The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1891-12-01
THE TERRORS OF WAR AND The
CAUSES.

CAUSES.
No doubt most of our readers have
heard of the arrangement of certain
wealthy men in the United States and
England to get up a war in case the
laboring people should get too persis-
tent in their demands for better govern
ment and a change in our financial
system. In this way the patriotism of
the people Of each country could be
aroused and in the conflict q portion
of them would be killed and plutocracy
could continue to reign. JAY Gould
has the credit OF saying that One half
of the fool farmers could be hired to
shoot the other half at any time. To
the honest man and woman this all
soundslike ahOax. Butt it is really true.
Such things have happened before and
with all our bOasting about free in
situations" and other frothy things
there is i'll America men who would
rejoice in a war with some foreign
power. In fact attempts have been
made to get up Il war several times
lately.
The New York Herald spends more
money to keep posted on foreign affairs
than any paper in the country, a
few days ago it contained q long edi-
torial showing the stu alton in Europe,
1t thinks q wal is inevitable between
Russia and any power that will knock
the chip off her hat, and the object is
to divert the attention of her suffering
people. War is bad enough when APP
parently unavoidable, but nothing
more horrible could be thought of than
the fact that a government will engage
in a war for the purpose of "relieving
the suffering masses" \ terrible
remedy this for hard times But
the indications point the same way in
the United States and it will terminate
that way unless the wealth-producjng
people arouse themselves and settle the
matter by the ballot.
We make the following extract from
the editorial, and will add that the
Herald is on the side Of plutocracy and
knows what is going on inside:
THE bottom fact which originates
this feeling of uncertainty SO fatal to
the conduct Of prosperous business is
the consciousness that q war is not far
off. The insecurity Of securities is
omin0us of trouble. Want Of conf
dence leans that the drum beat IS eX-
pected. When money hesitateS or
hides it Is because the wind is the wrong
way and storm clouds are looming up
Look at thu bOurses therefore and you
see all Europe. When investors take
risks we have peace; when they think
or conclude to wait until tomorrow,
we may have peace, but the chances
are against It.
1T is a small sign of the times that
Russia has half q million men on the
Polish frontier. Such concentration Of
force may mean cheap winter quarters.
But it IS a very large sign Of the times
that q quarter of Russla's population
are ina state of anarchy ANA despCra-
ton through hunger. Nothing TO eat
leads to grave complications. II is the
incentive if not the impulse to a battle,
and it has beforetime happened that
Russia diverted the attention Of her
restless people by war which rous~d
their patriotic pride.
Her huge army has made other
huge armies necessary. Austria Is on
the keen watch and no movement OF
the enemy is neglected. IF Russia
strikes, Austria and Germany must be
prepared to return the blow. That re
Quires an increased enrolment Europe
is, therefore. at this moment an
enormous camp. The flower of her
people. her staiwary young men, are
not to be found at tradesmcn's benches
butin the barracks. For their support,
countless treasure is exhausted and
taxes are levied - the last point of
endurance, The people from the Ural
range to the sea are harried by the
tax ~gatherer, who takes everything
within reach. Contentment and pros
perity become impossible, for a mans
profits are absorbed by the govern
ment. Like apples in a press the
people are squeezed until there is
nothing left worth the taking"
COL. POLK INTERVIEWED.