The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1890-07-22
WILLOW SEERS.
Prophetic Utterances by Those Who
Have Been There and Ought to
Have Known What Their
Course Would
Lead To.

AS the present d~eplorable state Of
things existing in the country through
eDactments which en- able a few to pile
IN colossal wealth while the millions
of toiling masses, out of whom it is all
extorted and are enduring the most
grinding restitution in consequence,
is so truly foreshadowed by men who
were principally instrumental in bring
ing them about, it is a curious study,
at this late day, to divine a w%iIfulness
which seems so inconsistent with such
a keen insight into the future. 1t
seems indeed singular that men whose
wisdom enabled them to fOresee
the disastrousIy ultimate consequences
of such measures did not, at the start,
pursue a course to avert them. A
few statements made over a genera.
ton ago by some of these mon pos
sesses at the present time, owing to
the existence of the exact state of
things as then predicted, no small de-
gree of interest.
Mr.. Lincoln observed that: can
archy is sometimes Einted at as a
possible refuge from the powers of
the people. l would be scarcely jus,
tilted were 1 to omit exercising a
warning voice against returning to
despotism. 1t is the effort to place
capital above labor in the structure Of
the government. [ bid the laboring
people beware of surrenderIng a power
which they now p ssess, and when
surrendered thir liberty will be lost"
The firm hold obtained by the
~plutocratic ~oligarchy, and the ad mis-.
sion made by the New York Tribune
sometime ago that the country is fast
drifting in a monarchy in consequence
of the enormous wealth concentrated
into comparatively few hands, speaks
loudly to the people to "beware of
surrendering a power which they now
possess" a power from which "mon-
archy is sometimes limited at as a pos
sible refuge" AS this power, since
Lincoln made the utterance, has al
ready kept pace with his prophesy and
been surrendered, or rather extorted
from the t~oilers, it remains for them
now to throw off the yoke. AS CAPT
tai was never so puissant "above
labor in the structure of the govern
ment as it is now, the thing toresten
by Mr.. Lincoln is already accom-
plished, and the only alternative Left
is to upset il
Again, what could have been more
prophetic than the following language
used by Mr.. Lincoln near the close
of the war in answer to a letter from
a friend in Illinois. After abiding
pathetically 20 the terrible devastations
of war, lis bloodshed, ETC., he says:
alt has indeed been a trying hour
for the republic, but l see in the near
future a cris arising which unnerves
me and cause me to tremble for the
safety of my country. AS a result of
war, corporations have been enthroned
and an era of corruption in high places
will follow, and the money power of
the country to prolong its reign by work.
ing upon the p~rejudices of the people
until all wealth is aggregated an a few
hands and the rep lblic is DESTROYED.
l feel at this time mor anxiety for
the safety Of my country than ever
before even in the midst of the war.
God grant that my fears may prove
g~rOundiess."
No veritable bona tide seer could
have beaten this by way of prophesy.
1t has come true to the letter except.
ing that the republic is still intact,
and the republic will indeed be de
stroyed unless the breaks are put on
to make the money lords and capital
lists in general slow up in their in,
satiate greed for spondulics at the
sacrifice of every right and privilege
Of the toiling millions. Well might
NJ. Lincoln exclaim under the spell
Of such evil forebodings: al feel at
this time more anxiety for the safety
of my country than ever before even
in the midst of the war"
And here is what Mr.. Garfield
said: Whatever controls the VOL
ume OF the money in any country is
absolute master of all the industries
of the country" What could have
express ID better the power exercised
by the national banks in contracting,
by means of combinations the volume
of the currency so that prices Of
every product must necessarily be de-
pressed and thus render producers ut
terly powerless to resist Vaccinations
of spectators and all other species of
harpies that prey upon them, than this
truthful u~tterance of Garfield 4?
Hear what Roscoe Conkling, one
of Americas greatest statesmen, and
most bitter partisan leader at that
time, thought of the two old parties.
These words were uttered years be-,
fore his death and the only change in
either party since their u~tterance is
for the worse. He said:
awe have two parties in this coun.
try, and what are thew Thew have