Chapter 17 Collusion
In the Capitol, members of the two parties filed out one after another. Judging from their tense faces, most of the proposals today did not have a good result. The same was true for President Cleveland. With the invisible pressure of the British Empire outside and the trouble of domestic economic depression inside, he was not having an easy time in the White House for the second time.
However, the matter is not over yet. Representatives of a large number of Democratic Party members have already been waiting in the White House, ready to put pressure on the exhausted President again. This is not a question of negotiation or not. They hope that the President can agree to their suggestions instead of just talking about it.
"The facts are very clear now. The Republicans are fanning the flames and trying to put the president on the spot. The domestic economy is depressed, and Britain's actions in the Caribbean are worrying." Anderson was the first to stand out from the crowd among several congressmen and spoke to Cleveland who had just returned. "Mr. President, the isolationism you insist on now seems to be not supported by the people. For many people, they are looking forward to you to realize the arrival of the American century, even if it is only a little bit."
"This is all instigated by the Republicans. We only have more than 30,000 troops. How can we fight against the British?" Cleveland said with a haggard face. The economic depression and Britain's policy of moving north were indeed a headache. "And now domestic prices are soaring. Southern states report that this year's climate has caused agricultural and animal husbandry production to be lower than expected. Grain and meat prices have begun to rise."
"But this is our chance, isn't it, Mr. President?" Anderson lowered his head slightly and said in an emphasizing tone, "The two things happening at this point in time are the moment to arouse people's trust. The current rise in grain and food prices requires people to form an understanding of Britain's suppression, and we have a chance to regulate the domestic economy. In fact, the food panic in the southern states can be solved by Mrs. Annabelle, a staunch Democrat. Mrs. Annabelle has a wide influence in the hearts of farmers in the South. As long as Mrs. Annabelle is willing to help, stabilizing the situation should not be a problem."
"Let me think about it. If we are going to take action against the British, we need a fearless person to stand up now. We need to find a candidate to formally protest to Britain on behalf of the federal government and preserve Venezuela's independence and stability." President Cleveland fell into long consideration, and several candidates flashed through his mind in an instant.
It must be admitted that he has been persuaded. The hardliners within the Democratic Party have put forward very formal reasons. If we turn a blind eye to what is happening in Venezuela today and succumb to the actions of the British Empire, and if the British Empire does so without any countermeasures, then the French can do the same, and the Germans can do the same. Then, can Italy and even Belgium do the same?
President Monroe's statement that America is for Americans would really become a joke. The United States would lose its dignity in front of all American countries, and the image it had established after the War of Independence would also be gone.
In the future, who in the American countries will take the words of the United States seriously? There will definitely be more and more cases where the United States will pull European countries to promote its own interests. If the United States backs down this time, the impact will not only be on Venezuela.
Of course, now is the time for the American people to show their patriotism, and temporarily forget about the economic depression, the factory layoffs, the rising food prices, and the cold winter. Let the people put all their passion on the British and form a common hatred of the enemy.
"All grains shipped today will be increased in price by another 10%. Here is a list of prices for various grains. Any dealer who does not comply will be expelled from the Farmers and Stockmen Association. Did you hear that?" At the New Orleans dock, a middle-aged man wearing a cowboy hat and with his hands on his waist said arrogantly to the ship that was about to set sail.
"The price is going up again. It's only been a few days and the price has changed again?" Upon hearing the man say this, a man with a northern accent complained, "There must be some reason, right?"
Starve you Yankees to death? You can buy it or not! The man in the cowboy hat thought with disdain in his heart, and said indifferently, "The climate this year is a bit abnormal, colder than in previous years, which may be due to the Arctic Ocean cold current. Therefore, grain production may shrink. It is not only the agricultural and livestock products in New Orleans that have increased in price, but also in Texas and Mississippi. Even many farmers are waiting for the price to rise, and the price is higher than that of the Farmers and Livestock Association. There is nothing we can do about it."
This is the truth, and it is true in fact. Ordinary farmers are the easiest to scare. As long as the agricultural and animal husbandry association releases negative news, there will be a time difference in information asymmetry. Ordinary farmers will naturally not dare to act rashly. At the same time, they hope to make a fortune by raising prices, so they will only wait for the price to rise.
As for the weather, which is obviously an excuse for shirking responsibility, it is just a casual remark. Weather often becomes a fig leaf. This is the case in Chinese and foreign history. Everything can be blamed on the weather. It is not that our army is incompetent, but that the weather is unpredictable.
"The weather in New Orleans is nice and the climate is pleasant. I really got to see it this time. It is also located at the mouth of the Mississippi River. No wonder it was the center of the South. The group of plantation owners who came back for inspection this time were quite satisfied. They even mentioned that many local Brazilian plantation owners have a tendency to immigrate. However, I did not agree and said I would come back to ask you, grandma." Sheffield, who had just returned to Arlington, told the story without hiding anything, waiting for Annabelle's judgment.
"Just do whatever you want. You are the only heir of the Sheffield family and have no competitors. Unlike your grandfather, you still need my help." Annabelle said indifferently, "It's a good thing even if you fail a few times. It will be more useful than anything I can teach you. So don't worry, just do it if you think it's right."
"Who hasn't started from scratch? Back then, my parents organized a slave hunting team deep into Africa. The conditions were very difficult." Annabelle talked about her childhood life. "Your grandfather slept with a gun in his arms in order to catch the Yankees on the Underground Railroad."
"That's really hard work!" Sheffield agreed dryly. The Underground Railroad seemed to be a nickname for the Yankees in the North who came to steal black people and bring them to the North in order to liberate them. Of course, in the eyes of the Dixie people in the South, this was a very straightforward thief. He changed the subject very abruptly, "It seems that the train station is very busy, and many freight cars are waiting."
"They have money!" Annabelle's words were ambiguous. If nothing unexpected happened, the prices of agricultural and livestock products would rise a lot after they were shipped out of the South. When it came to hoarding goods, there was no need to distinguish between Yankees and Dixies. The Yankees who hoarded goods would raise the prices themselves to a level that the locals could afford.
(End of this chapter)
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