Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-06-12
Farmers, Alliances and Gold.

The Farmers Alliances and the third
party doctrihaires, backed by the Green
hackers, keep up a sort of running fire
upon the monometalllsts and their teach
ings, and make some points worthy of Sc
rious consideration. We shall not be ac-
cused of financial heresy. we trust, If we
endeavor to learn from both sides what
merit there is in their various contentious,
though we cannot but be aware that there
are advocates of the sub Treasury scheme
who think that we are not willing TO add
as much as ought TO be added to the
volume Of the circulating medium
Of the country. We say to such that
we cannot consent to go anywhere
unless Truth leads US thither. Not abso-
Lutte truth, but truth as il presents itself to
our own mind. And we would also remind
our good friends of tho campaign Of 1878,
when the DISPATCH was forced by its re-
gard for sound doctrine to antagonlze the
views OF so many men who were true Dem
ocrats in every respect except that they
had been led away from the straight road
by the specious theories of the Greenback-
ers. Who will now say that we were wrong
in 1872 Where is the leading editor who
would now, as one did then, come out in
favor of printing greenbacks until the
whole face of the earth was covered with
them to the depth of several inches!
Ina word, we do not concede that we
are bound in duty TO advocate the sub
Treasury scheme because we advocate the
free coinage Of silver; nor that we must
oppose every proposition started by the
Greenbackers because we oppose their
scheme for pauperiZing tho people and
bringing our financial system to an I'M
timely end. Here, for example, is Green
hackers proposition stated in few words
and yet based upon q truth-namely,
Gold is assumed TO vary little in relation
TO other things. and they to vary much in
relation to gold; but nobody can know
how much gold docs vary relatively to
other things" 1t is because the impecu-
NOUS masses feel that this proposition
is true that they are restless under the
monometallist single standard OF values.
II is because they feel that there Is some
thing wrong in taking gold as the one
measure of vaiues-the one thing which is
measure
full Of strange coDceits as TO how they
NAV got their nccks out of the yoke which
they contend was put upon them not only
without Their consent but wrongfully and
inexcusably. 1t is because they never see
the metal which has been crowned king CT
moneys but see every day the discredited
silver coins that they deplore their condi-
I hofr NJ
and cast about for a new party-one which
shall regard the interests of the masses as
superior TO the interests of the money
changers.
The extremes to which 60 the Green
hackers or sub-Tfeasury advocates, as well
as the gold-standard doctrinaires, are
merely the result of the weakness Of
human nature, and we need not expect
men ever to become wise enough 10 in-
dulge in no vaGaries.
The moral of this article is that the
Democrats Of Virginia cannot afford to fall
out with human nature, but must take 1T
as il Is and do the best they can with it,
We must not antagoni2e the Farmers Al
Lances any further than a regard for po-
Etical and economic truth shall compel us
10 antagonize them. We must not act as
if we were infallible, but must listen re-
spectfully TO the farmers statements of
their grievances and aid them as far as
possible in their efforts TO better their con-
dition. For after all is said and done which
il is possible 90 say and do on this subject,
il remains as true now as it was in the be-
ginning that in the sweat of his brown
cultivating the land-man must earn his
daily bread. Not few men, but all men
are included in this language. Whose
liveth at all, liveth because the cultivators
Of the soil cause the earth to yield its
kindly fruits"