The Southern Mercury. (Dallas, Tex.), Vol. 10, No. 44, Ed. 1 Thursday, October 29, 1891 Page: 3 of 16
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Oct 29.1891.
SOUTHERN MERCURY.
3
What is the Matter.
ISAAC B. REAMS.
I read in the partisan political
papers, that there is plenty of
money in circulation; that there is
more money in use now than there
ever was before; that the farmers
have raised large crops, and are
prosperous and happy; that they
are paying off their mortgages and
getting out of debt; that they are
becoming an independent people,
as a class, once more, and will be
able to get a new suit all around
this fall, and the whole lamily can
go to church together once more
that the Alliance demands are now
entirely nonessential, as there is
or will be in a short time, more
money in circulation than there
has been for many years; that the
free coinage oí silver is not neces-
sary; that it is only a political Al-
liance trick gotten up to divide the
democratic party.
Now, if these are facts, where is
the money? The crops are rather
light here. Cotton, which is our
moneyed crop, won't average more
than one-fourth to one-third of
bale to the acre, and is now selling
in our town (Lampassas) at from
7 to iy2 cents, and notwithstand-
ing we have two banks and about
forty business houses in the town,
when we get there with our cotton
and get the bagging cut and sam-
pled until the ties will scarcely
hold what is left of it, after having
been fully sampled to the satisfac-
tion of the proposed buyers, and
we move out to the cotton yards
to get the remainder weighed,,
and the price docked 10 cents for
the weighing of it,and get a receipt
for the weight, upon presenting it
to the buyer for settlement, we are
in a mild way informed that there
is no money on hand to-day nor in
the banks to pay us for the cotton,
but if we wish to purchase any
goods they will give us an order
on any store in town, and if that
does not suit us they will give us
their note, which they will be able
to redeem in a few days. They
tell us that this, with business men,
is considered a cash transaction, 30
or 60 days; but if we are in a hur-
ry, they are expecting some money
to be sent to them in a few days.
So we take the note and scratching
our heads walk off to our creditors
with the note and are informed
that this was not the money we
promised to pay them, and that
they wanted the cash and must
have it.
Then you see we feel like money
is not so plenty as we thought it
was from reading the papers. This
is a common occurrence here this
year; and if money is so plentiful
each year, why has not this thing
occurred before. The farmers
have not been able, with the best
security, to borrow a dollar from
the banks for six months of more.
Why? If money is so plenty and
the banks were chartered by the
government to put money in circu-
lation, why will they refuse to loan
it on good security?
We have not been mashed on
the sub treasury as a cure all, but
only asked for it or something bet-
ter as a relief, as we thought money
was scarce. Now we know it is
scarce, for never before have we
failed to sell our cotton for cash
and we know that if we
had the sub treasury we could de-
posit our cotton and draw 80 per
cent on it in treasury notes, which
is better money than gold or silver,
because if the money should get
destroyed it costs the government
but a trifle to issue some more,
and it has gained the amount des-
troyed, for the money can be re-
placed with a cost of les than 1 per
cent. All the notes the govern-
ments prints and sells to replace
those destroyed reduces our taxes
that amount, because it has the
value of the money on hand or in-
vested. To illustrate—if congress
appropriates $1,000,000 for public
works, and gets the work done and
pays for it in treasury notes, the
printing of the notes is all it costs
the government; and if the money
is lost the government has the im-
provement, whatever it may be,
and as that amount of money is
needed in circulation, but is lost,
there must be another million
dollars stamped and sold to fill the
demand for money. But if gold
and silver is the only legal money,
the government must buy the bull
ion before it can coin it, as it has
no gold or silver until it buys it,
and so if the money is lost it will
gone and no one benefitted by it.
but not so with the paper currency,
for the government can replace it
without purchasing at the value of
bullion before stamping. We are
for the legal tender treasury note?
unless something better can be at
once introduced to put money into
circulation and relieve the people,
enabling them to dispose of their
produce and pay their debts.
But suppose the government had
the money on hand; how is it to
get into the hands of the people,
without the sub-treasury or land
loan plan?
This plan is being fought by the
bosses, and they are striking
us off their list for advocating it.
Likewise the republicans are giv-
ing only a little tariff and free coin-
age of sil ver gab. Suppose we had
free coinage; that would help only
about $3 per capita. And reduce
the tariff as low as the bosses
demand it; this would probably
add $3 more per capita,making $6.
This added to the $9 we now have
—but it is doubtful about there be-
ing that much per capita in circu-
lation—that would only amount to
$15 per capita. Our wisest states-
men agree that we ought to have
$50 per capita; now where is this
other $35 per capita to come from?
and how are we to get it into cir-
culation and have a flexible cur-
rency, without the sub-treasury
plan or something like it?
Now, Mr. Statesman, if you have
a better plan let us hear it quick,
for we are in a hurry to sell our
cotton and don't want to sell on
time. We can't pay our debts
that way, and if you don't come
up with the better plan before
November' 1892, we will be com-
pelled to let you go home to Sally
and the children, and study out
that better plan while your succes
sor fills your place.
A MILLION A YEAR.
Lottery and Prize Schemes Used
to Sell Alum and Ammonia
Baking Powders
A New York concern, manufact-
urers of an ammonia baking pow-
der, boasts that its yearly profits
are over a million dollars. While
perhaps, none of the makers of al-
um powders individually can show
so large earnings, yet their profits
are enormous.
A business so profitable, will al-
ways attract to itself those whose
greed will cause them to utterly
disregard the effect their traffic may
have upon the health or life of
others.
Alum baking powders are intro-
duced largely by gifts, prizes and
lottery schemes. A piece of glass-
ware or china, a child's wagon
sled, or pewter spoon or someotner
articte of attractive appearance, but
of small intrinsic value, or oost, is
given with each purchase, or i
number is attached to the can
which entitles the customer to a
similarly numbered article, or to a
prize of some kind. It is in some
such way as this, that the trade in
alum and ammonia baking pow-
ders, which has now attained such
giant proportions, and their con-
sumption by the public, which has
reached an extent which is truly
alarming.
The highest authorities of all
countries, condemn the use of al-
um in bread without reserve. In
America, the most distinguished
physicians, chemists and hygenists
have declared that the traffic in al-
um baking powders should be sup-
pressed by law. In England and
France where the subject of pure
food, and its effect upon the sys-
tem, has been more fully consid-
ered, and made the subject of ex-
tended experiments by the scien-
tists, so serious a matter is the use
of alum in bread or other food con-
sidered to be, that most stringent
laws have been enacted to prevent
it. These laws are rigidly enforced,
and the sale of alum bakkig pow-
ders would not be permitted for an
hour. Anyone who attempted to
make them for raising bread, bis-
cuit or cake would suffer severe
penalties.
The ill effects upon ue system
oí lood raised by alum baking puw-
ders are the more dangerous be-
cause of their insiduous character.
It would be less dangerous to the
community were it fatal at once,
for then such food would be avoidcrl;
but their deleterious action because
imperceptiblt first is no less cer-
tain.
The puckering effect which alum
has when taken in the mouth is fa-
miliar to everyone. Physicians
say this same effect is produceu\'
it upon the delicate coats of the
stomach and intestines.
What housewife would take
home to her family a can of alum
or ammonia baking pow'10" it she
knew it? Such powders not oi^ly
undermine the system, but71 f#
pointed out that ammonia taken
into the system in even infinitesi-
mal doses day after day, im, ~ts
to the complexion a sallow -aim
blotched appearance.
It is safe to discard all baking
powders sold with a prize or gift.
What a misnomer are the words
"Absolute'y Pure," as applied to
baking pow ders Two of the larg-
est selling brands, one made from
alum, the other containing ammo-
nia, and both of theso drugged bak-
ing powders have staaipod upon
their labels and circulars these
words absolutely pure, as a matter
of fact they are "Absolutely Poor,"
as shown by official examinations.
Does One of the Mulhattons Now
Live in Austin?
J. H. RORINSON.
I ask this question from the fact
that about once a week, something
appears in the Fort Worth Ga-
zette on the Alliance versus
Texas democracy. To say that
these letters are a mass of political
l;es draws it very mildly. From
whom does he expect to get his re-
ward for such fabrication? The
Gazette can hardly afford the re-
quired salary for such a concoction
of political garbage. His letter of
October 17th, is void of one sylla-
ble of truth. We advise all read-
ers to remember that the Gazette's
Austin correspondent is not to be
believed upon anything he may say
about the Alliance. I love to read
anything from my opponents in pol-
itics, when backed by shrewd argu-
ment, but a distortion of facts, such
as we get from the above named
correspondent, is unworthy publi-
cation, and 1 would take no notice
of it, were it not that ignorant
democrats are repeating them as
actual facts.
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Park, Milton. The Southern Mercury. (Dallas, Tex.), Vol. 10, No. 44, Ed. 1 Thursday, October 29, 1891, newspaper, October 29, 1891; Dallas, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth185436/m1/3/?q=War+of+the+Rebellion.: accessed July 3, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; .