[PDF]money land labour

Yours for Justice and Humanity,
CAREY SMITH.


Money, Transportation,
LAND AND LABOR.


THE PEOPLE SLAVES.
THE MONOPOLISTS MASTERS.—GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS THE DRIVERS.


THE DEMOCRAT AND REPUBLICAN PARTIES
THE TWO HORNS OF MONOPOLY.


THE PEOPLE VOTE FOR THEIR OWN DESTRUCTION.


by
Carey Smith
Wilburn Kansas


April 1888


Dodge City Times,
Printers and Binders.


www. yamaguchy. com





in 1887, Albert Michelson and Edward Morley carried out a simple experiment
that showed there is ether and non-moving Earth
in 1888 George Eastman released for sale the first consumer camera "Kodak"


PREFACE


This book is designed by the author to present in a feasible manner the
condition of the American people, showing the true cause of not only the
present stagnation of business, but every stagnation that has occurred in the
history of civilization. Nothing can exist without a cause. Remove the cause
and the effect will cease.

Scarcity of money always produces scarcity of work, scarcity of food,
scarcity of all things required to sustain life. In fact, scarcity of every thing
except salaried officers, interest drawers, millionaires, taxes, paupers and
tramps. Plenty of money gives plenty of work at good wages, plenty of food
and clothing for the people, plenty of money to pay interest and taxes, plenty
of prosperous and happy citizens; in short, plenty of everything except
interest drawers, tax collectors, millionaires, paupers and tramps.

Money is made plenty or scarce by legal enactments. Contraction of
the currency is, less money, less food, less clothing, less land for the poor, less
houses, less furniture, less books, less intelligence, less comforts, less morality,
less religion. It makes more debts, more privations, more suffering, more
crime, more vice, more rebellion against God and man, more thieves, more
robbers, more murderers, more suicides, more divorce cases, more "hell on
Earth."

Do not be deceived by the cry that a "free chew of tobacco, washed
down by a free drink of whisky," will cure all the ills of the people, while a high
tariff remains on all the necessities of life; neither, that free trade will furnish
you money to pay your taxes, interest and debts. While this infamous
contraction goes on you will be totally unable to sell the products of your
labor, hence your condition will get worse and worse. There can be no
depression of business while there is plenty of money. We, the people, are at
the mercy of the railroad, telegraph, coal and oil monopolies as well as that of
money.

It will take a grand and united effort of the people to eradicate these
evils, and they must be abolished or we will lose our liberty and be destroyed
as a nation. These truths being thoroughly impressed on my mind, I cannot
bear the idea of seeing my country and countrymen plunged into hopeless
slavery to monopoly and a moneyed aristocracy without raising my feeble
voice and pen in protest against these evils, for which we, the voters of the
United States, are responsible I submit the following pages to a candid public,
asking the people to assist in bringing this contest to a peaceful termination by
the ballot. Can I succeed in awakening an interest in the public mind, and get
the people to immediately investigate and act on these things "which so nearly
concern our temporal salvation," I am amply rewarded for my labor. Read,
think, act and vote for yourselves. Do not permit yourselves and children to
go into perpetual slavery.

Carey Smith,
Wilburn Kansas, April 2, 1888.


CONDITION OF OUR COUNTRY.

What is the condition of our country ? Is it good or bad ? If had,
why ? These are questions that interest every citizen of the United States, and
must be correctly answered if we long survive as a nation. Hence, to answer
these questions will be the effort of the author of this, little book. I wish to say
on the start, I am not seeking popularity but only wish, in my feeble way, to
state some facts and draw a few conclusions from them, and if the people can
see the points made and act on them, and work for themselves and humanity,
you may call me a fool or anything you choose and I am satisfied. I am
willing to be a fool that mankind may be made wise by my foolishness. I do
not propose to write a book which has no mistakes in it, yet I can assure you
that everything stated in this book that is incorrect is from a lack of knowing
the facts after fifteen years study on the subject treated, and as the old saying
goes, “Truth is stranger than fiction," there is no necessity of making a single
misstatement purposely, as that would only weaken the cause, "So near and
dear to our temporal salvation." I can assure you that the facts stated and the
conclusions drawn are not overstated. I am indebted to many prominent
authors for the substance of this work, though much of the important
reasoning was brought out by my own observations. With these preliminaries
I will commence "business," and endeavor to state facts in a plain manner.

Is the condition of the whole people good or is it bad ? We will state a
few facts, and give a few quotations. This is a mathematical problem and
hence figures must be used to demonstrate its truths. The highest estimate, so
far as I know, that has ever been made of the total wealth of the country is
that made by Mr. Blaine in a speech last spring, which is $65,000,000,000.
Also the highest estimate of the increase of wealth produced here (not
including that brought in from other countries) is 3 per cent. We take the
highest estimate of the total wealth, and also the highest average estimate of
the per cent, of increase, as you will notice, and it gives us the following result:
Total increase of wealth is 3 per centum of $65,000,000,000, or $1,950,000-
000. That is the increase at the highest possible figure.

Our combined indebtedness, or all the debts, public and private, are
estimated at from twenty-eight to thirty-five billions, and the average per cent.
is usually put at 10 per cent., and this cannot be too high, for in many of the
western states, to my personal knowledge, as high as 10 per cent. per month
is paid for the use of money. On the other hand, we must admit that near
one-half of the entire debts of the people are bonds, which draw, on an
average, of only about 5 per cent. While this is true, the small debts of the
people, which make up the first half, is drawing, either directly or indirectly, at
least an average interest of 16 per cent. So the average would not be less
than 10 per cent.

But as we do not wish to overdraw the picture we will put the total
debts at $32,000,000,000 and the average interest at 10 per cent., which
gives us a total outlay of 10 per cent, of $32,000,000,000, which is


$3,200,000,000. Now, if you wish to know how fast we, the people, are
getting rich, take the $3,200,000,000 that we annually pay to Shylock from
the $1,950,000,000 annual increase of wealth and you find we have a quan-
tity of $1,250,000,000, or, in other words, the producing classes are
$1,250,000,000 poorer every year. Now, this is a vital point and I must not
be misunderstood. I will therefore make a personal application of it and will
suppose the government is John Smith, and that he is worth $6,500 and
annually gains 3 per cent., or $195, and is owing, say, $3,200, on which he
pays 10 per cent., or $320; also, John Smith has taxes to pay, which will
average not less than 2 per cent, all over the country, or $130. Add to this the
$320 interest, $450, annual outlay, while his net income is but $195, after he
feeds and clothes himself and family, or, in other words, he is spending $255
of his $6,500 each year. Now the question is, how long can John Smith keep
up under this strain ? Evidently no longer than the $255 is contained in
$6,500, or 26 years. Is not this fair and logical ? If John Smith would
become penniless in 26 years, why would not the United States become
entirely bankrupt in the same time. The same cause, under like circum-
stances, will produce the same effect every time. We have, so far, gone on the
supposition that the gain and outlay remained the same through all these
years, while the facts are that the outlay would steadily increase and the
income steadily diminish, hence, according to the rate of progression, we will
become bankrupt in a much shorter time.

Į am resolved to be fair and take no advantage, and would much rather
under than over state facts. We find, by statistics, our debts are rapidly
increasing, while our power to pay debts is as rapidly and surely diminishing.
We find that the wealth of the country is fast passing into the hands of the few
while the many are becoming homeless and penniless.

By a system of unjust taxation and interest "sucking," our homes are
gradually being "confiscated," and we are becoming tenants. Twenty years
ago five-eighths of the people owned their homes. Now five-eighths are
tenants. Then every laboring man had work. Now one-third are in enforced
idleness. Then laborers were making money. Now they lack 20 per cent. of
meeting expenses.

A bill can easily pass through congress and get the signature of the
president if it favors the rich, but if an appropriation to furnish seed to the
drought-stricken regions of Texas, or to pension the disabled soldiers happens
to pass congress, capitalists have a watch dog stationed in the White House
ready to veto any and every such bill.

I will here insert a communication written for the Wilburn Argus soon
after my return from Cincinnati, which appeared in that paper of March 10,
1887.


UNION LABOR PARTY.


Epiror Arcus:--- Having promised a number of friends to give an outline of my trip to
Cincinnati Union Labor Convention, held Feb. 22, 1887, (having been elected as
delegate from Seventh congressional district of Kansas by convention held at Dodge
City, Jan, 27th, 1887, to said convention), I now fill my promise. Laboring men are
so poor that about $25 was all that could be raised to meet expenses. The rest of
$75 I was compelled to raise myself or stay at home. I succeeded in raising the
money and was at the convention.


I met there the most intelligent, earnest, self sacrificing and determined set of
men Í ever met. Each delegate expressed himself as I felt —that the laborers of this
country must unite for self-preservation or become absolute slaves to a moneyed
aristocracy. Each was, therefore, willing, nay anxious, to give up his "pet ideas" for
the sake of union and harmony. Hence we were enabled to frame and adopt a plat-
form of almost divine perfection, realizing the fact that the prosperity and perpetuity
of the nation depended absolutely on the prosperity of those who produce, and not
on that of salaried officers, interest drawers or monopolistic swindlers. We found,
by comparing notes, that the interests of the producers of north, south, east and west
are the same. That the three great monopolies —land, transportations and money
— are crushing the life out of all productive enterprise, upon which alone capital
subsists. Law to the interest of labor is to the interest of the millionaires; for what
enjoyment is there in posses sing even a hundred million, if it is necessary to keep a
military or police "mob" to guard it? Observations on the financial condition of the
country:





Indianapolis, Indiana, is considered the railroad city of the country, and rail-
roads are looked upon as causing great prosperity. Therefore it is but fair to take it
as a financial sample of the cities of our country. We are daily shown the great pros-
perity of our nation in towns, cities, splendid depots, fine mansions, splendid
school-houses, magnificent county and state houses. We are shown all of this in
"panoramic views" and it is called "great financial prosperity." Now to that part
concerning the "prosperity." On investigation I found fully two-thirds of the
dwellings of Indianapolis are owned by other parties than those who occupy them;
that many men are now living in houses built by themselves in other days, the title to
which has been forced from them during this "prosperous period" by mortgage,
foreclosure, etc., and they are now paying rent at from $10 to $25 per month. There
are a majority of the business men of the city now bankrupt or on the eve of
bankruptcy. I bought a No. 1 pair of men's calf sewed congress gaiters at a bankrupt
shoe store for $1.50 that it cost at least $2.50 to make. This is one item only.
Bankruptcy is on every hand. The splendid court-house which I admired greatly till
I found the county was under two million dollar bonds to erect the house. The city
also has a magnificent state house upon which the state is owing near three million
dollars. Many of the brick blocks of the city are under heavy mortgage. Many of
the railroads are built by money raised by bonds issued by the people which are yet
unpaid. The great "prosperity" of the state, county, city and individual, that we are
so often shown by the "political bosses" is a debt "prosperity," and the people are
having their life blood sucked out to pay taxes and interest on said "prosperity." It is
not an uncommon thing for men to mortgage additional property to meet interest
and taxes. It is therefore only a matter of time, under the present condition of things,


when their property will all be "confiscated" and they added to the already large
army of paupers.

According to the statistics of District No. 106, Knights of Labor, the laboring men
of this country are not making expenses but are compelled to rely partly on past
earned means to support life. There are to day 3,000,000 voters in this country
who are idle because they can get nothing to do, and are either living on their
scanty means or are fed by public charity.


The cause is plain. We had two billion of money in 1865, and 45,000,000
people to use it. Now, one billion of money and 60,000,000 people to use it.
Two billion then in the hands of the people. Now, $400,000,000 locked up in
the United States treasury, $300,000,000 in bank vaults and only
$300,000,000 in the hands of the people. Then, $54 to each person. Now, only
$5 to each person, in active circulation. Then, not one in a thousand that were
paupers. Now, over one in twenty-five that are partially living on charity. Then,
plenty of work at good wages for all. Now, full one-third of our laboring population
out of employment. Then, the total indebtedness of the nation, public and private,
less than $8,000,000,000. Now, over $30,000,000,000. Then, one-fourth
as much money as debt. Now, one-thirtieth as much money as debt. Then, enough
money to pay the interest on the total debt, at 10 per cent., two and one-half times.
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