People's Pilot, Volume 6, Number 12, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 September 1896 — The Honest Dollar. [ARTICLE]

The Honest Dollar.

Talk about an honest dollar! The most dishonest dollar in the world is the one that by a steady Increase in its purchasing power enables wealth, hour by hour, to rob labor. That dollar is essentially, malevolently and fiendishly dishonest which compels the man who has promised to pay the value of a bushel of wheat to satisfy a debt to surrender the value of two bushels of wheat in order to acquit the claim. A dollar that is daily acquiring a greater command over human labor and its products is not honest —it is a footpad. It enables the rich to grind the faces of the poor. It helps the speculator to acquire a title to your home for a fraction of its Value. It renders it unsafe to contract a liability or promise a future payment, and so discourages industry and deprives labor of employment. It robs every producer of wealth who has been compelled to contract a debt. It impoverishes the plowholder to fatten the bondholder. The honest dollar which we hear so much about is the greatest cheat and liar on the face of the earth. It is not only a fraud and a swindle, but an oppressor and a robber. It has compelled the American people to pay the money they borrowed to carry on the war for the union twice over, and still leaves them vastly more in debt, measured in units of wheat or cotton, than when they made the loan. Tell me that every thief in the penitentiary is an honest man, and I will believe it sooner that to admit that your gold standard is anything but a pickpocket. The issue is plain.

Arthur and Alfred Hopkins made a trip to Fowler and returned yesterday on their tandem. While the former was transacting some business in Fowler the latter continued on to the Boswell fair. On their return they were entertained with refreshments consisting of apples, peaches and grapes by W. I. MC’ollough. chairman of the Benton county populist central committee, at his farm near Lochiel. Andrew Hall, a prominent Newton county man, formerly a republican, has come out for Bryan and will speak at Mt. Ayr, Saturday evening, Sept 12,1896. Robert Clark is on the sick list. J. W Jessup, the contracter. has just completed houses for Alton Padgett and J. T. Saylor and has the contract for two school houses in this county. Charles Malchow is building a nice one and a half story cottage in Kannal's addition. Mrs. Lillie Hyland and twin daughters of Gilman, 111., are visiting relatives in Rensselaer. Mr. and Mrs. H. E. Gamble of St. Louis, Mo., are visiting the latter’s parents, Dr. and Mrs. M. B. Alter.

Council met in extra session the 7th inst. and awarded contract for sewers on Forest and Cullen Streets. The bids ranged from 15e and 19c to 70c and 78c per foot. 1000 feet 8-inch and 1500 feet 10-inch sewer was let to J. C. Thrall, at fifteen and nineteen cents, the total cost being 8435.00. There are three families of gypsies camped in the southern part of our city whose business seems to be as diversified as are the families. It is in evidence that they trade horses and the elder females beg while the younger ones tell fortunes, etc. A. Lewis, the Rensselaer cigar manufacturer, has moved into his new factory and keeps six hands constantly at work. He has just added a new brand to his other celebrated brands, calling it “Our New Court House.” This is a very good 5c cigar. His old standards, are “Coleridge”, “69” and “Florida L”, the last named a 10c cigar. He makes special brands for several patrons. Telephone number 1961 Foreigners own millions of acres of millions of United States bonds, and state bonds; and they own untold millions of city bonds, and other municipal obligations in the United States, and vast amounts of other properties not here specially stated. So great has became the aggregate of all *hese ownerships in the United States properties by foreigners living in foreign countries that the aggregate cannot be less than $7,000,000,000 or $8,000,000,000, with an average of earnings of not less than 5 per cent per annum.