The Western Economist from Lawrence, Kansas • 1

The Western Economist. VOL. 1. LAWRENCE, KANSAS, FEB. 1, 1895.

NO, 1 "We Hold These Troths to be Self Evident: That all Persons ate Created Free and Fqnal, with Right Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happing. CAUSES OF POVERTY. The official report of an investigation of over 8,000 cases of poverty iu the eastern cities show that 25 per cent are due to misconduct and 75 misfortune. In the misconduct cases about 16 per cent were due to intemperance. Under the various forms of misfortune "lack of jmployment" lends with 23.16 per cent; sickness, 22.27 per cent; insufficient employment," 0.51 per cent; no male sup-part," 4.30 per cent; old age, 5 per cent; "physical 3 69 per cent, and accidents, 2.86 per cent.

It is a sad fact that the majority of the destitute poor are people who deserve a better fate. Three person are suffering the evils of poverty on account of misfortune where one suffers on account of misconduct and. under the head of misfortune, lack of employment is the leading one. There is something radically wrong in our system when a young and growing country presents such statistics. There should be plenty of employment at good wages for all who are willing to work, and we believe that with better industrial and financial conditions the percentage of intemperance and other misconduct would be greatly reduced.

Atlanta Constitution. CURRENT COMMENT. Henry George and Jerry Simpson talked to the Brooklyn strikers and pointed out the only remedy for their wrongs. Accurately and strictly speaking, there is no foundation in nature or in natural law why a set of words. on parchment should coavey the dominion of land.

Black-stone's Commentaries. A Chinese gentleman elucated in America explains the cause of China's downfall. He says it was caused by political corruption. That was what was the matter with ancient Rome. It was also what whipped France in the Fran co- Prussian war.

By an oversight the date in our subhead was not changed from Jan. 1st. to Feb. 1st. Billy Btjchan and Bill Higgins are each accusing the other of being the attorney and lobbyist of the Kansas City Kas.

lottery men and gamblers, and there's no reason to sup pose either would he about a little thing like that. And Mr. Cubbison, who defeated legislation against lotteries two years ago. has introduced a bill, ostensibly to soppre8 them, but so framed as to be knocked out on the first round by the Cubbison is a la wyer. The bill to issue-one hundred millions of 11.

S. bonds in aid of the Nicaragua canal passed the U. 8. Senate by a vote of 31 to 21. Evidently the thirty ore senators a th ior it entertain a low opinion of the intelligence or of the courage of their constituents.

The Brookhn trolley roads strike was put down by 4000 po lice and 8000 i. at a cost of over a million to the tax payers ot the state and city. The damages to the car lines is repormi by President Lewis at or a total of $750,000 speni fn saving about $20,000 a year increase of wages. Several strikers and a number of spectators were shot by the militia and police. The U.

S. Supreme court has cidd that the Sherman anti-trust law does not apply to thn mgar trust. In fact it seems to apply to nothing but labor strikes. There is a section of the present tariff law which does apply to the sugar trust, but it seems a dead ietter. The iron and copper mines owned by the two Rockefellers in the Lake Superior, country are said by an expert in such property to be worth 500 millions of dollars, and are assessed at forty thousand dollars.

Prices of nearly every commodity produced by labor, especially wheat, are the lowest ever known, but real estate in cities and minincr property has steadily advanced in price. Do you see the cat Judge Gaynor of New York decided that the Brooklyn car lines were bound by law to keep their cars running, and then gave them twenty days to contradict him. But who ever heard of an injunction of strikers being suspended twen. ty days to giv them a chance to win the strike Law is a machine that works but one way. The Union Pacific railway Co.

lias been very successful in electing U. is. Senators this winter It needs them in its business now that its debt to the government is due and it wants a hundred years extension at two per cent When Bankers Morgan and Lanier undertook to use a whip on Cleveland to compel him to dismiss Secn Carlisl6 thej found him to be the stubborn fighter represented. Fifty years ago women could not vote an w'jere. In 1845 Kentucky gave scliool suffrage to widows, a right recently extended to many married women of that state, lu 1861 Kansas gave it to all women.

In 18G9 England gave municipal suffrage to single women and widows, and Wyoming gave full suffrage to all women. School suffrage was granted in 1875 by -Michigan, Minnesota' and Colorado, in 1878 by New Hampshire and Oregon, in 1879 by Massachusetts, in 1880 by New York and Vermont. In 1881 Scotland extended municipal suffrage to single women and widows, Nebraska granted school suffrage in 1883 and Wisconsin in 1885. In 1886 New Bruuswiek and Ontario granted municipal suffrage to single women and widows, and Washington gave school suffrage to all women. In 1887 municipal suffrage was extended to all women in Kansas, and school suffrage in North and South Dakota, Idaho, Montana, Arizona and New Jersey, In 1891 school suffrage was granted in Illinois.

In-1892 municipal suffrage was extended to single wonaen and widows in the Province of Quebec. In 1893 school suffrage was granted in Connecticut, and full suffrage in Colorado and New Zealand. In 1894 school suffrage was granted in Ohio, a limited municipal suffrage in Iowa, and parish and district suffrage in England. Woman's Journal. The present congress seems incapable of doing any good or very much harm to the people, but the next one is likely to be capable of much- greater harm and no good.

Our thanks are given for many kindly press notices,.