The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1891-08-22
THE SUE. rnEasuny SCHEME.

The fourth annual convention OF the
| Virginia State Farmers Alliance has adjourned
sine die. but before doing so they Endorsed
| in It's entirety the Ocala platform, and
| adopted il as the expression OF their own
| sentiments This. of course. includes the do
| mand for the sub-Treasury scheme. which
declares that the Government shall establish
sub Treasury repositories in the several
States which shall loan money direct to the
| people at low rate Of interest, not to exceed
per cent on on-perishable farm products,
and also upon real-estate with
proper limitations upon the guam
tity of land and amount OF
money. And although we learn that the dis
cussion over this subject in the convention
was very prolonged and bitter there being
nothing during the consideration of the
scheme like tho harmony and unity which
tho report Of the press committee would lead
the public TO believe. still the radical adyo-
Gates of the measure must have been in n de-
cided majority, for they were not satisfied
with the mere adoption of this plank of the
Ocala platform. They went still further, and
demanded that the representatives Of Viz
gina in the United States Congress be given
t. understand that unless they can agree to
these demands they must give something bet
ter or as good.
1t is hard to comprehend how any intelli-
gent farmer can soberly discuss and think
over this sub Treasury proposition with any
thing like favor We're the scheme engraited
into a bill, enacted by both houses Of Con-
gress and made law 10y the Presidents sig
nature. it would effect complete revolution
in our Government, for so far from being IN
accordance with the principle that the best
form Of government is that which the gov
erned feels Sin other words, when cen
tralization is at minimum and personal lib
erty is at a maximum it would he simply
raternaism run mad. 1t would not only
be placing The farmers Of the country directly
and completely under the watchiul care and
guardianship of the Congress and the
Administration at Washington, but 1t would
result IN the Government IN many cases be
coming owner Of the lands of the citizens.
This would inevitably be the case, since to
secure the loans the Government would be
forced to take Il mortgage on the lands, and If
the loans were not paid at maturity, As III
MANY instances they probably would not be,
the mortgages would have to be foreclosed
and the Government would have TO purchase
the property. Such a state Of affairs would
be only paralleled by the case Of Egypt in the
days when Joseph was Prime Minister, when
the Egyptians were compelled to sell their
farms TO Pharoah for bread. and thus the
throne became eventually possessed Of all the
land of the country. Can any citizen Of this
republic contemplate the possibility of our
Government selling out citizens under mort
gage. eyicting them from their homes and
taking possession of their lands without
feeling of adherence;
This sub-TIeasury scheme is also objection
able in that it involves legislation which Is
not only dramatically opposed to the very
foundation principles of our system of repub-
lican government, but which the Alliance
itself emphatically denounces and condemns
il the seventh article Of It's Declaration of
Principles where it declares that it fayors
the abrogaton Of all partisan and class
what is it, II certainly calls upon the gen
eral Government to collect taxes from all the
people at large for the benefit of the agricul-
tural element in particular, and if that is e-
climate, then il isequally SO for the merchant
t. demand Government loans or his goods
and the manufacturer upon his factory and
assets. The only difference in this last-men-
toned case is that the manufacturer would
not need to borrow in this way, as the Nc
Kiney tariff already sufficiently discrimiuates
IN his favor
The farmers have a great deal Of which 70
most Justly complain and moro in the further
South than in Virginia. There they have
ever since the war, been completely at the
mercy of money sharks and usurers. who have
been in the habit Of feeling the pulses of their
victims to see if they could safely exact one
additional drop of blood. ia some OF the cot
ton States. if not all. 4 per cent. per month
has been the lowest rate Of usury Mt which
money would be loaned to planters upon iron
clad mortgages including every particle OF
their property. even extending almost to their
wives and children No wonder such victims
Of greed arc at last rendered desperate and
demand desperate remedies; but il is to be
hoped some other means Of relief may be pro-
yided than what must result in chaos and
revolution, leaving the last state Of the farmer
and planter worse than the first.