Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-07-05
The vvav where Danger Lies.

rather by some Of tpe Alliances, as a
scheme dangerous. imihscticable, vision
ary, and without one redeeming feature.
The more we examine into the nature OF that
scheme and endeavor to forecast the man.
ner in which it would operate, the more
npprehensive do we become that untold
evils would follow its adoption by
| Congress. We have no preiudices against
new schemes for bettcring the condition OF
/ the people, We are on the contrary always
| willing to hear whatever can DO said IN
advocacy Of any now method OF efecting
that result. Even HESEY GEORGES single
tax project did not in the least alarm u.s.
We studied 1t pretty Thoroughly in the nope
that there might be some merit IN 1t. bnt
we were not able to discover that 1t had
any feature which we could commend to
public appreciation, and so we had to con-
sign il to the receptacle OF all such visionr
ary sociological suggestions. 1t has tor
thousands of years been popular saying
| that there is no royal road to learning.
| This is Just as true of the learning
which would improve society by the adop-
ton of new methods of practical nature
as it is of the learning" which we derive
from books or otherwise.
| We would say, therefore, in reply to the
West Virginia Farmers Allocate that we
have not the least wish to misr epresent
the sub-Treasury scheme which that paper
seems TO regard with 90 much favor. 1t
would be just as easy Avf us to advocate
that measure as to advocate the free coinage
of silver but for the fact that we cannot
see our way clear to the champion
ship of the one measure whilst We
can see that the other has undoubt-
cd merit. Lord TgUBLow once said to
some Dissenters who called upon him
to complain Of something connected
with the Church of England that 1t they
would get their Church established" he
would treat il as he did the Church OF
England. SO we say to the advocates OF
the sub-Treasury scheme that If they
could point out single good feature IN
their wildcat scheme, or name country
where any suchproject had found favor in
the eyes of statesmen, or could furnish the
foundation for a solitary hope that the
condition of the people would be bettered
as a result of its operation, we might
Justify ourselves for following the un-
thinking multitude and countenancing
that measure. As it is, however. we can
not but range ourselves under the standards
of the men who have studied politico-
economical science and learned from ex-
perience that wisdom's ways are the ways
IN which we should walk.
We quote our West Virginia contempt
rary as follows:
1.-THE amelioration OF the poor poor-class,' and
In point OF fact that Of every other eloment which
enters into the construction Of great govern
! ment depends upon the prosperity OF the iunda-
mental ba sis Of all national success-agriculture.
That this great vocation is laneushing even 10
| death is the cause for the existence on the Al
lance. Wise and able men have formulated a
| platform, and IN t1at platform is Incorporated
tho sub Treasury plan, through the practical
! working Of which the farmer places himself be-
yOnd the reach of spectators, and raises him
self 10 a plano from whcl no can dictate prices
for his products which will at least cover cost OF
production. Can tho DISPATCH suggest better
| plan? II 20 VS. are perfectly willing and In
stanty ready to urge it's adoption. Or. again,
can the DISPATCH expose the fallacy OF tho pro-
posed plan? If 1t can, why don't it DO it,"
We agree that agriculture is the founda-
ton of AL national success" But we
cannot agree that the sub-Treasury scheme
was formulated by wise and able men,"
On the contrary it seems to US to have
been formulated by men who expect 10
make something out of nothing. Suppose
the national Government undertakes to
advance money upon cotton, tobacco.
wheat. ETC., will the mechanic and manu-
facturer be satisfied to have the products
of their labor treated less kindly
than the products OF the labor
of the agricultural classes? If the planter
may deposit his tobacco in Government
warehouses and draw money upon it. surely
the man who manufactures chewing and
smoking-tobacco. snuff. cheroots, cigars,
etc., and thus doubles the price of tobacco,
ought to be allowed to deposit the pro-
ducts of his labor in Government were-
houses and draw money upon them. SO
also as to all other classes of men. Why
not deposit a new locomotive as well as
hogshead of new tobacco?
But if the agriculturists borrow money
from the Government they will borrow 1t
to use it in some way. How will they use
it? All Of them must have the right to
borrow, or else we shall have privileged
class that will soon cause the fabric OF free
government to topple to its fall. But il
the Government were TO engage in such
financlering it would soon become bank
rupt. Treasury notes or greenbacks would
in q few years become of as little value as
was Confederate money when the Con-
federate Government undertook to manu-
facture real money out of paper by making
il full legal tender" for all debts and
flooding the country with it. Like results
would follow like legislation by our na-
tional Government, We could not but
fall into a slough of debt and disaster and
bankruptcy and ruin. Instead Of being 0
nation composed of the rich and the poor
and the well-to-do we should soon become
nation of paupers.
Can we suggest better plan? No, not
in the sense in which the Farmers Adro-
cate uses these words. But we can suggest
that an infinitely better plan is already II
existence. This country has the best
financial system any country in the world
can cast of. We have the best currency.
We have the best banking system. We
cannot improve anybody's condition. nor
the condition of any class of the commu.
nifty, by resorting to visionary schemes
and untried wildcat projects. Be sure
there is no possible way of making money
both plentiful and valuable. And never
forget that it is the people who earn sala
RES and weekly or monthly wages who vii
be the first to feel the shoe pinch wher
the Government shall engage in any sucf
scheme as the sub-Treasury project. which
has misled so many good, well-meaninG
men into the wrong road.
But we must stop. The subject is an ole
one which once in awhile renews it,
youth. The scheme under consideration
Is not one whit better than was the fat
greenback scheme of 1878. or the South
Sea bubble of hundred years ago. i