Charlotte home and Democrat., 1881-11-18
The Speculation Craze.

pOFClou VI Hdukluu Set SueF lIFluS, auu
princely living at that, BY taking unfair
and dishonest advantage of conditions af-
tecting the necessities OF their fellow men.
We do not al.ude to the legitimate pro-
fessions, physic, law, education, merchan-
dizing, but we mean the gambling corps
who speculate in grain meat, and other
necessaries of life fPhis wicked and ne
farious practice has become lamentably
prevalent of late in this country, and the
gigantic proportions and immense power
OF the "ring" are such as to defy law and
right in any attempt TO put it down. ,e Re-
Gently it has thrust its disgusting and in
solent front to the open light OF day, as if
ia mock the victim it curses and destroys.
The speculation wassset on foot, and the
price of grain went up with a bound ten,
sg enty, fifty, hundred per cent, till con-
sumers, hundreds of them, were unable to
meet the daily wants OF home, and suffer
ing was entailed upon their families, while
the beartless spectators were growing
rich on the bread unjustly snatched from
the hands of the poor AS a consequence
of the rise in grain, all other necessities of
life began to rise too, till the working
class are now left we'll nigh helpless on
their meagre pay. And indeed many of
them are to-day without pay at all, for
hundreds of mills and factories are now
idle in consequence of the lack Of water
power to run them. This would be sad
state of affairs to contemplate, Were 1t an
evil that could not be averted-but as it
is, it is diabolical and heartless tyranny,
and deserves the axe of the guillotine, if
happily, the monster had but one neck
that could be severed at a single drop of
the knife. .t, -i a.- -'rr..-" iH'dj l.
a There may be many farmers who, TAX
ing mistaken view OF the matter, really
rejoice in the rise in grain, &c. But let
us ask them, How much do rises of this
sort benefit the farmer? If,a man has a
surplus. of grain to sell and nothing to buy,
these rises are, of course, to his benefit.
But how many farmers do you, reader,
know who are in this condition? You
could tell them in mighty quick time.
| Well, then, if what you have to buy goes
up too, in proportion to the rise in grain,
where is the benefit that will insure to
you in consequence of the speculation ?
| That such has been the case in fact you
all know. We are sure, then, that farm
ers, as class, do not rejoice at the sud-
den and stupendous rise in breadstufs.
1t is only the man who has kept out of
debt and has nothing to buy-if there is
| one such-who is at all benefited by this
unhealthy state of the market; and we
are sure there lives in the hearts of our
deserving yeomanry too much sympathy
and fellow feeling for needy consumers to
feel any pleasure at the rise in the neces-
saries of life, when that rise, as is well
known to be the case, is brought about by
the illegitimate and iulqultous dealings OF
the speculators All alike must depre.
cate state of affairs which places SC
many thousands of honest working men
and women at the mercy of few hun
dred heartless gamblers And who knows
that the worst has come? Who can as
sure us that greater evils are not just
ahead of US? So abnormal is the present
condition of things, that American trade
with so many resources cut off or crippled
may not be able to stand the pressure
and another financial crisis may be the
result. Ii2 Zs... .,@ ...ls ..t s.;:ss
A crisis, if it comes. ought to fall light
est upon the farmers, but even they mus,
feel its effects in no very pleasant degree
We warn them to be prepared for the
worst as each one best may On the
farmer falls the burden of recuperatior
when a crash comes. There is no re0
wealth but that produced from the soil
All other is unreal and unstable. Order
your affairs well. Live well within YOU
means. Remember you are the salvator
Of the nation-the men who have to re
pair the wrongs wrought by the unhol!
hand of the gamblers in grain. Since tn
evil cannot lit appears) be uprooted, d.
the best you can to avert it's worst etect
from yourselves and those engaged II
} Legitimate trade and handicraft. You
interest is directly connected with that o
; the consumer If he is too poor to bu,
your products will do you little good. /
thrifty working class in the cities is tn
true field for the farmer, it is that whicl
makes farming profitable. Farmers, as
class, should seek direct trade with them
and as far as possible divert their crop
from the hands of those who gamble i
them.-Ra1rdl Messenger. r.. ......