Part Three: The Poor during the Great Depression in the United States

In order to cultivate a group of smarter, stronger, and braver individuals, is there anyone else willing to sacrifice the constitutional system? Yes. Apart from the president of Columbia University and the bond broker who attempted to bribe General Butler, few openly advocate for unadulterated totalitarianism, yet many support the principles of totalitarianism. The Governor of Kansas, Landon, claimed: "It is better to let a dictator rule with an iron fist than to allow the nation to become paralyzed." (This is a reference to Roosevelt, who was paralyzed in both legs.) In 1932, apart from the president of Columbia University and the bond broker who attempted to bribe General Butler, few openly advocated for unadulterated totalitarianism, yet many supported the principles of totalitarianism. The Governor of Kansas, Landon, claimed: "It is better to let a dictator rule with an iron fist than to allow the nation to become paralyzed." (This is a reference to Roosevelt, who was paralyzed in both legs.) In 1932, Congressman Hamilton Fish from New York stated: "If we cannot implement dictatorship under the current system, the people will reform this system." In February 1933, he wrote to President-elect Roosevelt: "Whatever powers you need, I and other members of the Republican Party are ready to give you." Al Smith believed that the Constitution should be put away, "shelved high up," until the crisis passed. The magazine "Vanity Fair" (which had several associate editors, including Clare Boothe Luce, who would later become Mrs. Luce) even issued such a "call": "Appoint a dictator!" Walter Lippmann called for a reduction of congressional power, allowing the president to handle national affairs with full authority. He stated: "The danger is not that we lose our freedom, but that we become inefficient and incomplete in our actions." Republican Senator David A. Reed bluntly said: "If there was ever a time when America needed a Mussolini, it is today." The magazine "Vanity Fair" (which had several associate editors, including Clare Boothe Luce, who would later become Mrs. Luce) even issued such a "call": "Appoint a dictator!" Walter Lippmann called for a reduction of congressional power, allowing the president to handle national affairs with full authority. He stated: "The danger is not that we lose our freedom, but that we become inefficient and incomplete in our actions." Republican Senator David A. Reed bluntly said: "If there was ever a time when America needed a Mussolini, it is today."

Indeed, when a person has been wandering the streets for a long time, they can find some tricks. For instance, spending five cents to get a cup of coffee, then asking for a cup of hot water for free, mixing in some ketchup from the counter, and it becomes tomato soup. In winter, stuffing newspapers inside one's shirt can provide warmth; if one anticipates waiting in line for several hours outside a job placement agency, wrapping the legs with burlap beforehand is advisable. Shoes, however, present a unique problem. Cardboard can be used to reinforce the soles, and some people prefer to stuff cotton in the heels to reduce discomfort when walking on concrete. In winter, stuffing newspapers inside one's shirt can provide warmth; if one anticipates waiting in line for several hours outside a job placement agency, wrapping the legs with burlap beforehand is advisable. Shoes, however, present a unique problem. Cardboard can be used to reinforce the soles, and some people prefer to stuff cotton in the heels to reduce discomfort when walking on concrete. However, if one shoe is truly beyond repair, then no method will be effective. The cardboard wears out first, followed by the patched socks, and then the melting snow seeps into the shoes, soaking the feet, compounded by the nails digging into the heels, resulting in the necessity to walk in a peculiar manner.

On December 5, as Hoover's term was coming to an end, the 72nd Congress, lacking sufficient members, returned to Capitol Hill in a dispirited manner. Some legislators had previously thought that the veterans who had come to the capital to petition would be driven away, and that the unemployed would be too frightened to come to Washington again; thus, they were inevitably taken aback. There were over 2,500 people, a large crowd of men, women, and children, gathered in front of the Capitol, loudly shouting: "Those who are hungry should have food, and those with money should pay more taxes! Those who are hungry should have food, and those with money should pay more taxes!" The newly appointed chief of police for the capital was ordered not to tolerate these troublemakers, and he strictly enforced this command. The police first used tear gas and riot guns to drive these people out of Capitol Hill, then surrounded them and forced them to walk along New Jersey Avenue to a temporary encampment set up on New York Avenue—Maguire Camp. The police chief told the press that he had concentrated the regulated individuals in a "detention camp." The guards mocked those being detained, denying them water, food, medical care, and even forbidding them from digging latrines. A congressman from Wisconsin told his constituents that he saw the police deliberately provoke these individuals. The detainees curled up on the cold ground for 48 hours before being released. As they were leaving, they sang a newly learned song.

In 1932, a journalist remarked that upon seeing American farmers, he was reminded of the Mongolian farmers depicted in the weekly illustrated magazines. Famine loomed on the horizon, casting its shadow over the vast American plains. Since the reign of Queen Elizabeth I (1558-1603), agricultural product prices had never been as low as they were now. The price of one bushel (approximately 36 liters) of wheat was less than 2.5 cents, one bushel of corn was 7 cents, one bushel of oats was 1 cent, and one pound of cotton or wool was 5 cents. Sugar was worth only 3 cents per pound, while pork and beef were priced at 2.5 cents per pound. A box of 200 apples, if all were intact, sold for just 4 cents. The price of one bushel (approximately 36 liters) of wheat was less than 2.5 cents, one bushel of corn was 7 cents, one bushel of oats was 1 cent, and one pound of cotton or wool was 5 cents. Sugar was worth only 3 cents per pound, while pork and beef were priced at 2.5 cents per pound. A box of 200 apples, if all were intact, sold for just 4 cents.

When adversity strikes, Americans have always sought scapegoats. In early 1932, Wolf and others concentrated their fire on the tycoons of Lower Manhattan. These scapegoats were both plump and easy to manipulate. Reflecting on the 1920s, American financiers and industrialists were once hailed as national heroes.

A spokesperson for the labor union testified before a Senate committee, discussing the issue of "the recurring riots in industrial cities." He stated, "Most of the rioters do not understand what communism is; they simply want bread." However, from the perspective of the bourgeoisie, there is no need to study the difference between implementing communism and wanting bread. Robert Sherwood aptly wrote: "The future is bleak, with occasional flashes of ominous light revealing unsettling circumstances." Since the government cannot maintain order, individuals are left to seek self-preservation. Many merchants in various cities, fearing disruptions to railways, phone lines, and roads, have organized self-defense committees. Robert Sherwood aptly wrote: "The future is bleak, with occasional flashes of ominous light revealing unsettling circumstances." Since the government cannot maintain order, individuals are left to seek self-preservation. Many merchants in various cities, fearing disruptions to railways, phone lines, and roads, have organized self-defense committees. Numerous individuals are stockpiling candles and canned food. A director from Hollywood carries a set of old clothes with him, ready to disguise himself and "blend into the crowd" at a moment's notice. Major hotels in New York City have discovered that those affluent guests who usually rent rooms in the city to spend the winter are now hiding in their country villas. Some have even set up machine guns on the rooftops of their villas. Major hotels in New York City have discovered that those affluent guests who usually rent rooms in the city to spend the winter are now hiding in their country villas. Some have even set up machine guns on the rooftops of their villas

Indeed, there are individuals who pay for jobs. A certain employment agency on Sixth Avenue in Manhattan is recruiting 300 people, and there are indeed 5,000 applicants.

William Allen White, the editor of a Republican rural newspaper, told President Hoover that he should take a look at the situation in the Midwest. White wrote: "Farmers, regardless of whether their land is mortgaged, know that with agricultural products having fallen to such prices, they will eventually be doomed." Farmers went bankrupt, unable to afford even the ropes for bundling, the tools for repairs, or the seeds for crops. At this point, the lending banks acquired ownership of the farms, transforming into remote landlords, while those who had cultivated the land for generations became tenants. Rural ranchers fed vultures with mutton and burned corn for warmth; meanwhile, millions in the cities could not afford the agricultural products that were so cheap they drove farmers to bankruptcy (butter at 39 cents per pound, prime steak at 21 cents per pound, eggs at 41 cents per two dozen). The reason they could not afford them was due to the high unemployment rate, and for those fortunate enough to still have jobs, their wages were extremely low, referred to as "starvation wages".

However, in reality, it was unfeasible. The Great Depression not only caused a surge in the number of people seeking relief but also drained the sources of relief funds. In 1932, private donations sharply decreased, accounting for only 6% of the total relief expenditures, leaving approximately thirty million people reliant on public welfare services. Unfortunately, local governments were unable to bear this heavy burden. Since 1930, budgets in various states and cities had already shown deficits. In 1932, private donations sharply decreased, accounting for only 6% of the total relief expenditures, leaving approximately thirty million people reliant on public welfare services. Unfortunately, local governments were unable to bear this heavy burden. Since 1930, budgets in various states and cities had already shown deficits. The revenue of city governments came from property taxes, approximately 90%, but the valuation of real estate during the Great Depression was absurdly high when calculated in the currency of that time. Since landlords are the owners of the properties, they are required to pay taxes; the law does not consider whether the property generates income, and the tax amount cannot be reduced. Even if tenants are living on city government relief, the relief funds do not cover rent, and property taxes still need to be paid. Since landlords are the owners of the properties, they are required to pay taxes; the law does not consider whether the property generates income, and the tax amount cannot be reduced. Even if tenants are living on city government relief, the relief funds do not cover rent, and property taxes still need to be paid. Consequently, landlords resorted to various means to collect rent, and their anger boiled over, initially seeking to evict all tenants unable to pay rent. In New York City, there were almost daily instances of tenants being evicted from the streets; the same was true in Philadelphia, where many lingered on the streets, leading young girls to invent a new game called "Evicting Tenants".

In 1933, 25.1% of the population in the United States relied on agriculture or aspired to live off agriculture. These rural inhabitants had not shared in the prosperity of the "New Century"; their situation had long been recognized nationwide as intolerable, and the stock market crash of 1929 only exacerbated their plight

In industrial towns of New England such as Lynn and Lowell, only one-third of the workers are employed, enduring conditions akin to serfdom. One worker left Manchester, New Hampshire, to seek employment in New Haven, only to be arrested there on charges of "vagrancy," brought to court, and ultimately ordered to return to his original factory. Due to the surplus of job seekers, employers repeatedly cut wages. Sales clerks in department stores earn as little as five dollars a week. A survey conducted in Chicago indicated that most female workers earn less than 25 cents per hour, with a quarter of them earning less than 10 cents. In 1932, wages in the lumber industry were reduced to 10 cents per hour, general contracting to 7.5 cents, brick manufacturing to 6 cents, and sawmills to 5 cents. Before the Great Depression, Massachusetts textile mills rarely required skilled workers to oversee 20 looms within an eight-hour day. However, after the implementation of "speed-up" and "intensified labor" systems, writer Louis Adamic witnessed young girls, some as young as ten, having to monitor 30 wide looms from dawn until dusk.

From the aforementioned matters, it cannot be denied that the operational policy adopted by Hoover's Reconstruction Finance Corporation was a significant political error. In 1932, congressional leaders finally passed a bill authorizing the Reconstruction Finance Corporation to lend 300 million dollars to state governments for unemployment relief. However, by the end of the year, only 30 million dollars had actually reached the state governments, which was merely one-third of the total amount that Dawes had lent to his own Central Republic Bank and Chicago Trust Company. President Hoover called former Ohio Senator Atlee Pomerene, appointing him to succeed Dawes in overseeing the Reconstruction Finance Corporation and the Library Bureau. When he received the call, Pomerene had only 98 cents in his pocket, and on his way to take the oath of office, he was approached by ten beggars asking for money, which could be seen as a highly symbolic anomaly. As a policy measure, the establishment of the Reconstruction Finance Corporation was a failure. It was said that the Reconstruction Finance Corporation was a 'relief agency for big businesses,' and indeed, it primarily assisted large enterprises.

By 1932, due to insufficient educational funding, 300,000 children across the country had already dropped out of school. Teachers in Mississippi, northern Minnesota, Idaho, South Dakota, and Alabama had to take turns going to students' homes to "eat pie meals." Schools in Dayton, Ohio, held classes only three days a week, and over 300 schools in Arkansas had been closed for more than ten months. In Kansas, because wheat was selling for only 25 cents per bushel, rural teachers earned only 35 dollars a month, and were paid for only eight months a year, totaling 280 dollars. Schools in Dayton, Ohio, held classes only three days a week, and over 300 schools in Arkansas had been closed for more than ten months. In Kansas, because wheat was selling for only 25 cents per bushel, rural teachers earned only 35 dollars a month, and were paid for only eight months a year, totaling 280 dollars. Teachers in Iowa earned 40 dollars a month, which was only half of the minimum living expenses for industrial workers as stated by the Washington government. Akron owed teachers as much as 300,000 dollars, Youngstown owed 500,000 dollars, Detroit owed 800,000 dollars, and Chicago's debt exceeded 20 million dollars

In just a few days, thousands of Chicagoans, including a large number of teachers, will hear astonishing news: the shares of the Insull Company in their hands have plummeted to only 4% of their original price in 1931. Insull, guarded by 36 bodyguards, worked tirelessly day and night to reverse the decline, but in April of that year, his two investment trusts were declared bankrupt. In June, he fled to Europe due to debts amounting to 60 million dollars, and the Cook County grand jury (a grand jury consists of more than 12 jurors) indicted him. To throw people off his trail, he arranged a press conference in Paris but sneaked out through the back door, catching a midnight express train south to Rome, and then flew to Athens. His lawyer had informed him that Athens was safe because Greece had not signed an extradition treaty with the United States. At that time, such a treaty indeed did not exist, but by early November, diplomats from both countries signed such a treaty. Insull hurriedly disguised himself as a woman and rented a boat to escape to Turkey. The Turkish government handed him over to U.S. authorities, and he was finally brought back to his country for trial, but he was acquitted because there were no regulations governing holding companies at that time. The humorist Will Rogers quipped at that time: "A holding company is a place where, when the police search you, you just pass the stolen goods to your accomplice, and everything is just fine."

Arise, you slaves who are suffering from hunger and cold

Near Cherokee Town, 48 miles east of Su City, Milo Reno's farmers' camp was attacked with shotguns, leading to a swift relief of Su City. Reno fled, and the farmers besieging other cities also retreated. However, Reno stated, "You cannot stop the farmers' movement, just as you cannot stop the American Revolution of 1776." The farmers used force to resist the government, which is in accordance with American tradition, and no one dared to punish them. In Council Bluffs, 60 individuals were arrested, but a thousand armed farmers besieged the prison, forcing the authorities to release them quickly. The farmers recognized the effectiveness of direct action and decided to find a way to reclaim the lands from which their redemption rights had been revoked.

After the court signed the documents to cancel the farm redemption rights, often several hundred farmers would appear at the auction site, shouting loudly: "Do not sell!" Those prepared to bid were pushed aside, and the neighbors of the landowners whose land had been seized would buy back the original land for just a few dollars. On one occasion, the county enforcement officer presided over the auction, where a horse sold for only five cents, a Holstein bull also for five cents, three pigs for another five cents, and two calves for four cents, and so on. By the time all the property changed hands, the total value was only one dollar and eight cents. The buyer returned the land to the original owner, and an official deed was issued, confirming a 99-year property right. On another occasion, the county enforcement officer presided over the auction, where a horse sold for only five cents, a Holstein bull also for five cents, three pigs for another five cents, and two calves for four cents, and so on. By the time all the property changed hands, the total value was only one dollar and eight cents. The buyer returned the land to the original owner, and an official deed was issued, confirming a 99-year property right. Lawyers sent by insurance companies from the eastern states to litigate were often kidnapped and threatened with hanging, forcing the headquarters to relent and agree to postpone the seizure of land. At the end of January 1933, John A. Simpson, president of the National Farmers' Association, told the Senate Agriculture Committee: "The largest and most beautiful revolution has now emerged across the country." Edward A. O'Neill III, president of the American Agricultural Service Association, added: "Unless something is done for American farmers, within a year, there will be a revolution in the countryside."

In the year 1932, 65% of American industry was controlled by 600 companies; only 1% of the national population held 59% of the national wealth

When it comes to the schools in Chicago, it is indeed a remarkable story from the Great Depression. Local teachers, unable to bear the sight of 500,000 children being deprived of education, hitchhiked to school instead of taking public transport due to financial constraints, and continued to work without pay (until 1932, they were paid for only five months out of thirteen). The promissory notes issued by the city government stipulated that they could only be redeemed after the Great Depression, and banks refused to cash them, yet the teachers accepted them. Somehow, the city government managed to prepare for the Chicago World's Fair the following year (during the fair, the erotic dancer Sally Rand earned 6,000 dollars weekly), but when the education bureau requested funding, the government turned a deaf ear. A thousand teachers were outright dismissed, and those who were not laid off had to endure tremendous sacrifices to continue working. Among the 1,400 retained teachers in the city, 759 were evicted by their landlords. They borrowed 1.128 million dollars against their insurance policies and took out loans of 232,000 dollars from usurers at an annual interest rate of 42%. Despite suffering from hunger themselves, these teachers still managed to pull money from their meager pockets to support 11,000 elementary school students.

Rogers also stated: "The actions of these individuals have not yet crossed the boundaries of the law, but they are already on the edge, very close to facing legal action." In order to seek evidence of criminal activity, the Congress, which is dominated by the Democratic Party, conducted investigations throughout Wall Street, and indeed uncovered some unusual figures.

The various ingenious methods that poor families devise to save money are truly remarkable. Men sharpen their razor blades for reuse; they roll their own cigarettes or smoke "Wings" brand (one dime per pack); to save electricity, they switch to 25-watt light bulbs. Children collect soda bottles to return for cash, earning two cents each; they line up at the bakery to buy day-old bread. Women and girls cut old bed sheets and sew the edges together, thus shifting the worn-out parts to the sides; they alter their own clothes for their daughters to wear, so as not to appear shabby in front of the neighbors—who are likely just as tight on funds and probably employ similar methods. Many families save the Christmas cards they receive, intending to send them to other friends the following year. Sometimes, someone may not be seen for several weeks, and the neighbors only hear that he "has gone out for something." If this person is considerate of his wife, he will not reveal the true nature of his absence to her, as she could never imagine the hardships involved.

Outside a village in Kansas, the police discovered a corpse. The victim was a lawyer who had just announced the cancellation of the redemption rights on a 500-acre farm. In Cheyenne County, Nebraska, there are two hundred thousand farmers heavily in debt, and their leaders declared that if the state legislature did not find a way to help them, they would unite to flatten the state capitol building. During the last winter of President Hoover's term, riots erupted in places such as Storm Lake, Plingar, Van Buren County, and Lemars in Iowa over the issue of farm redemption rights cancellation. In Cheyenne County, Nebraska, there are two hundred thousand farmers heavily in debt, and their leaders declared that if the state legislature did not find a way to help them, they would unite to flatten the state capitol building. During the last winter of President Hoover's term, riots erupted in places such as Storm Lake, Plingar, Van Buren County, and Lemars in Iowa over the issue of farm redemption rights cancellation. The incident in Lemars was particularly frightening: members of a self-defense group, dressed in black shirts, stormed into the courthouse, pulled Judge Charles C. Bradley down from the bench, blindfolded him, and forced him into a car, taking him to a remote intersection. The leader of the self-defense group asked him, "Will you swear that you will never again sign documents canceling farm redemption rights?" The judge did not agree. After repeated questioning, he still did not agree. They slapped him, kicked him, and knocked him to the ground; they tied one end of a rope around his neck and the other end to a signpost; they placed a greasy hubcap on his head, while someone nearby shouted, "This is his crown!" The judge never agreed to their demands. They slapped him, kicked him, and knocked him to the ground; they tied one end of a rope around his neck and the other end to a signpost; they placed a greasy hubcap on his head, while someone nearby shouted, "This is his crown!" The judge never agreed to their demands. However, despite being stripped of his clothes and beaten, he did not dare to bring charges against those individuals afterward

The fervent passion has already boiled over

In New York, Russia has a trade institution called the Soviet-American Trading Company, which receives an average of 350 applications daily for immigration to Russia. One particularly memorable occasion was when they advertised for 6,000 skilled workers, and the number of applicants reached as high as 100,000. Among them were pipefitters, painters, machinists, chefs, train engineers, carpenters, electricians, salespeople, printers, chemists, shoemakers, librarians, educators, and dentists. Additionally, there was one each of a laundry worker, a pilot, and a funeral worker.

In the "sweatshops" of Brooklyn, child laborers around the age of 15 earn only $2.78 per week. Female workers work 50 hours a week for a wage of $2.39. In the summer of 1932, the Commissioner of Labor in Connecticut reported that workers in over 100 factories in the state worked 55 hours a week, earning only 60 cents. New York City is the place in New York State where workers are most exploited, and the garment industry within the city, employing 50,000 female workers, is the most egregious in its exploitation. The magazine "Time" stated that "lawless employers" have "driven American workers' wages down to the level of Chinese coolies." Hat makers earn 40 cents for crocheting a dozen hats, and can only produce two dozen in a week. Female workers making aprons earn 2.5 cents for each apron, making only 20 cents a day. The magazine "Time" stated that "lawless employers" have "driven American workers' wages down to the level of Chinese coolies." Hat makers earn 40 cents for crocheting a dozen hats, and can only produce two dozen in a week. Female workers making aprons earn 2.5 cents for each apron, making only 20 cents a day. Female workers adding linings to slippers earn only 21 cents for 72 pairs; if they can process one slipper every 45 seconds and work nine hours a day, they take home only $1.05. In a pants factory, female workers earn half a cent for removing the threads and cleaning a pair of pants with a sponge. It takes five minutes to process one pair, resulting in an hourly wage of 6 cents. In a pants factory, female workers earn half a cent for removing the threads and cleaning a pair of pants with a sponge. It takes five minutes to process one pair, resulting in an hourly wage of 6 cents. Any employer who is a bit more humane cannot compete with such sweatshops. The number of people receiving relief is increasing, yet President Hoover still refuses to allocate funds from the treasury for assistance, thus, as the Great Depression approaches its fourth winter, the entire relief system is on the verge of collapse

The wealthy are losing their composure. The attitudes of personnel in recruitment departments across various companies are becoming increasingly rude and aggressive. Bank tellers are on edge, and elected mayors and county officials are quick to call in the police, who are equally quick to resort to batons. Henry Ford, who has always preferred words over actions, is now carrying a gun. A delegation from the unemployed workers' committee in Richmond, Virginia, visited Mayor Fulmer Bright a few days after Thanksgiving, and the mayor instructed the sheriff: "Grab them by the collar and the crotch and throw them out." In Fayette County, Pennsylvania, private security guards employed by a mining company panicked and shot dead four miners. New York City has banned apple vendors from setting up stalls on the sidewalks. The newly elected mayor, John O'Brien, boasted to the citizens: "Your new mayor is a tough guy; the Red Army will not be allowed to invade New York City." Plainclothes police charged into a rally at Federal Plaza, and according to the New York Times, "Women screamed, and men were left bloodied and battered." In Oklahoma City, police used tear gas to disperse the crowd. Someone occupied the city hall in Seattle, and the police drove them away with fire hoses. In Chicago, on-duty police used batons against teachers demanding their wages. Two police officers apprehended a middle-aged female teacher, while another struck her violently.

A Republican gubernatorial candidate from New Jersey brought good news to the voters: "Excessive prosperity can corrupt the moral character of the people." It was reported that someone suggested a member of the DuPont family fund a Sunday afternoon radio program, but he declined, believing that "at three o'clock on Sunday afternoon, everyone is playing polo and has no time to listen"

The details of the family across the door are inscrutable to anyone. That well-dressed young lawyer, who leaves home punctually every morning, might very well be going to a remote area to sell magazines, inexpensive ties, vacuum cleaners, pressure cookers, or "two-in-one" shoe polish. He might even change into a set of tattered clothes and beg from passersby in another district. He could also be like thousands upon thousands of others, year after year, day after day, unable to find work, watching his children grow increasingly emaciated, engaged in a nightly battle with despair. He might even change into a set of tattered clothes and beg from passersby in another district. He could also be like thousands upon thousands of others, year after year, day after day, unable to find work, watching his children grow increasingly emaciated, engaged in a nightly battle with despair.

We eat our wheat, ham, and eggs

The hunger of the masses contrasts with the gluttony of the wealthy

If your esteemed wife is expecting and wishes to give birth in Royce City, please ensure that sufficient funds are prepared for payment, as this is necessary for the delivery services. This is hereby announced

Throughout the early 1930s, particularly during the final months of the 72nd Congress, the sound of hungry demonstrators marching echoed across the nation. In New York, 35,000 people packed Federal Plaza to listen to speeches by Communists. In Oklahoma City, Minneapolis, and St. Paul, groups of people stormed grocery stores and meat markets, clearing the shelves of goods. While most felt a quiet desperation (the number of suicides tripled that winter), an increasing number began to gather and take violent action. In Lincoln, Nebraska, 4,000 occupied the state capitol, while in Seattle, 5,000 occupied the ten-story city hall. In Chicago, 5,000 desperate teachers stormed downtown banks. The unemployed were becoming increasingly familiar with the tune of "The Internationale." A 42-year-old activist named Louis Budenz even led a march of the unemployed from Ohio to the Columbus City Hall, proclaiming, "We must seize power and establish a workers' and farmers' republic."

The entire labor movement has nearly vanished: the number of members in labor unions decreased from 4.1 million in 1920 to 2.2 million, accounting for only 6% of the total labor force. In 1932, there were several desperate strikes, all of which ended in failure. Many miners earned only 10 dollars and 88 cents per month; they were often subjected to the pressure of weighmasters and had to purchase daily necessities at inflated prices from company-owned stores. Whenever they resisted, the armed thugs of the capitalists, in collusion with the National Guard, carried out brutal repression. The United Mine Workers, being weak and powerless, could only express sympathy for the victims, with no other means available.

Local government finances have gone bankrupt, and there is a prevailing belief in society that poverty is largely self-inflicted. Consequently, the conditions for receiving public assistance are extremely stringent. In order to have their applications for aid considered, individuals must first liquidate their assets, cancel their insurance, and reach a point of being unable to borrow any further, all while proving that all their relatives are also bankrupt. Even if these conditions are met, unmarried individuals or those who are married without children often still cannot receive assistance in many cities. The act of accepting aid is looked down upon. In September 1932, the city of Lewiston in Maine passed a resolution prohibiting individuals receiving relief from participating in elections. This measure was unnecessary in ten states, from Massachusetts to Oregon, as the constitutions of these states had long stipulated property requirements for voters. In West Virginia, hospitals require patients to guarantee payment for medical expenses before admitting them; in one case, a child needed surgery, and the referring physician (who has a private practice but no operating room or inpatient facilities, referring patients needing surgery to other hospitals) even advised the surgeon to wait until the child's parents agreed to pay 1,000 yuan. In Royce City, Texas, two doctors placed an advertisement in the local newspaper:

Let us celebrate the Farmers' Festival

In Chicago, there is a man named Samuel Insull, who serves as a director for 85 companies, chairman for 65 companies, and general manager for 11 companies. The various utilities he oversees form a vast empire, comprising 150 companies with 50,000 employees serving 3.25 million customers. On New Year's Day in 1932, the securities he owned were valued at over 3 billion dollars. Unemployed individuals, gathered in the lower part of Wacker Drive to keep warm by a fire, looked up at the towering Insull Building and lamented to some reporters, "Why can't that old man help us a little?"

Sweatshops, wages, benefits, and the government

Public officials and those receiving relief often cannot be distinguished from one another, as their sources of income are the same. Generally speaking, local gentry can still ensure that local police wear decent uniforms, as there was a collective concern for public safety at that time. However, there was no such concern for public school teachers; due to insufficient tax revenue from local governments, teachers' lives were more difficult than others. At the beginning of the Great Depression, money was even deducted from their salaries to fund soup kitchens. The number of students increased by over 200,000 each year, forcing schools to further cut expenses. Classrooms were insufficient, and desks were placed in the corridors, in makeshift rooms with stoves, and even in tin shacks. Music and art classes were canceled, and textbooks used in one semester were passed on to another class the following semester, resulting in dog-eared, stained, and incomplete materials. Classrooms became increasingly crowded, and eventually, even teachers' salaries could not be paid.

The tricks of Ivar Kreuger, the "Swedish Match King," were legal, and tax evasion was also legal. However, despite the numerous loopholes in the tax laws at the time, some individuals still strayed beyond the bounds of legality and fell into the net of the law. Ivar Kreuger had received the Grand Officer's Medal of the Legion of Honor in France (the Legion of Honor was established in 1802 by Napoleon to reward individuals who had made significant contributions in military and political fields. The medal is now divided into five ranks, with the Grand Officer's Medal being the second rank). He served as an advisor to President Hoover on the study of the European Great Depression, and he was widely regarded as honest and reliable. Therefore, in 1928, the Lee and Higginson Investment Company in Boston issued bonds worth several million dollars, backed by securities issued by this king. At that time, the managers even followed his personal advice and did not bother to check his accounts. On March 12, 1932, he purchased a large handgun and committed suicide in his luxurious apartment in Paris. After people praised him, they discovered that this king was, in fact, a thorough criminal, having defrauded many and forged government bonds of Italy. Among other crimes, he also stole over 300 million dollars from investors who had placed their unwavering trust in him.

At this time, Andrew Mellon was also pursuing those who owed taxes in his capacity as Secretary of the Treasury, yet he applied a different standard to himself. Following Mellon's instructions, the Commissioner of Internal Revenue wrote a memorandum listing 12 methods of evading federal taxes. This news shocked the nation. Consequently, a tax expert from the Treasury Department was assigned to review Mellon's personal income tax returns. It was discovered that Mellon had indeed employed five of the suggestions from the Commissioner, including falsely reporting several gifts and claiming various losses to evade taxes. The revelation of these matters infuriated Congressman Wright Patman from Texas, who on January 25, 1932, called for the House of Representatives to impeach Secretary Mellon on the grounds of "moral turpitude and misconduct." However, there were still many who held Mellon in high regard. In their view, publicly disclosing these shocking revelations was akin to inciting rebellion. A person who admired Mellon (his lawyer) sharply criticized a reporter from The New York Times, accusing him of "providing ammunition to radicals."

Banker Albert H. Wiggin short-sold shares of his bank (Chase Bank) and subsequently lied about it. Due to poor business, Charles Mitchell of Citibank tore up the merger agreement with the Grain Trading Bank; he also insisted that the bank's accountants and cashiers continue to make installment payments for Citibank shares at the pre-crash price (originally $200 per share, which had fallen to $40) without any guarantees or interest, while lending $2.4 million of the shareholders' money to senior staff of the bank for speculative trading. Additionally, Mitchell sold securities at a loss to family members and then repurchased them to evade federal income tax. J.P. Morgan exploited similar loopholes, and during the years 1929, 1930, and 1931, he did not pay a single cent in income tax. Colonel Robert McCormick, owner of the Chicago Tribune, symbolically reported only $1,500 in income tax for the year, yet wrote numerous lengthy editorials urging readers to pay their taxes honestly, without exception.

Millions of people escape death only by living like beasts. In rural Pennsylvania, people eat wild roots and dandelions; in Kentucky, they consume violet leaves, wild onions, forget-me-nots, wild lettuce, and wild grasses that are usually meant for livestock. Mothers of city children linger at the docks, waiting for rotten fruits and vegetables to be thrown out, rushing to compete with stray dogs for them. When vegetables are loaded onto trucks from the docks, they run after them, picking up anything that falls. In the Midwest, a hotel chef placed a bucket of leftover food in the alley outside the kitchen, and immediately about ten people rushed out from the darkness to grab it. In Long Beach, California, a 66-year-old internist named Francis Everett Thompson, while shaving by the window, looked outside and saw "three thin, haggard, elderly women" (as he later described) "leaning over several garbage bins, rummaging through them." People have also been seen with their entire families digging through garbage piles for bones and watermelon rinds to gnaw on. Due to the abundance of maggots, a widow in Chicago always removes her glasses before scavenging for food, preferring not to see. Novelist Thomas Wolfe observed a group of "homeless people loitering near restaurants, lifting the lids of garbage cans to find rotten food to eat" on the streets of New York at night. He had seen such people "everywhere before, but by the tragic and desperate year of 1932, their numbers had increased dramatically."

A senator expressed the opinion that workers now only receive one or two days' wages per week, which is simply insufficient to meet their living needs. However, the president of the National Manufacturers Association, Edgerton, stated: "Wages should depend on the needs of the workers; I have never considered this. I pay wages based on efficiency. As for social welfare, I handle it as a religious matter." Undoubtedly, he believes he has fulfilled his responsibilities. As noted by Fortune magazine, the prevailing theory at the time was similar to that of the past, assuming that with private charitable endeavors and public-private welfare agencies, the elderly, sick, and poor would all be taken care of.

For educators, relief workers, and police officers, the harsh realities of impoverished life are all too clear. In the early 1930s, no one referred to the police as "pigs." Even when the police were dispatched to break up strikes, the general sentiment was that they, like the workers, were also victims of exploitation. On March 7, the authorities brutally suppressed the "Anti-Hunger March" at the Ford plant. The following day, the Chief of Police in Detroit dismissed 162 officers. Since 1930, patrol officers in New York City have been distributing relief food to the poor in the most impoverished neighborhoods where they serve, with the funds donated by city officials (including police officers), amounting to 1% of their income. As Caroline Bird pointed out, this was "the first public acknowledgment that the authorities are responsible for those who are law-abiding yet trapped in abject poverty. However, it is not the upper echelons who acknowledge this, but rather the lowest-ranking public officials working in the slums."

Because they feel that being poor is shameful, people often conceal their circumstances, not allowing their neighbors to know, and they frequently manage to keep it hidden.

Nicholas, members of the Brooklyn Eagle, the Princeton University dining club, and the Elks Lodge seemed never to have considered that a more dramatic solution was already at hand. The wealthy are well-fed while the masses are starving; this stark contrast has been contemplated by some at https://www.hetushucomcom, who feel that the shadows of future events are already faintly visible. Thomas Wolfe often stood in New York's public restrooms, conversing with those in dire circumstances, until he could no longer bear to listen, at which point he would ascend 20 feet up the stairs, standing on the sidewalk gazing at the scene. The wealthy are well-fed while the masses are starving; this stark contrast has been contemplated by some at https://www.hetushucomcom, who feel that the shadows of future events are already faintly visible. Thomas Wolfe often stood in New York's public restrooms, conversing with those in dire circumstances, until he could no longer bear to listen, at which point he would ascend 20 feet up the stairs, standing on the sidewalk gazing at the scene, where "the skyscrapers of Manhattan shimmered in the cold light of a winter night. The Woolworth Building was less than 50 yards away, and not far beyond it were several major banks on Wall Street, all fortresses built of granite and steel, their rooftop spires radiating a silvery glow. There is no greater injustice in the world than this: on one side is a hell of misery, and on the other side, separated by a street, stand magnificent buildings illuminated by bright lights in the desolate moonlight. The Woolworth Building was less than 50 yards away, and not far beyond it were several major banks on Wall Street, all fortresses built of granite and steel, their rooftop spires radiating a silvery glow. There is no greater injustice in the world than this: on one side is a hell of misery, and on the other side, separated by a street, stand magnificent buildings illuminated by bright lights in the desolate moonlight. These skyscrapers represent the pinnacle of power, with much of the world's wealth securely locked away in the solid underground vaults beneath them.

Farmers and Agriculture

However, driving out tenants and vacating houses does not solve the problem. This only makes property owners even less popular, yet it does not enable them to pay taxes. The result, as Professor Sumner H. Slichter of Harvard Business School stated to the Senate Manufacturing Committee, is that "nationwide, nearly all unemployed individuals have deferred their rent payments." In various urban and suburban areas, the rate of unpaid property taxes is between 20% and 30%. With the loss of this revenue, cities have had to cut back on public utilities. Consequently, as Professor Slichter noted, "nationwide, nearly all unemployed individuals have deferred their rent payments." In various urban and suburban areas, the rate of unpaid property taxes is between 20% and 30%. With the loss of this revenue, cities have had to cut back on public utilities. As a result, roads have fallen into disrepair, sidewalks are in a state of disrepair, and during winter, snow and ice remain uncleared. Due to taxpayers banding together to refuse payment, the city of Chicago has gone two years without income and has had to borrow from banks. The 600,000 unemployed individuals within the city have further exacerbated the situation.

Will Rogers said: "Paul Revere (a Bostonian, on the night of April 18, 1775, as the British troops set out to attack the Continental Army in North America, rode overnight from Charlestown to Lexington, alerting everyone along the way to prepare in time) only awakened the people of Concord, but these fellows awakened the entire America." And listen to the people of Iowa singing such a song on Highway 20

However, President Hoover told reporters: "No one is truly starving. Take those homeless people, for instance; they are eating better than ever before. There is a homeless man in New York who eats ten meals a day." The September 1932 issue of Fortune magazine outright accused the president of lying, stating: "It should be said that 25 million people are struggling to make ends meet, which is a more accurate depiction of the American economic situation." Numerous accounts of people dying of starvation were recorded by Fortune magazine, the San Francisco Chronicle, The Atlantic Monthly, The New York Times, and congressional hearings. It stated: "It should be said that 25 million people are struggling to make ends meet, which is a more accurate depiction of the American economic situation." The New York City Welfare Commission reported that 29 people died of starvation, and another 110 died from malnutrition, most of whom were children. President Hoover was completely oblivious to the suffering of the people, but after leaving office, he could not avoid witnessing it: once while fishing in the Rocky Mountains, a local person took him to a cabin where he saw a child who had already starved to death, and seven others were on the brink of death.

The Farmers' Festival should be celebrated well

In certain places, taxpayer associations actually attempt to prevent children who are not eligible for relief from attending school; some families receiving public assistance are even prohibited from entering churches to worship

However, this song is lost on the financial giants. They remain short-sighted, overbearing, and detached from reality. The articles they read in magazines like "Digest" merely extol the benefits brought about by the Great Depression, stating, "People are now more polite in business than before, and at home, they often reason more than they used to, especially those foolish women. In the past, they were ungrateful, indifferent to their husbands, and neglectful of household duties; now they are all obedient and cautious."

President Hoover opposed wage cuts and expressed his views on the matter; however, he also opposed the legal stipulation of minimum hourly wages. Consequently, when the United States Steel Corporation sought to implement significant wage reductions again in the spring of 1932, the workers found themselves utterly powerless.

J.P. Morgan stated, "If the leisure class is eliminated, then civilization itself is eliminated. The leisure class I refer to consists of households that can afford to hire a servant, and there are approximately 25 to 30 million such households nationwide." People informed him that, according to the census, the total number of household servants in the country was less than 2 million, and he seemed surprised. However, it was not surprising that people felt Morgan did not understand the reality. As Walter Lippmann wrote, many leaders in American industry and finance have "fallen from the most influential and authoritative heights in our history to the most deplorable conditions."

Indeed, there are individuals who stay overnight at the entrance of the Detroit Employment Agency, eager to secure a prime position the next day

Under the leadership of Milo Reno, the former president of the Iowa Farmers' Association, farmers blocked all ten roads leading to Sioux City, using telephone poles with long nails and logs to obstruct the center of the roads. The milk transported by passing trucks was either dumped into ditches or distributed for free within the city. Only trucks delivering milk to hospitals were allowed to pass. If a police escort arrived, sympathetic telephone operators would tip off the farmers an hour in advance. The officers were disarmed, with their pistols and badges thrown into the cornfields. Highway 20 was thus renamed Bunker Hill Highway (Bunker Hill is a small hill near Boston, where American forces defeated the British in 1775 during the War of Independence). An old man wearing a ten-cent straw hat looked at Mary Heaton Vorse, the editor of Harper's Monthly, and said, "They say blocking the roads is illegal, but I say, when the Bostonians dumped tea into the sea, that wasn't exactly legal, was it?" (In 1773, the people of Boston protested against heavy British taxation by dumping 342 chests of tea imported by the East India Company into the sea, which was a prelude to the American War of Independence)

A survey conducted by "Business Weekly" has confirmed that many people no longer like the United States; some have already left, while others are trying to leave. In the early 1930s, the number of people moving abroad exceeded those moving in year after year

Such individuals who "go out" are certainly in search of employment. Regarding job hunting, there are numerous tales from around 1932, some of which sound bizarre, yet they are entirely true

These are all measures of last resort, with success being exceedingly rare, as there are simply too few people with the means to purchase goods, ultimately leading to the acknowledgment of failure. When fathers rushed to the city hall to declare that they had lost everything, they requested to be included in the poor register. Due to numerous statistical errors and omissions, the exact number of the impoverished on that day remains unknown; however, it is estimated that approximately 15 to 17 million people were unemployed, most of whom were the sole breadwinners for their families. In September 1932, Fortune magazine estimated that 34 million adults and children in the United States had no income whatsoever, a figure close to 28% of the total population. Furthermore, this research report, like others, did not include the 11 million rural households that were suffering in another form of hell.

Indeed, there is an individual from Arkansas who walked 900 miles in search of employment

This generation is not overly sensitive. From various facts, if Roosevelt were indeed another Hoover, the United States would inevitably follow in the footsteps of the seven Latin American countries, and the government would be overthrown by the refugees of the Great Depression. Some business tycoons believe that revolution is imminent, and Charles Schwab is one of them. The Dean of Harvard Business School stated, "Capitalism is undergoing a test, and the future of Western civilization depends on the outcome of this test." Numerous articles in the Yale Review, Scribner's Magazine, Harper's Monthly, The American Messenger, and The Atlantic debated whether rebellion was imminent. Norman Thomas later remarked on the period "from the end of the popular vote to the inauguration of the new president," saying, "I have never heard so much open mockery of democracy and the American system, both before and after this period."

Arise, all those who suffer in the world

The results of the farmers' hard work, when converted to market prices, show that a cart of oats cannot even buy a pair of "Tom McCann" brand leather shoes priced at four yuan. A cart of wheat is sufficient to purchase this pair of shoes, but for each acre of land, one must pay three yuan and six jiao in interest on the deposit, along with a tax of one yuan and nine jiao. For every acre of wheat harvested, the farmer incurs a loss of one yuan and five jiao. In cotton fields, the strongest and fastest male laborers work from dawn until dusk for a full 14 hours to pick 300 pounds of cotton, yet they can only earn six jiao. Using corn cobs as fuel is more economical than selling corn to buy coal for burning. The price of meat has plummeted: a sheep delivered to the market incurs a transportation cost of one yuan and one jiao, but sells for less than one yuan. In Montana, a rancher, having borrowed some bullets, spent two hours killing a herd of livestock and throwing them into a ravine to rot, as the money from selling the livestock did not even cover the cost of feed. As he left, he muttered to a reporter, "Alas, this can be considered a way to cope with the depression, right!"

As later described by Arthur Schlesinger, for a full nine years, the government's attitude towards industrialists was as if they had "discovered some philosopher's stone that could transform the inherently unstable situation of capitalism into one of eternal prosperity." Mellon was once renowned, with many proclaiming him to be "the greatest Secretary of the Treasury since Alexander Hamilton (who served as the U.S. Secretary of the Treasury from 1789 to 1795, advocated for protective tariffs, and garnered the praise of the bourgeoisie through his alliances with financiers)." The monthly publication "American Business" stated that American entrepreneurs were "the most powerful people in the nation."

Due to the drastic decline in agricultural product prices, tens of thousands of notices have appeared on the doorposts of households and at the entrances of courthouses in various counties, announcing that this or that farm is in debt and not permitted to redeem. It is estimated that one-fourth of the farms in Mississippi have been auctioned off

New astonishing news emerges every week. Avril Harriman, a renowned diplomat in the United States, is known as Joseph Harriman. Upon realizing that his bank was on the verge of bankruptcy, he fled to a sanatorium in Manhattan to hide. The police were in hot pursuit, so he assumed a false identity and took refuge in a small hotel on Long Island. However, the police from Nassau County still managed to locate him. Harriman stabbed himself in the side with a knife, but the suicide attempt failed. He ultimately served two years in prison for falsifying bank records and misappropriating bank funds. Saul Singer, the executive vice chairman of the 'American Bank' (the largest bank to go bankrupt in U.S. history), was also imprisoned for similar offenses. Soon after, Howard Hobson, the general manager of the Gas and Electric Company (which has 188,576 shareholders), attempted to escape by taxi in Washington, but was pursued and captured by the police. After interrogation, it was revealed that he had committed 17 counts of fraud. George Sokolski wrote: "No one can be trusted among our past elites." Congressman Fiorello LaGuardia commented on a stock manipulation case, saying: "The dealings of these individuals are indeed dirty, but I believe that the situation is the same for anyone involved in stock trading." Joseph Kennedy himself is a business magnate, yet he stated: "People once thought that those who controlled major American companies were of good character and high ideals, but that belief has now been completely shattered."

To fight for the truth

In those years, affluent Americans believed that donating leftover food to their less fortunate compatriots was a great act of kindness. The Moose Club in Gisco Mountain, New York (a charitable organization established in 1876) and the dining committee at Princeton University instructed their servants to deliver leftover food to the poor. The Brooklyn Eagle suggested establishing a central station where charitable citizens could send their leftover soup and dishes for the poor to share. A gas company manager in Oklahoma City named John B. Nicholas drafted a plan, calling on chefs from restaurants, civic clubs, and hotels to pack leftover food into "clean five-gallon iron buckets, labeled with contents such as 'meat, beans, potatoes, bread, etc.'" These buckets would be collected by the Salvation Army and distributed to the unemployed. Meanwhile, farmers also contributed firewood, which the unemployed would chop themselves (ironically, it was the farmers who donated the firewood!). This manager wrote to Army Secretary Hurley, stating: "We anticipate that some unworthy individuals may occasionally cause trouble, but we must not fear inconvenience, for only in this way can those deserving of care receive it." Hurley thought this idea was excellent and strongly urged the government to adopt it. However, the director of the Emergency Employment Committee under Hoover believed that this approach might lead to misunderstandings and thus rejected the proposal.

The farmers' movement continues to expand, causing disruptions in transportation between the cities of Maine, Council Bluffs, and Omaha. In Wisconsin, a formidable group of farmers stormed a dairy farm three times in one day, spilling 34,000 pounds of milk on the ground and pouring gasoline into the milk barrels. A congressional subcommittee heard testimony from Oscar Ammerling, a resident of Oklahoma, recounting a conversation with a typically conservative rancher. The rancher stated, "We in America should have a revolution like that in Russia." When Ammerling asked him how he intended to do it, he replied, "We will acquire 400 machine guns... along with artillery, gun carriages, ammunition, and rifles; we are almost equipped with everything an army needs. If enough people in America dare to act like us, we will march east and cut off the eastern and western states. We have food. We have pigs, cattle, and corn; the eastern states have nothing, only the authority to seize our land. If enough people in America dare to act like us, we will march east and cut off the eastern and western states. We have food. We have pigs, cattle, and corn; the eastern states have nothing, only the authority to seize our land. We will show them a thing or two." Ammerling also informed the House Labor Committee that "many who previously enjoyed good times and were not prone to speak out are now expressing similar sentiments."

Although there are already 1 million unemployed people in New York City, countless individuals from neighboring states come to New York in search of work. Among these newcomers, a few have joined the ranks of the 7,000 "shoe shiners" who earn five cents for each shoe polished on the streets of Manhattan, while others have engaged in the smuggling of coal (10% of the coal in New York City is smuggled in by unemployed miners from Pennsylvania). However, the majority simply linger in the 82 long lines within the city to receive bread for their daily sustenance. If they have a dime to spare, they can spend the night in a small inn filled with the odors of sweat and disinfectant; if they are completely broke, they resort to picking up newspapers from the street to use as bedding, and spend the night in Central Park, at subway station entrances, or at garbage incineration plants. On cold winter nights, the residual warmth from the incineration plants attracts hundreds and thousands of people to sleep on large piles of garbage.

Let them eat their gold

Deception, extortion, villains, and the concentration of wealth

The New Yorker published a cartoon depicting a young woman at a party in Greenwich Village (which is located in lower Manhattan, New York City, and is a gathering place for artists and writers) saying to a listless young man: "Oh, it's quite simple, all we need to do is seize the power plant and the radio station." Most people believe that the current danger is the possibility of riots in the city. It is said that Secretary of War Hurley is gathering his limited troops near the major cities. The current danger is the possibility of riots in the city. It is said that Secretary of War Hurley is gathering his limited troops near the major cities. However, rebels always catch the authorities off guard, and riots tend to occur in unexpected places. It has always been thought that farmers are the most conservative among Americans, yet in the Republican stronghold of Iowa (the home state of President Hoover), the sun-tanned local farmers were the first to take up pitchforks and shotguns. They have finally resorted to force to resist such an unreasonable system: a quart of milk sells for only two cents to the farmer, but the distributor sells it for eight cents in Sioux City.

Indeed, there are individuals in Washington State who set fires in the woods with the intention of being hired as firefighters (this matter is recorded in the testimony of the Labor Subcommittee of the 72nd Congress)

However, it was the teachers who witnessed the most tragic situations, as the victims of the Great Depression were right there in the classrooms. The year 1932 was particularly dreadful; in October of that year, just a month before the election, the New York City Health Department reported that 20% of public school elementary students were malnourished. The secretary of the American Friends Service Committee told a congressional committee that in the mining areas of Ohio, West Virginia, Illinois, Kentucky, and Pennsylvania, the number of malnourished children sometimes exceeded 90%, with symptoms including "drowsiness, lethargy, fatigue, and hindered intellectual development." One teacher advised a little girl to go home and eat something, to which she replied, "No, we take turns eating at home, and today it’s my sister’s turn." Another little boy showed off his beloved rabbit, and his sister quietly told the visitor, "My brother thinks we won’t eat the rabbit, but we are going to do just that." A social worker named Lillian Wald felt deeply pained and asked, "To ensure the children are fed, some people go hungry for weeks, trembling from starvation; did you see that?" A person with children expressed his frustration, saying, "We workers no longer have the right to raise our children." A pastor from Massachusetts said, "I know a family that has only lived on lentils this year; they can’t afford bread. What will happen to our children?"

After the husband went out for a while, he crawled into an empty freight car or lay under the vehicle, then returned home, inevitably discussing with his wife how long their household finances could last. Thus, they sold their wedding rings, mortgaged their furniture, borrowed money against life insurance policies, or simply sought help from relatives. The next step often involved considering opening a family business. Initially pretending to be wealthy, they could no longer maintain the facade in the eyes of their neighbors: the yard might be transformed into a small golf course; the man might open a "living room grocery store," while the woman might offer hair washing, curling, and nail trimming services to other ladies for one dollar each. Unemployed textile workers in Massachusetts set up looms in their rooms; in Connecticut, many families strung safety pins on wire, working from dawn to dusk, earning only five dollars a week. Initially pretending to be wealthy, they could no longer maintain the facade in the eyes of their neighbors: the yard might be transformed into a small golf course; the man might open a "living room grocery store," while the woman might offer hair washing, curling, and nail trimming services to other ladies for one dollar each. Unemployed textile workers in Massachusetts set up looms in their rooms; in Connecticut, many families strung safety pins on wire, working from dawn to dusk, earning only five dollars a week.

However, Professor William Z. Ripley of Harvard University had long warned President Coolidge, stating that there were certain elements threatening the American economy: "manipulation, tricks, sweet talk, empty boasts, and deception." Yet, Coolidge did not believe such doomsayers.

The concepts of institutional norms, power dynamics, and private property (which are inherently understood without formal education, referred to by Daniel Patrick Moynihan as the "glue of human society") have begun to show signs of collapse. There are movements against taxation, and individuals are illegally mining coal from privately owned seams, all of which are ominous signs. The act of planting vegetables on vacant lots without the owner's permission is becoming increasingly common; in Detroit, where relief efforts have completely ceased, there have been sporadic and aimless riots, which is also quite troubling. Residents in some areas have fled en masse. Key West, Florida, has fallen into bankruptcy, the health department lacks funding, and garbage piles up in the streets. Hungry people across various regions are discussing the possibility of taking violent action. In Massachusetts, a mayor, while observing a line of 2,000 unemployed individuals circling the city hall, wrote: "A single spark could turn them into a mob." North Carolina Governor Max Gardner warned that there is a danger of "violent social and political revolution" on the horizon. Chicago Mayor Anton Cermak, upon hearing that Illinois refused to allocate funds to assist the 600,000 unemployed in Chicago, told the state legislature: "If you want to close the relief stations, then send in the army first."