The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1891-08-07
Dropplng Behind.

-
y 1t seems TO be law Of human nature that
men who begin popular movements for re-
forms as soon as their agitation has fairly
enthused the masses and they begin to sound
the advance which the agitators exhorted
them to, those agitators begin to weaken,
and apparently Tighten at the result oftheir
work; they fear an explosion from the train
they have fred will take place and hurt
somebody. This very common result among
original agitators was never more marked
than in the case of the Western Rural, an
agricultural paper Of Chicago, secured sew
eral years ago and controlled by wealthy
farmer, mainly for combating The railroad
extortions of the West and to advocate such
reforms as the farmers are now contending
for with singleness ofpurpose never before
evinced by them. For some months The
Rural has shown unmistakable signs Of
WEAKNESS and doubt, and is more and more
incliiiing to be satisfied with proclaiming
platform of glittering reform generalities,
than adopting definite measures to recure
the reforms. II is the old story over again
of the leaders dropping TO the rear and
crying s'halt nalt!' to the advancing col
nmn, lest somebody gels hurt by its increas-
ing momentum. For months past we notice
the Rural growing more and more senti-
mental and less and less combative. 1t is a
favorable sign when the leaders begin to be
outrun by the popular mass their exhorta-
tions have set in motion. II was the case in
the shareholders rebellion and in this rebel
lion that is going on at present the same
thing is taking place. The Rural is grad
ually finding fault with the definite de-
mands of the Alliance it has been SO instru-
mental in building, and suggesting nothing
in their place. 1t steadily advocates or
ganization among farmers, but what is or
ganization without something definite TO be
done and way to do it is submitted? When
this point has been reached the Rural be-
gins to tremble like an aspen and show
signs of falling back. In referring to the
sub-treasury ofthe Alliance, the Rural says:
t'There are features of the sub-treasury
plan that appear 10 have attracted but little
general attention. The plan is vigorously
advocated by the South, and candor compels
the acknowledgement that it would benefit
the South more than il would benefit the
North. In fact the South would be bene-
fitted largely at the expense of the North
Cotton is product that can be stored and
kept indefinitely. and hence could be held
under an advance or loan from the govern
ment, often with great profit. But live
stock cannot be stored and would not be
good security anyhow. Beef could not be
stored. Hence, while the South conld offer
good. endurable security, the North would
have TO be taxed to furnish the funds for
loaning; and the means by which the gov
eminent is TO get money for the purpose of
IoaHing TO the people does not seem 10 have
been considered. The majority of farmers
are not in favor of high tariff. But if the
government is compelled TO loan money to
the people, through what other means than
tariff can it be raised, unless postal sys-
tenn Of saving might prove sufficient
Had the above appeared in Wall street
paper we would have considered it as
Ah0ttSA va NOuAcC aAuOA6 cuCn 1AtCldtuI6s
But we confess we feel not little ashamed
to meet with il editorially In the columns of
our old friend The Western Rural. 1t
shows an entire msconception Of the sub
treasury as the genius of finance. To sup
pose that the money advanced in cotton in
Mississippi by the U. S. Treasury would
stay in the South is deplorable in proiessed
teacher. In "a hours after it would be
credited by telegraph on the bank books of
Chicago, with orders to the cotton owners to
check on them to pay for supplies-beef
pork, flour. hay. agricultural machinery,
etc.
Not word is said about the advantage to
the northwest farmers, in storing wheat and
corn, and holding them from giut and The
hands Of speculotors. And in place of hold
ing indefinitely year is the limit, and
grain for that length of time is as impsrish-
able as cotton. The last sentence of the
article quoted reveals the deplorable lack
OF information in the writer, not only on the
sub-treasury plan, but on the whole subject
ofgoYernment loaning money. Does the
government get the money it loans to
national banks by means of the tariff OF
through the aid Of postal saving banksi
How would those sources ofsupply increase
the volume of money? Does it not simply
make il? Has this advanced reform paper
been asleep through all this exciting discus
sion over the land loan and sub,ireasury
plan. that it should make such pitiful ex
hibition at this day?
II is not a little dscouraging TO find adj
vanced reform journals blunderlng in THU
terrible manner, and showing 81 lIttl,
knowledge of definite plans advanced b.
the Alliance. II is such shallow reasoning
and misrepresentation as the Wall stree
class of daily journals are filled with, ant
10 meet with such stuff in The Western Rn
raj is enough to make old reformers thini
that paper, too, had been bought, if ihey
didn't know that such was an impossibility
We fear that Chicago's fiery reformer viii
the enemy afar off is going to prove some
thing of a General Mcclellan and max,
arrangements for retreat in place ofadyance
when in sight Of the enemy's lines. TIL,
army Of reform wants Grants and Sheri
dams henceforth and not McClellans. Lead
ers who make arrangements for battle, no
for compromises and retreat.
The Democrat is sorry that Cleve
land has refused to go toOhio and helf