such stuff except from Socialists and Anarchists."

THE BISMARCK OF AMERICA. "Why don't they remain there?" your cor­ respondent asked. "Well, they prefer to come back, and I guess there is no law to prevent it. A man with money can live where it suits his fancy, can't he? But I tell you it is getting better here. Mr. Cleveland is a man of iron nerve. He is the Bismarck of America, and if I had my way he would be emperor. He virtually now has assumed full control to protect the pub­ lic honor. The Senate and House have cow­ ardly shrunk from their duty, and Cleveland is equal to the emergency. He is not haunted by any fear of his constituents; he takes hold like a lion, and when they don't do what he 213 wants them to do, he does it anyway, and they dare not interfere with him. Where is there a President in the past that has had the courage to do that?" "But does not his course very much de­ press the country?" "That is all nonsense. This is the same twaddle we hear on the other side from the Socialists—men who have nothing, or having a little, think they have some right to shape the policy of the government. We have let these ideas run wild in this country until it is time to call a halt." "But would there not be danger of a rev­ olution if this were done?" "There is more nonsense, my friend. The hand that signed the contract for bonds over the heads of the would-be leaders in Congress can write out an order that would call out the standing army that would soon scatter any such revolution. I look for some such kicking, but when it comes it will be just what we want; and from that day on this will be a stronger government and one where the demagogue will have but little power." "Then I understand you favor a monar­ chical government?" CLEVELAND HAS A COAT OF ARMS. "Not exactly that, but I favor a stronger government than we now have and more aristocratic. The foolish prejudice we have in 214 this country all follows from the teachings of that old Socialist, Jefferson. We have as good blood in this country as there is in England. The Cleveland family has a coat of arms, and he is very proud of it. It is true it never was much use to him until he got rich. That is one good feature about aristocracy. When­ ever you haven't the money to maintain your rank, you hibernate like a bear or alligator. Sometimes it passes one or two generations, and then the family get wealthy again and they have a right to choose all the good deeds of their ancestors and ignore all the bad ones in making up their records."

THE EAST WANTS A MONARCHY. "Are there many people in ~New York who hold these views?" we asked. "There are. Many of the rich people think as I do all over the East. They are the men, too, that put up the money to elect Cleveland and to nominate him, and will have a hand in electing his successor, and he will be on Cleve­ land's line, and you need have no doubt of it. Then let the 'galoots' kick if they dare, and we will make this government what we want in short order, and cease to be bothered by this annual disturbance of blockheads called Congress, sent here as representatives of the people. What nonsense! Even common peo­ ple are getting tired of that." "Then you believe that the majority of the 215 rich men in the East believe in a monarchical or aristocratic government for this country ??) "I do. Pray tell me what country is there in the world to-day that is not governed by the aristocratic class? All over the world they lead in society, business, religion and espe­ cially governmental matters. In this country we have been trying to reverse this general rule under the teachings of that old dema­ gogue, Jefferson. Our Eastern people have always had more confidence in Hamilton, but our ancestors were overrun by a flood of one- gallows fellows, and Jefferson's ideas prevail­ ed. We are going to make Hamilton our model in the future, and look out for a strong government, where the man who pays the taxes will furnish the laws. We are for free trade and a gold basis." The above is taken from a letter in the At­ lanta "Constitution" from its regular New York correspondent. APPENDIX C.

OBJECT LESSON! Here is the story of one year of the gold standard. It is a story told in figures—figures fur­ nished Tby the sworn officers of the various States of this Union—a story the truth of which there can be no gainsaying. The advocates of the single gold standard continue to assert that the "average financial condition of the farmers is improving all the time." The statement was made in the vain hope of demonstrating to the people of Amer­ ica, and particularly to the people of the South, that they are growing richer under the operations of the gold standard. There is a very simple and a very easy way to ascertain the exact facts concerning this point, and the facts are here presented. It is, indeed, a lesson of the gold standard. The table of figures presented here is one which anybody can understand. It shows the 216 217 change in the property valuations of the dif­ ferent States of the Union from 1893 to 1894. And in showing this it presents what might be termed an official history of the operations of the single gold standard in a single year. It demonstrates, more clearly than any argu­ ment could, the fact that under the operations of this system, which has been in full force within the past year, the people have sus­ tained great losses, and that the money cen­ ters have shown great increases in valuations at the expense of the people's prosperity. FORTY-THREE STATE OFFICIALS TESTIFY. The official figures from forty-three States and Territories are presented. In one or two of the States of the Union the fixing of prop­ erty valuation is arbitrary on the part of the State, and is made only once in five years. This is the case in Michigan, for instance. In Rhode Island and Connecticut there are no returns of property for taxation—at least, no figures showing such returns could be ob­ tained from the proper officers of the State. Of the others, only North Dakota and Dela­ ware are missing. The figures presented are from the official reports of the auditors and comptrollers of State in forty-three States and Territories. Of these forty-three, only twelve show an in­ crease of property valuations. The remain­ ing thirty-one show almost uniform decreases. 218 the total increase for the twelve States is $337,800,753. Of this amonnt $235,883,482 comes from New York alone. Seventy per cent, of the entire increase in property valua­ tions, as shown by these official returns, comes from the great money center of the Union, and seventy per cent, of the remainder comes from the two States of Pennsylvania and Massachusetts, each of them strong finan­ cial centers. The total increase in the re­ maining nine States is only $30,822,092.

FIVE HUNDRED MILLIONS DECREASE. Thirty-one States—and in using the term States several Territories are included—show a falling off. The total decrease in property valuations of those States is $500,185,790. This falling off is widespread. There is no overwhelmingly large change in a single State, as is shown by New York, but the de­ crease is uniform all along the line. In other words, the only large increases are at the big money centers—New York, Boston and Philadelphia—and the territory immedi­ ately contributory to those places in which the money has been congested and where the stringency in currency and the corresponding shrinkage of values are not felt. There is an object lesson in the map which accompanies this table. It shows vividly how this change in values has affected the differ­ ent sections of the country. 219

WHAT THE MAP SHOWS. The portion which is shaded includes New York, New England and the middle Atlantic States. It is that section which has profited by the results of the gold standard. Of the States in this section, New Hampshire and Vermont, which are largely manufacturing States and which contain no large financial centers, show a slight decrease. Every other State shows a heavy increase. Maine, Massa­ chusetts, New York, New Jersey, Pennsyl­ vania—all of them show a profit on the right side of the ledger. The net increase for this section is $312,- 110,555. Coming to the Southern States, we find slight increases in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida and Louisiana. There are decreases in all of the others- Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Mis­ sissippi, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia. The slunrp has fallen fearfully heavy in the South. The figures show that the net decrease of valuations, or net wiping out of property, in these States is $90,284,580. Only two of the Western and Middle States show an increase; they are Minnesota and Missouri. The map which is here drawn throws these States in the central section, in which also are Idaho, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa 220 and Wisconsin. Here the net decrease is 1111,655,252. With the exception of Missouri and Minne­ sota, not a single State or Territory west of the Mississippi shows an increase. The blow which has been struck at the interests of that section is as severe as the blow which has been struck at the South, and it is felt everywhere. California, Wyoming, Washington, Utah, South Dakota, Oregon, Oklahoma, Nevada, Nebraska, JSTew Mexico, Montana, Kansas, Idaho, Colorado, Arizona—every one has felt the terrible blight, and has felt it bitterly. The result is that the net decrease of property valuation in that section is $210,671,153.

TELLS ITS OWN STORY. The table tells its own story. There is little need of further explanation —in fact, the table and the map make the ex­ planation seem superfluous. The devastation has been wrought in one year. It is but a beginning. What a continuation of the ruinous gold standard would bring to the great mass of the people of this country can be realized only after a study of this map and this table, and the knowledge that it is but the beginning. FIGURES DO NOT LIB. 1893. 1894. Increase. Decrease. State. $ $ $ $ Alabama 260,172,590 243,171,677 17,000,913 Arizona 28,468,183 27,061,974 1,406,209 Arkansas 173,526,484 171,965,480 1,597,004 California . .'. . ..1,216,700,000 1,205,918,000 10,782,000 Colorado 238,722,417 208,905,279 29,817,138 Florida 102,965,406 104,246,969 1,281,563 Georgia 452,644,907 429,012,923 23,631,984 Idaho 33,000,000 28,000,000 5,000,000 Illinois 847,191,516 824,651,628 22,539,888 Indiana 1,302,004,669 1,275,435,377 26,569,292 Iowa 565,857,799 556,412,766 9,445,033 Kansas 356,621,818 337,501,722 19,120,096 Kentucky 706,799,076 696,220,342 10,578,734 Louisiana '.".'. .. 250,045,503 251,091,348 1,045,845 Maryland 524,056,241 529,138,103 5,081,862 . Maine 270,812,782 272,319,370 1,506,588 Massachusetts .2,791,582,144 2,815,883,621 24,301,477 Minnesota 642,903,651 648,759,254 5,855,603 Mississippi 160,949,527 159,058,436 1,891,091 Missouri 994,589,787 999,951,960 5,372,173 .. .• Montana 127,548,175 118,850,892 8,698,083 Nebraska ..... 194,733,124 183,717,498 10,015,626 Nevada 26,178,060 23,628,720 2,544,340 New Hampshire. 274,816,342 269,683,799 5,132,543 New Jersey . .. 768,295,274 774,398,332 6,103,058 New Mexico .. 43,630,240 41,128,620 2,501,620 New York 4.038,058,949 4,273,942,431 235,883,482 North Carolina . 261,717,727 262,927,119 1,209,392 Oklahoma 15,029,927 14,830,495 ...... 199,432 Ohio 1,752,990,930 1,742,662,115 10,328,815 Oregon 168,088,905 150,399,383 17,689,522 Pennsylvania .. 3,115,320,549 3,162,114,251 46,793,702 South Carolina . 170.242,261 173,508,269 3,266,008 South Dakota ... 136,032,840 128,046,765 7,986,075 Tennessee 338,73J .726 319,822,197 18,909,529 Texas 886,175,395 867,814,305 18,361,090 Utah 117,505,375 99,542,472 17,962,903 Vermont 176,051,365 175,132,912 918,453 Virginia 466,945,118 464,038,922 2,906,196 Washington ... 285,634,246 228,356,572 57,277,674 West Virginia . 222,218,154 220,007,407 2,210,747 Wisconsin .... 654,000,000 600,000,000 54,000,000 Wyoming 32,356,801 29,198,041 3,158,760 The Official Record of the Value of Property Returned for Taxa­ tion in 1893 and 1894—Five Hundred Millions Missing from the South and the West. 221 FINANCIAL REFOEM. The following statement of indebtedness is doubtless within the bounds of conservatism. We call especial attention to this table, and suggest that it be held for further reference: The following table shows the debt of the nation partially classified:

Total steam railway debt . $6,000,000,000 Total stock issued (railroad) 5,000,000,000 Total $11,000,000,000 Making, in round figures $11,000,000,000 The stock issued counts as a debt, be­ cause it demands dividends. Street railroads of the country $200,000,000 Telephone companies 5,000,000 Water, electric power and gas (estimated). . 200,000,000 Other quasi-public corporations 11,000,000 Total $11,416,000,000 New York "Financial Review" of 1890 esti­ mated indebtedness of merchants at $5,000,000,000 Individual families 400,000,000 Life insurance in force 3,500,000,000 Benevolent associations, fraternal orders. . 6,000,000,000 Total $26,316,000,000 Private Corporations and Individuals. Real estate mortgages $6,000,000,000 Crop liens (estimated) 350,000,000 Chattel mortgages (estimated) 300,000,000 National bank loans and overdrafts 1,986,058,320 Other bank loans and overdrafts 1,172,918,415 Other private debts, about 1,191,023,265 Total . .$37,316,000,000 Public Debt. United States (estimated) $1,000,000,000 States 228,997,389 Counties 145,043,045 Municipalities (estimated) 1,000,000,000 School districts (estimated) 40,000,000 Making a grand total of $39,730,040,434 222 223 These statistics have all been gathered from official tables, except where estimates are made, and where estimates are made have been taken from high authority npon these questions. This volume of indebtedness will average at least seven per cent., and entail an annual tribute of $2,781,000,000. When we consider that all this interest must in the end be paid with the products of labor the true situation of the people will begin to be understood. But when we compare this vast aggregate of indebtedness with the possibilities of its payment the absolute enslavement of the peo­ ple is fully disclosed. The real object of finan­ cial reform lies in such measures as will en­ able the people to rid themselves of this enor­ mous burden of debt. To this immense sum of tribute must be added the entire aggre­ gate of taxation, which would run the grand total beyond four billions. We will omit the question of taxation, since that is an annual tribute, which cannot be avoided. The pro­ ducts of agriculture are as follows:

Corn, 1894 $537,000,000 Wheat, 1893 213,000,000 Other cereals 450,000,000 Wool 22,500,000 Cotton 175,000,000 $1,397,500,000 Here we find that the entire fundamental crops of the farmers will bring but one-half of 224 the interest tribute demanded of the people. How is the balance of this interest to be met, and how will the principal be liquidated un­ der present conditions are not easily answer­ ed. The only method through which it is pos­ sible to accomplish this desired end is to increase the volume of money in circulation, thereby raising prices, and make one bushel of wheat or one pound of cotton or one day's labor pay twice as much debt and interest as they do at the present time. To do this is the one great object of finan­ cial reform, which, in our judgment, must come at once, or the people will become bank­ rupts.—From the "National Watchman." THE UNITED STATES AFTER ONE YEAR ON A GOLD BASIS.

• nf* ** '*' : 41^"•*

HERE IS AN OBJECT LESSON WORTH STUDYING. The beauties of the single gold standard—for the money centers ?

APPENDIX D.

INDUSTRIAL COMBINATIONS. Partial List of Trade Combinations and Coali­ tions Achieved or Attempted, and of the Commodities Covered by Them in the United States. I.—LIGHT, HEAT AND POWER. Boilers for house heating. Candle-makers. Coal: anthracite, bituminous. Coke. Electric: carbon points, 1885; candles, 1888; electric goods, national, 1887; lighting, 1882; light fixtures, national, 1889. Gas: illuminating and fuel, local, sectional, national; fixtures, national; pipes, 1875; natural. Gasoline stoves, 1894. Governors of steam boilers. Hot-water heaters, 1892. House furnaces, 1889. 226 Kerosene, 1874. Kindling wood, Boston, 1891. Matches: international, 1894. Paraffine. Petroleum and its products, 1874. Eadiators, steam and hot-water, Western, 1891. Steam and hot-water master fitters, national, 1889. Stearine. Stove boards, zinc, national, 1890. Stoves and ranges, 1872. Stoves, vapor, national, 1884. II.-CHEMIOALS. Acids, acetic, citric, muriatic, nitric, sulphuric, American, 1889. Alkaloids. Alum, sectional, 1889, Ammonia, 1889. Bismuth salts. Boracic acid. Borax. Chloroform. Drug manufacturers. Iodoform, 1880. Lime, acetate of, 1891. Mecurials: as calomel, corrosive sublimate, etc. Paris green, 1889. Potash: bichloride of. Quinine, international, 1893. 227! Eochelle salts. Saltpetre. Santonine. Soda, bichromate. Strychnine. Ultramarine. Vitriol, 1889.

III.—METALS. Aluminum, national, 1888. Barbed wire, 1881. Brass: sectional, 1884; rolled and sheet, sheet German silver, copper rivets and burrs, cop­ per and German silver wire, kerosene oil burners and lamp trimmings, and brazed brass tubing. Copper: cold, bolt, rolled, sheet, 1888; ore, Lake Superior, 1879; international, 1887; bath-tubs, boilers, sinks, and general ware, 1891; wire. Iron: founders; galvanized, national, 1875; malleable, national, 1882; nuts, 1884; ore, Atlantic coast, 1886, Michigan, 1882, South­ ern, 1884, Northwestern, 1887, Lake Supe­ rior, 1893; pig, Eastern, Southern, 1883, na­ tional, 1889; pipes, steam and gas, 1884; wrought iron, 1887; structural, national, 1881; tubes, 1884; wire-cloth, national, 1882. Lead: pig, pipe; sheet lead, 1888; white, na­ tional, 1884. Mica, national, 1887, Nickel, 228 Quicksilver, California. Silver and lead smelters. Silver mines, Colorado, 1894. Steel: armor-plate, Bessemer beams (in exist­ ence nearly thirty years), castings, 1894; galvanized; rails (see Traffic and Travel); rods, United States, 1888; rolling mills. Tin: jobbers; American, national, 1883. Zinc. IV.—SOME OTHER INSTRUMENTS AND MATE­ RIALS OF INDUSTRY. Alcohol. Axes and axe poles. Belting, leather, rubber. Blankets (press), American Paper-makers' Felt and Jacket Association. Bobbins, spools, and shuttles, 1886, for cotton, woolen, silk, and linen mills. Bolts, 1884. Boxes, wooden, local, 1885; Western and Southern. Bridge builders: Eastern, 1886; Iowa, Ne­ braska, Kansas, Missouri, 1889. Butchers' skewers and supplies, Western, 1889. Carpet yarns, Eastern, 1889. Cash registers, national, 1890. Celluloid, lythoid, zylonite, Eastern, 1890. Chains, national, 1883. Cordage: rope, twine, 1875; national, 1890. Corks. Cotton duck, national, 1891* 229 GJotton-seed oil, national, 1884. Creels, for cloth and woolen mills, national, 1893. Damasks, Pennsylvania, 1886. Emery wheels, national. Felting. Fiber, indurated, pails, bowls, measures, water coolers, filters, etc., national, 1888. Files, 1875. Firebrick, 1875. Fish oil, menhaden, New England, 1885* Forge companies, national, 1889. Glass bottles; beer, United States, 1884. Glass:flint, Western, 1891; crown, cylinder, unpolished; international, 1890; window, 1875; sectional, national, international, 1884. Glass, plate, Underwriters, 1894. Glue. Gutta-percha. Hardware manufacturers, 1884. Label printers. Leather: belting, national; board, national, 1891; hides, Northwestern, 1888; morocco, Eastern, 1886; patent, national, 1888; sole, 1893; Tanners' Association, 1882; Oak Har­ ness Leather Tanners, national, 1890. Linen mills, Eastern, Western, 1892. Linseed oil: local, 1877; national, 1887. Manilla, international, 1887. Oil: lubricating, 1874; for curing leather; menhaden; safety burning oil for miners. 230 Paper: local, sectional, national; bags, East­ ern and Western, 1887; book and newspa­ per; boxes, national, 1883; cardboard, 1890; flour sacks, 1887; straw; tissue, 1892; wrap­ ping, Western, 1878, Eastern, 1881; writing, national, 1884. Papermakers' Felt and Jacket Association, national; rags, Eastern, 1883; wood pulp, Western, 1890; New York, Eastern, 1891. Pitch, national, 1887 or earlier. Planes, carpenters'. Pumps, national, 1871. Eubber: belting, 1875; electric web goring (for shoes), national, 1893; gossamers, 1887; hose, 1875; importers, national, 1882; manu­ facturers, national, 1882; stamps and sten­ cils, national, 1893. Sandpaper, emery and emery clotli, flint, gar­ net, ruby, sand clotli, national, 1887. Saws, national, 1890. Scales. Screws: macliine, 1887; wood, national, inter­ national. Sewer pipe, 1875. Sewing machines, 1885. Sewing machine supplies, New York and New England, 1883. Spirits. Straw braid. Straw-board, 1887. Tacks, 1875. Talc mills, New York, 1893, 231 Tar, national, 1886. Teasel, national, 1892. Textile manufacturers, Pennsylvania, 1886— embracing dress goods, ginghams, uphol­ stery goods, woolens, yarns, chintzes, worsted, damasks. Tools, edge, American Axe and Edged Tool Company, national, 1890. Turpentine, Southern, 1892. Typefounders, national, 1888. Washers, 1884. Watch-cases, 1886. Well tools, for oil, gas, and artesian wells, 1889. Wood, excelsior, shavings for packing, na­ tional, 1889. Woodenware, 1883 or earlier. Wood-working machines, 1891. Wool felt. Wrenches, 1875. V.—TRAFFIC AND TRAVEL. The Eoad, Horse, and Wagon. Bicycles, United States, 1893. Board of Trade formed to regulate prices. Bicycle tires. Bridge builders, 1886. Buggy pails, fiber trust, national, 1888. Carriage builders, national, 1884. Carriage hardware, 1884. . Harness dealers, manufacturers, national, 1886. 232 Liverymen's Associations, local, 1864. Paving: asphalt, 1886; brick, Western, 1892; pitch, national, 1887. Eoadmaking machines, Western, 1890. Saddlery Association, national, 1891. Saddle-trees, Indiana, Missouri, 1892. Wagons, local, 1886. Wheels, Western, 1889. Whips, national, 1892. Shipping. Canal-boats, 1884. Cotton duck, sailcloth, national, 1888. Ferries, New York and Brooklyn. Lake carriers, hull pool, 1886. Lake Dock Trust. Marine insurance, 1883. Naval stores. Ocean steamers: European, Asiatic, and American; German steamship companies, 1894; North Atlantic Steamship Associa­ tion. Pilotage, New York, San Francisco. Steamboats: in the Cincinnati and New Or­ leans trade, 1884; forwarding lines along the Hudson Eiver, 1891. Eailroads and Transportation, etc. Oar axles, 1890. Car springs, steel, national, 1887. Cars, freight and cattle. Elevators, grain, local, Western, 1887. Express companies. 233 Locomotives: national, 1892; boiler flues, 1875; tires, national, 1892. Eailroad: pools, freight and passenger, sec­ tional, national; Eastern Eailroad Associa­ tion of 800 railroads, to fight patents. Steel sleepers, 1885; steel rails, national. Street railways, local, sectional. Telegraphs, Western Union, 1851. Telephones. VI.—BUILDING. Asbestos, for paints, roofing, steam-pipe and boiler coverings, 1891. Beams and channels, iron and steel, national, 1875. Blinds: Northwestern, 1885; national, 1888. Brass, gas, plumbing, steam, water goods, 1884. Brick: local, sectional, 1884; Chicago, New York, New Jersey, Washington (State); pressed brick, 1890. Cement: Mississippi valley, 1883; Eastern, 1884; Northwestern, 1884. Cornice makers, national, 1884. Doors: Northwestern, 1885; national, 1888. Fire engines, including hook and ladder trucks, hose carriages, heaters, carts, sta­ tionary pumps, and other supplies, 1892. Fire insurance. Glue, national, 1894. Gypsum, stucco, Eastern, Northwestern, 1884. Hinges, 1875, 234 Lime, Western, 1883. Lumber: Calif ornia pine, 1883; California red­ wood, 1883; Chicago; Mississippi valley; Northwestern, 1880; Pacific coast, 1883; pine, Southern, 1890, Eastern, 1891; deal- poplar, 1889; Puget Sound, 1883; yellow pine, Southern, 1890, Eastern, 1891; deal­ ers, national, 1878. Nails: Pennsylvania, 1875; Western Associa­ tion, 1882; Atlantic States Association, 1883. Paint. Plaster, national, 1891. Eoofing: felt; iron; pitch, Vermont, national, 1887. Sanitary pottery. Sash, doors, and blinds, national. Sewer pipes, national, 1884. Stone: brown stone, Lake Superior, 1890, New York, 1884; cut-stone, quarry owners, Western, 1892; freestone; granite, national, 1891; limestone, rubble and flag, Illinois, 1884; marble, Western dealers, 1885; Ver­ mont marble quarries, 1889; sandstone, New York, 1883. Structural steel. Stucco, 1883. Varnish dealers, national, 1888. Wall paper: national, 1879; international, 1882. 235 OTL--FARM AND PLANTATION. Agricultural implem'ts mfrs., dealers, 1891, Binders, Harvester Trust, 1883. Churns, 1884. Corn harvesters, national, 1892. Cotton bagging, 1888. Cotton presses, local, 1892. Drain tile, Indiana, 1894. Fencing, barbed wire, national, 1881. Fertilizers: 1888; guano; menhaden oil, New England, 1885; phosphate, South Carolina, 1887; Florida, 1891. Forks, national, 1890. Harrow manufacturers, national, 1890. Harvesting machines, national, 1883. Hay presses, national, 1889. Hay tools, Western and Northwestern, 1884. Hoes, national, 1890. Horse brushes, prison-made, 1889. Jute grain bags, national, 1888. Mowers, national, 1883. Pails, fiber trust, national, 1888. Paris green. Plows, Northwestern, 1884. Bakes, national, 1890. Eeapers, 1883. Scythe-makers, national, 1884. Shovels, national, 1890. Snath manufacturers, national, 1891. Threshing machines, national, 1890, 1891. Twine, binding, 1887. Vehicles. 236 VIII.—SCHOOL, LIBRARY AND COUNTING-ROOM. Blank books, 1888. Envelopes, 1888. Lead pencils, 1878. Lithographic printers, national, 1892. Novels (paper-covered "libraries"), 1890. School books, national, 1884. School furniture, national, 1892. Slates and slate pencils, national, 1887. Subscription books, local, sectional, 1892. Typefounders, national, 1888. Typewriters. Writing paper, national, 1884. IX.—SHOOTING MATERIALS. Ammunition, 1883. Arms, 1883. Cartridges, national, 1883. Dynamite Fireworks, national, 1890. Gunpowder, national, 1875. Guns, 1883. Shot-tower companies, national, 1873. X.—FOR THE PERSON Barbers' National Tonsorial Parlor Com­ pany, organized to establish barber-shops in all the large cities of the United States, 1890. Buttons. Clothes brushes, prison-made, 1889. Coat and cloak manufacturers: New York, 1883; Chicago, 1893. 287 Collars and cuffs, New York, 1890. Gotton: Fall Kiver; Southern mills, 1881; thread (spool cotton), 1888. Dress goods, Pennsylvania, 1886. Furs. Ginghams, Pennsylvania, 1886. Gloves, New York. Hats: fur, 1885; woolen, national. Knit goods: New York, 1884; Western, 1889. Jewelers, national. Laundries: Chicago; Chinese Laundry Union, New York City, 1889; St. Louis, 1893. Pocketknives, national, 1892, Bibbons, national, 1892. Eubber boots and shoes, national, 1882. Sealskin, national, 1892. Shirts: Troy, New York City, 1890. Shoe: manufacturers, national, 1887; retailers, New England, 1885; national, 1886. Silk: manufacturers, international, 1888; sew­ ing, national, 1887; ribbon, 1884. Trunks, national, 1892. Umbrellas, Eastern, 1891. Watch: manufacturers, makers and jewelers, national, 1886; National Association of Job­ bers of American Watches and Cases, 1886. Woolens: manufacturers, 1882; worsteds, yarns, Pennsylvania, 1886. XL—SPIRITS AND TOBACCO, ETC. Beer, United States Brewers' Association, 1861, local in most of the larger cities; 238 great combination of breweries bought up by English capitalists; St. Louis, Chicago, etc., 1889-91. Champagne, New York City, 1889; France, 1891. Meerschaum pipes, New Jersey, 1892. Soda fountains, 1890. Spittoons, fiber trust, national, 1888. Tobacco and cigars, local, sectional, national, 1882; cigarettes, 1890. Waters, mineral, national, 1889. Whisky and "domestic"—or artificial—bran­ dy, rum, gin, and cordials made in imitation of the genuine. Wine growers, California, 1889. Wine and liquor dealers' associations, local. XII.—DOMESTIC SUPPLIES. In General. Candles, coal, furnaces, gas, oil, matches, ranges, stoves, etc. (See Light, Heat and Power.) Carpets: Eastern, 1885. Chairs: cane, 1889; manufacturers, Western, 1880; seats, perforated, national, 1888. Furniture: national, 1883; Chicago manufact­ urers, 1886; retailers, New England, 1888; national, 1893. Haircloth, Rhode Island, 1893. Oilcloth, table and stair, Oilcloth1 Association, 1887. Pails, fiber trust, national, 1888. 239 Soap, national, 1890. Upholsterers' felt. Upholstery goods, textile manufacturers, Pennsylvania, 1886. Window shades, 1888. The Kitchen. Boilers. Bottles. Brooms, 1886. Brushes, scrubbing, prison-made, 1889. Chopping bowls, woodenware, national, 1884. Grockery, national, 1883. Fruit jars, 1891. Glassware, 1883. Hollowware, prison-made, 1888. 'Keelers, fiber trust, national, 1888. Kettles, prison-made, 1888. Lamp chimneys, 1883. Measures, fiber trust, national, 1888. Pans and pots, prison-made, 1888. Potato mashers, woodenware, national, 1884. Pottery, yellowware, national, 1889. Sinks, copper. Stamped-ware, national, 1882. Tinware, national, 1883. Water coolers, filters, pails, fiber trust, na= tional, 1888. Water pails, woodenware, national, 1884. Woodenware, national, 1884. Laundry. Borax. Glothes pins, New York, 1888. 240 Clothes wringers. Soap, national, 1890. Soda, 1884. Starch: Western, 1882; national", 1890. Washboards, New York, 1888. Wash tubs, woodenware, national, 1884. Washing machines, national, 1891. Water tubs, fiber trust, national, 1888. Zinc, sheet, 1890. Dining-room. Butter dishes, 1886. Glass tableware, 1889. Platedware. Silver-plated ware. Silverware, national, 1892. Table cutlery, national, 1881. Table oilcloth, national, 1888. Tables, extension tables, national, 1893. Parlor. For carpets, furniture, upholstery, etc., see un­ der "In General," above. Mantel lambrequin, wool felt, 1888. Music, books and instruments, Boston, New York, ©hicago, ©incinnati, 1892. Organs, local, sectional, 1889. Parlor frame manufacturers. Parlor furniture, Western Association, 1886. Pianos, local, sectional, 1889; national, 1893. Piano covers, wool-felt, 1888. Picture frames, 1890. Bugs, Eastern, 1885. 241 Table covers, wool-felt, 1888. Tapestries, Eastern, 1885. Bathroom. Bath tubs (see Copper). Sanitary-ware, 1889. Sponges, Florida, New York, 1892. Bedroom. Chintzes, Pennsylvania, 1886. Looking-glass: international, 1890. Spring beds, national, 1890. Wire mattress; Northwestern, 1886; national, 1890. XIII.—FOOD. Bread, biscuit, crackers, local, sectional, na­ tional. Butter, local, 1889. Candy, local, national, 1884. Canned goods: Western, 1885; national, 1889; California canned fruit, 1891. Cider and vinegar, national, 1882. Coffee, Arbuckle trust, 1888. Corn-meal, Western, 1894. Cotton-seed oil. Dairy Association, national, 1893. Eggs, local. Fish: England, 1749 and before; New York and New England, 1892; salmon, Alaska, 1891; salmon canners of the Pacific coast, 1893; sardines, Eastern, 1885; international, 1890. Flour: United States, National Millers' Asso­ ciation, 1883; winter wheat mills, national, 242 1888; spring wheat mills, 1889; rye flour, local, 1891; flour-mills of Utah, and Col­ orado, 1892. Food Manufacturers' Association United States, 1891, Fruit: bananas. Southern, 1888; Galifornia fruitgrowers, 1892; cranberries, Gape God, 1888; Florida, 1889; foreign fruit, New York, 1884; Fruit Trade Association, New York, 1882; fruit growers of the Eastern and Middle States against commission mer­ chants, 1887; preserves and jellies, West­ ern, 1883; American Preservers5 Company, 1889; prunes, California; strawberry grow­ ers, Wisconsin, 1892; water melons, Indiana, South Carolina, 1889. Grape growers, Northern Ohio, 1894. Grocers: wholesale, retail; local, sectional, na­ tional. Honey, local, 1888, Ice: local, sectional, 1883; artificial, Southern, 1889. Lard refiners, Eastern, 1887, Meat and cattle: beef, mutton, pork; Butchers^ National Protective Association; Chicago packers; Intermountain Stock Growers' As­ sociation, Utah, 1893; International Cattle Bange Association; Live Stock Association, 1887; Northwest Texas Live Stock Associa­ tion, 1878; Western Kansas Stock Growers' Association, 1883; Wyoming Stock Growers' Association, 1874. 243 Milk: local, sectional, 1883; condensed milk, New York, Illinois, 1891. Oatmeal, 1885. Olive oil. Oysters, local, 1890. Peanuts, 1888. Pickles, national, 1891. Produce: Produce commission merchants, eight large cities—North, South, East, West, 1883; West, 1888. Eaigins, California, 1894. Eice mills, Southern, 1888. Salt: rock; English Salt Union, 1888; inter­ national, 1889; Canada, 1891. Sugar, 1887. Glucose, national, 1883; interna­ tional, 1891. Wine, California, 1894. XIV.—MEDICAL, SURGICAL, ETC. Artificial teeth, 1889. Castor oil, 1885. Cocoa-nut oil, American importers, 1881. Coffins, National Burial Case Association, 1884. Dental machines and supplies, United States, 1889. Drugs: importers; druggists, retail, sectional, national, 1883; wholesale, sectional, nation­ al, 1884; Canada, 1874; manufacturers, na­ tional, 1884. Ergot, 1891. •Glycerine, New York, 1888. 244 Life insurance, 1883; national, 1891* Patent medicines, national, 1884. Peppermint, local, 1887. Quinine, 1882. Tombstones, local, Brooklyn, Chicago, 1891. Vaseline. XV—MISCELLANEOUS. Athletic clubs, 1893, to reduce charges made by prize fighters for exhibition. Baseball, national, 1876. Billiard tables and furniture, 1884. Bill posters, United States, Canada, 1872. Dime museums, national, 1883. Newsdealers, 1884; newspapers, Associated Press, United Press; sectional, national. Photographers, national, 1889. Playing cards. Printers, show and job, 1893. Racing trust, jockey club, 1894. Retailers, 1891. Small retail storekeepers of Kansas City protest against mammoth de­ partment stores. Safes, national, 1892, Theatrical trust, Interstate Amusement Com­ pany, Springfield, 111., 1894. Warehouses: Brooklyn, 1887; national, 1891. Paper mill trust AGAINST PLTJTOGRAGY. "The wage system is endurable only when contrasted with absolute bondage!"—Horace Greeley. "The paradise of the rich is made out of the hells of the poor. . . . The revolution is a work of the unknown; call it good or bad, as you yearn towards the future or the past." —Victor Hugo. "No other person will rule over me with my consent. I will rule over no man."—William Lloyd Garrison. "Rich men make, while the poor obey the law."—Goldsmith. "Gaesar would not be a wolf, if Eomans were not sheep."—Shakespeare. "Hereditary bondsmen know you not. Who would be free themselves must strike the blow."—Walter Scott. . "While the patient will suffer the cruel will kick."—Wendell Phillips, TESTIMONY. "It is real gouu uu ma in cases 01 actual want whenever it shows itself in the city or country, but the best meal for a regular tramp is one of lead, and enough of that to satisfy the most craving appetite."—New York Herald "All we owe a tramp is a funeral."—The Eev. Dr. Theodore Kugle, of Hoboken. "If anybody is not exactly a member of some philanthropic society, it would be best for him to mix strychnine or arsenic in what he gives to the tramp. This causes death with­ in a short time, and will serve as a warning to other tramps to keep away from the neigh­ borhood."—Chicago Tribune. "Give the workingmen and strikers gun-bul­ let food for a few days, and you will observe how they will take this sort of bread."— Thomas Scott, President of the Pennsylvania Kailroad. "Hand grenades should be thrown among the workingmen who demand higher wages. That would be a good lesson for them, and their fate would be a warning to other strik* res."—Chicago Times. 246