The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1891-07-14
THE RESIGNATION OF BAYLUs
CADE.

AS refreshing as a green spot in dry
desert it is to witness an example Of
disinterested virtue in this venal age.
Baylus Cade could not see in the Sub
Treasury that which he could support,
and so, like an honest man, he steps
down and out. What a striking con-
trast to the course of U. S. Hall and
others! Our fathers tell us that in the
early days of the republic, when times
were good and men were honest, that
any one elected to an Office and on re-
ceiving certain instructions from his
constituents which he could not con-
scientiously fulfil, he would resign his
Office and come home and allow the
people to send a man imbued with the
Importance of such instructions. This,
they say, was the custom In the early
days of the republic; and the resigna-
ton of our former editor gives us re-
minder of those honest times and
honest men. In this view of the case
he has done the people of the nation
great service even in his resignation.
We always honor the man who has no
dupGcity and venality in his makeup,
let him be for or against us.
We have said this affords us a strik-
ing contrast to the course of U. S. Hall
in Missouri, and to some of our brothers
in Mississippi; but it also affords us a
contrast to the plutocratic press who
has eagerly jumped at this moral to
give it to their hungry followers. Tell
us now, where there is hundred to
one in this State, how many editors Of
the plutocratic press, have resigned be-
cause they could not support all of the
party measures. Some editors, who
were also at the same time the owners,
have been independent in their utter
ances, but even these we're as ragged
strangers in the yard for every fee,
cur and bull pup to bark at. Some
fatality seems to have seized hold on
the plutocracy, and when they think
they have a good thing and make a
thrust at this popular movement the
blow recoils and hits them in the face.
It would be gross injustice to our
former editor to entertain thought
tha. this was backhanded lick of his
as he passed out of the door of the
editorial sanctum Also it would be a
miracle equal to the raising of the dead
should we find no difference of opinion
among several millions of people on
any one subject. That there should be
honest and sincere men who believe
that the Sub-Treasury is not good is
perfectly natural, for we find them
differing in their notions as to the way
to get to Heaven; so also on every
other question in politics and science.
The greatest wonder of all is, that the
plutocracy, with its powerful states
men and obedient press plying all the
arts that ingenuity can devise, has not
shattered the unity of the people on
this new and Untried principle of the
ub-Treasury It stands today against
all this battery of wits and sophistry
with tenfold more unity than the
Democratic party does on free coinage
or a tariff for revenue. In fact of any
party on any particular measure,
Against this unity the shafts of the
enemy will be hurled in vain. We have
learned their motives and know their
tricks. They know that an open attack
will press the rank and file into closer
unity, so that we must look for their
thrusts from behind the bush, to-wit:
They praise Bay lus Cade and commend
U. S. Hall and speak slightly of Polk
and Macune. They are even on the
alert to make every sly puncture they
can make with their little daggers.
We honor Baylus Cade in having the
courage of his convictions; we honor
him for resigning an Office he could
not conscientiously fulfil. Let the
plutocracy and their great statesmen
learn a lesson from this and resign
whenever they are honestly persuaded
they are called upon to advocate a.
measure not for the interest of the
masses. Office is too sweet for this.
LUoIUs LAGoNE.
Hor. Doo,- Nal, ~ NJ n