Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-08-22
A Better Scheme.

The Alliance men are thoughtful enough
and liberal enough to say that they are IN
favor of the sub-treasury scheme or some
better one Well, here Is better one
made ready 10 our hands by the Clarke Cou-
rier, q rural paper which has never lost us
head The Courier SAYS:
"If we felt like proposing scheme whereby
tho Government should issue money on liberal
terms 10 the people, we would demand that II
| mako such loans without any interest charge
| whatever, and that 1t should not make privi-
legged class Of the farmers in this matter, but
furnish money TO the blacksmith on his non
| perIshablo tools. tho wagon-maker on his sea-
sOncd lumber, tho labOrer on his ability 20 per-
form work, the printer on his ofice OUTFIT, the
doctor on his visits 20 the poor, and the preacher
on his efforts In behalf Of eternal life, 30 that the
Government may conform TO tho creed OF the
Alliance organization and the Democratic party
20 wit Equal rights to all and special privi-
leges TO no class
"If prosperity can DO brought TO tho farming
class by loanng them money at 2 por cent. In
forest, prosperity can be brought 70 all classes
nv adopting the measure we have mentioned.
Tho preacher, doctor, printer, laborer. wagon
maker, blacksmith. and those engaged In other
occupations will then have plenty Of currency,
and will not complain Of 9eng Disseminated
against Each can add 10 his business, flush
times will be ripe. and currency and idleness
will DO moro abundant than anything else In this
country"
We beg leave 10 suggest that 1t would
not be money but fat greenbacks that the
Government would thus lend TO the various
IL 6 ko and fhoan
greenbacks would become as nearly worth
less as was the so-called money" which
the Confederate States issued during its
brief existence. BY the way, would the
farmers borrow money from UNCLE SAM at
q per cent. and lend it at the same rate OF
interest to the classes mentioned by the
Courtr' Or would they borrow money
upon their lands at per cent and charge
the blacksmith. the doctor. the preacher,
the printer, tho lumberman, and all the
other persons who own no lands per
cent. +?
The Courier proceeds to unburthen itself
as follows:
"In the second place when one who has been n
Democrat permits his views to drift 20 far from
Democratic UlOOrlnBS us 10 tiipiuto n hcicoy
like the sub-Treasury scheme-a scheme il put
into practice, that must either result In In
creasing the Governments Indebtedness or
cause II to levy and collect taxes from all classes
In order 20 loan 20 farmers nj . per cent.-a
scheme that would authorize the Government TO
hold liens upon the products Of a majority OF
farmers and deprive them Of the liberty to dis
pose OF the same until certain amount OF rod
tapeisn and legal investigation are gone through
with--a scheme that would make the air hot
with the curses Of those persons who happened
not 10 be able TO proftably throw their surplus
products upon the market when tho time came
to reap another crop-we fear, when these and
so many other objections that could be named
are not readily seen, that 1t is useless to argue
with him."
Error is harmless in tho presence OF full
discussion. The fullest discussion must
be allowed on the subjects embraced in
the list of demands made by the Virginia
Alliance Convention. The truth will not
suffer, nor will those theories az to the
functions of government. Perhaps all Of
us may learn something before we decide
finally the questions which have been
raised by our rural fellow-citizens, upon
whom, after all, other classes of the COM
munity depend for subsistence. We en-
phasized this last fact while the farmers
were in Richmond. We state it even more
emphatically to-day.