The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1890-02-04

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dark ages was the result OF a lack OF
money. Why, Mr.. President, if you
depress the people and make them
poor you make them ignorant. lgnor.
ance and poverty go hand In hand
everywhere; and he who will stitie
the energies of the people by deprlv'
ing them OF the means Of doing busl-
ness puts the people on the high road
to poverty, and in consequence, vice,
for they go together. Ignorance,
poverty and vice always accompany
each other in the history of the world.
You cannot have an intelligent people
unless YOU have money. You cannot
have an intelligent people unless you
have business. Business enterprises
educate the people, elevate the people
and lift them up, and he who stands
in favor of little money stands against
the best interests of the human race.
1t is not a question of money; it is a
question Of humanity. 1t is not a
question wher her men shall pile up
money in their Golfers; it is a question
whether they shall have e to do
business, to lift themselves up, to pro-
vide for their wants, and it does not
do to come here and say that the de-
preston in prices is due to overpro-
duction.
What have we produced more than
we want? Is there any surplus of
meat, of bread, of clothing? And yet
the prices are from soto As per cent.
lower than they were fifteen years
ago. If there was corn rotting in our
warehouses, if there was wheat rotting
there, if there were rotten and mouldy
clothes, the Senate might say the cause
was overproduction. But when we
consume all we raise, when we con
sumo all we produce, or find a market
for it somewhere, it does not do to
say it is overproduction. 1t is the
financial policy of this country, headed
and led by a few men who have
money, and who propose to put the
screws upon the industries of the
country; I will not use the term to
rob them, but to compel all the indus
tries to pay tribute to the men who
have the wealth-not all wealthy men,
because many wealthy men are en-
gagged in stirring up the business of
the country, moving the wheels of
progress and commerce, but the men
who are living on the interest of their
money are the men who %conspired and
who have had absolute control of the
Treasury Department for twenty years.
They have it now; they will have it
no matter who is elected. They will
have it under the next President, L
have no doubt, who will be elected,
because those men who produce moth.
ing r engaged in seeing how they
can keep the wealth from the poor,
while the poor r engaged in seeing
how they can keep the wolf from the
door. They are engaged in seeing
how they can meet the coming expen-
SEES and pay the interest on the mort
gage and save their farms and their
homes. But these other men have
the wealth accumulated, and they can
conspire, and they can increase, and
they can hold the great interests of
the country in their hands, as they do,
and direct its policy in spite of the
protests of the people who are suffer
ing and who are being wronged by
the policy, but who are not heard.
MI. President, 1 do not mean to say
hard things. 1 do not approach this
financial question at any time,
whether it be in my study or whether
it be here, that my blood does
not boil, and l wonder that the
people of this country will sit by and
return to the legislative bodies men
who will join hands with those who
are acting against the interests OF
their constituents. l said to a man in
a public place recently, that a cam
paign intelligently made before the
people Of this country all through it
will work a political revolution, as i!
will a financial revolution, and I say
so now. I do not mean that it will
put any political party in power, for
the political party that has gone out
of power YER as fully under the con.
troll Of Wall street al any party in the
world. We sent from this body, con.
sentative as it is, a provision for an
extra supply of silver certifcat ties tc
meet the retirement of national bank
+ notes, and what became Of it? 1t wa
smothered in the other Hous~, smoth
cred by the dominating inf tence of 6
Democratic administration, and I heal
+ a Senator say "by directions from thu
: White House" So it was said a
that time.
Q Mr.. President, if that had beer
e done there would have been thirty
seven millions more of money from
j the retired national bank notes of las
s year alone. When l charge the Demo
i cratic party with hostility to the inter