The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1878-08-07

hi fs little TOO easy 10 saisgl at she ?,
cislisss. as Mt, Hewitt mitsee an NJ tue
aissi jenca did on Safarday. ~ g
finns are very II y traes put ~ g
4 ana fact that great many 10 sn aI
.eyliehtened country bold THESE saEne apsupu
notions. Moreover. the number y not per.
ceptibIy diminishing 10 all appearane !.
increases. These people are not convinced
by ridicnie, however much IT may be De
served. An oyerturning OF society " nic si
seems only laughable to others. seems emf,
nentIy desirable TO them, and Their posltical
effort Is mainly directed BY sincere desire
so accom- sish change which appear 70 u nosI
men III the last degree absurd. u there
were to be considered only the lew VINO Ii'
logically ayoW hostility to the Whole estaD-
slished order or things, ridicHle would be as
appropriate as 1t is easy. UnioIIunatety
behind them arc muttitudes OF voters VINO
do not as vet push theories to logicai con-
c,usions, but who are nevertheless con-
s,aptly influenced by the very notions 10
which The Socialists only give ful! anu Tree
expression. IL Is not q laughing matter, Du!
very sombre fact, that q great BODY OF
voters ia this country has come to consider
that they are wronged by the exercise. Q!
rights OF property by individuals; that
there Is some gross injustice in the posses.
sion on large property by a few and OF lit.
fle or no property by the many; and tnat
the poor majority has some sort OF right 10
resist paymerits OF money loaned, or OF IN
y fercst thereon. and TO demand that lac
mower Of Government shall be employed TO
cut down the profits OF the rich and TO IN
CT ca ,e the incomes or the poor.
Until recently 1t has been the general be- e
lief that the great number OF farm-oWners
in this country would form an eiiectual
barrier against any assault upon rlSnty vi
property. But it has come 10 pass tnat
many farmers have adopted Ideas essentiai-
" coDmunistic ia two respects. a ). very
large number OF them desire epudlation o.
local or national Indebtedness. a large
number. also. want imitation OF the cur i
rency. in order to secure higher nominal
prices for land or products. The fact that
enormous sales of breadstutfs abroad are Ell
fectcd only because the prices here are low,
and that the farmers themselves would be
the Chief sufferers II imitation should
SO raise prices as to check exports, does moi
have weight with them. Neither do they
rightly estimate the enormous losses OF q
community which result from repudiauon
OF its debts. These farmers think only OF
immediate eains-Iighter taxes and higher
prices-and they find themselves IN I'M
natural alliance with Socialists who are as
hostile to ownership OF land as to owner
ship OF bonds, and whose real purpose is
to destroy the savings OF all who have accu-
INFLATED property, and TO place on level In
rewards the shiftless spendthrift and the
most thrifty and enterprising acculnulator
ofwealth.
The farmers are likely to be the chief SUI
ferers from the prevalence OF c0mmunlstlc
notions. Money-lenders can protect them
selves, and when debased public opinion
and debauched law give them no protec-
ton they levy the heavier tax upon the
community which foolishly tries to plumber
them. Dealers, brokers, and merchants
also have certain power OF self-prote ction,
which they are not slow to exercise. But
the.farmers, who are the owners OF great
partsof the real estate, have to pay the
larger share of the increased taxes which
bad faith inevitably causes, and, as pro-
ducers. OF the articles which are
most affected in price By increase
or decrease Of foreign demand, they
suffer more than anybody else from imitation
OF currency or hope OF imitation. To what
ever extent the ideas of Socialists prevail in
this country, the farE-oWners will pay
much OF the cost, and the help which some
OF them are giving to schemes OF repudia-
ton and imitation will bring greater loss
upon them than upon any other class OF
citizens. 1t would be well if all the farm
ers in the country could read with care the
wild statements made by Socialists before
the congressional committee. Sensible
property-owners would find therein less
occasion for laughter than for indignation.
Neso Yorl: Tribune.