The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1891-03-05

TO say 10 the Indu WHO uo0S hot oeuof
the great questions of the day that he
is going to get left.
They tell US we ought not to 60 into
politics. Let me tell you officially
not in my capacity as an individual,
but as an official-this farmers organ
ization is as full OF politics as an egg
is Of meat. What are we to do if we
are not allowed to go into politics ?
Pay your taxes and vote as you are
told, is the answer you get.
There is difference in politics and
partysm. Politics is the science of
government, and charge you to study
politics.. Partyism is collar around
the neck with brass chain fastf
to it.
"But," they cry, "can't you buy
more now than ever before with a dol
lar? But where is the dollar /?
Where's the dollar you can buy SO
much with -? That's what we are quar-
relling about. But that's not the ques-
ton. It's not the purchasing power
of the dollar, but the debt paying
power that we are concerned about.
Does it pay any more taxes? Does it
pay any more interest on your notes
and mortgages What's the matter 1?
The contraction of the currency has
placed the power of controlling the
money in the hands Of the plutocrats
to the crushing of the masses. We all
remember when the circulation was
ST. per capita, and we want a
Congress that will give us that
amount again. If the present Congress
won't do it, we will elect one that
will.
We believe, as an organization, that
we ought to have an open field and a
fair chance, and we intend to have it..
We went to Congress and asked tor
relief. The sub-Treasury bill was pre-
sented to Congress and nearly scared
f them to DEATH How did they treat
US? They were the most say-nothlng
, set ever saw. Finally one prominent
politician poked his head up above the
waves and said, s'Your bill is uncon-
stitutional. The next week another
, one did the same thing, and SO on
through the whole list. No two of
those delveranCes were made in the
same week. l do not say that this
f was preconcerted arrangement, but,
f to say the least of it, it was certainly
a beautiful coincidence. Not one OF
them attempted to prove its unconsti-
tutionality. They expected you to
. believe it unconstitutional because
they said SO. When you finally pin
them down, they say it is unconstitu-
tional because the government has no
right to lend money. Is that so? Let
us see. In 1876 Congress appropri-
ated SI,5oo,oo to the Philadelphia
Centennial. When the Government
demanded the return of the money,
its payment was resisted on the ground
that 1t was simply an appropriation
and not in the nature of a loan. The
case was carried to the Supreme Court
of the United States and it was there
decided that the advance was a loan,
and therefore must be repaid. In 1884
the Exposition of New Orleans asked
for loan of 81 100000, and the con-
stitutionality of the bill was SO plain
that it passed the Senate by unani-
nous vote. And who voted for this
bill in the House? Hon. Walter L.
Steele, of Richmond county, did, for
one, and Hon. Risden Tyler Bennett,
of Wadesboro, whom l regard as the
equal Of any man in North Carolina
as constitutional lawyer, did, for an
other.
Is it unconstitutional for the Gov
eminent to loan money? Yes-when
it is proposed to loan it to the farmers,
but it is all right to lend it to $40
National banks at per cent. per an
mum. 1t is perfectly constitutional to
store whiskey, but awfully unconstitu-
tional to store bread and clothes.
The Government is nothing but the
agent of the people. l don't believe
the Government has any more right
to refuse to issue money to the people
than it has to come here and put me
in your Jail to-day.
"But," they say to us, "your bill is
impracticable.' Well, suppose it is
it is only SO in its detrils, and you are
paid to make it practicable. You say
it is unconstitutional it is your duty
to fix it.
The passage of the sub-Treasury bill
was petitioned for by over 10000
men. What has become of the bill and
the petitions? They sleep the sleep of
death in the pigeon holes of the com,
mittee to which they were referred.
The place hereafter to put your petit
tons is in the ballot box. They will
be heard there.
They admit we need relief, but
what have they done? The silver bill
was passed in the Senate and we felt
good, thinking it would certainly pass
the House on a direct vote. But it
no" sieepS the sleep OF Legislative
death, and your best chance of relief
from this Congress is gone. And Mr.,
Cleveland, one of the great leaders of
the National Democracy, stands over
its grave and does not shed a tear, but
smiles at it's downfall.
This Congress has not passed a
single bill in the interest of the people.
What are we to do? They say we
must not go into politics. l believe l
I am doing Gods work in advocating
the principles OF this order, and l have
consecrated all that l am, and all
lat l ever ever expect to be, to this
gAat work.
2ne of the great things to be &C
CON pushed by this organization is the
wipihgout of every semblance of
Mason an Dixon's line in alliance ter-