The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1892-03-01
UNNECESSARY PRIVATE DIS
PLAYS.

CATAwBA, N. Q.
Mr. EDITOR PLEASE allow me space
in vour valuable paper to express my
views in regard to the abOye-nam6u
private displays as to an Individual S
right to use his money as may seem
nroper to him so long as he does not
i1se it in a manner detrimental to the
welfare of the masses of this nation. L
am a solid Allianceman n believe
that our government should be by the
people and for the people. l am al
ways axious to see The PROGRESSIVE
FARMER, and read the many mastery
pieces written by the brethren to en-
tighten the thousands not 50 we'll posted
as many of those who write for the pa
per, Now | must admit l have been
much interested in reading h many
pieces written by James Murdoch. L
believe in the people having voice III
making the laws for the naClohi anu
whenever fraud or robbery Is perpe-
tratpd either by individual corpora
tiOns or combines, nationally or other
wise. the making and selling anything
that would work an injury to the peo-
pie as a nation, the people, If possible,
bv a majority of their votes, should
put a stop to it. Now we claim to keep
I'm the middle of the road, and IN so do
ing we claim to be attending to u
" business; but when one gets side
tracked, as 1 think the brother has, he
leaves off educating the people on
financial reforms, necessary to the
prosperity of the nation, and under
takes to dictate to Vanderbilt or any
other private citizen, what or how he
should invest his money when that
mans investment is not working an in
jury to the people of this our fair land,
right then he has left the middle of the
road, and has left off attending to bust
ness that is intended to benefit the peO-
pie, nationally, and has undertaken to
attend to the business of private indi-
vidualS. Don't cry rObber, brother, be-
/. cause some one sees proper to differ
with you. l am of the opinion that
Vanderbilt's coming into North Caro-
lima and paying men vast sums Of
money for lands, digging down hills,
filling up gullies building for himself a
mansion and tennis court, which has
put thousands of dollars in the hands
of laborers and will continue to be so
for years to come, is surely a blessing
to North Carolina and increases the
demands for the products of the tOilers.
He has a. much right to use his money
for private displays as to use it for pub
lie display. The money is not hid
away, but is put back in the channel
from whence it came 1t Is true the
works seem to stand there idle, yet its
value stands there subject to a tax to
defray the expenses of country and
State, and what it cost to put 1t there
Is IN circulation among the labOring
o1o0rr1 ATon- Of thnno no lL11h+ will
put their money to a use as dead and
foolish as Vanderbilt. The only differ
ence Is, the laborer's part is small and
his private displays don't shine much,
and don't create so much public zeal
ousy. The manner in which many of
the labOrers use their hard earnings
causes more distress in the land than
all the m~illiOnaires put together. | do
not favor the manne by which a few
have become immensely rich but do
favor the making of laws and the finan-
cial management of the government so
it will not be such an easy matter to
become m~illiOnaires. Let Vanderbilt
pay out his money to build tennis
courts or go into any business he sees
proper, SO long as the private displays
he makes scatters his mOuey, but don't
urge him to compete with farmers.
Suppose Vanderbilt had undertaken to
spread himself making cotton and to-
baccO, we would have overproduction
sure enough. Let him alone, let him
build until he puts all his money in cir
culatiOn among us. This is the way l
see it, brethren, and many others see
it in the same light, and they have a
perfect right to. An Individual is not
robbed SO long az he gets value in ex-
change for his labor. It is the robber
that commands the man to halt and
dictates to him how he must use his
private funds, whether it be to deliver
up his money or by threats causes him
to invest his money in a business not
in accord with his desire. Let every
man be persuaded in his own mind, so
long as he does not destroy others in
his business. There are evils in the
land which are licensed by the people;
for instance, the whiskey making is
spreading desolation far and wide. The
millionaire is as a mOle-hill beside the
mountain in the scale of progress and
civilization compared to its agents who
stride through church and state. Laws
should be made to suppress this traffic.
If Vanderbilt was to invest all of his
wealth IN railroads and run them under
the apr6sent system, a few thousand
would get employment while the
masses would have to labor to fill this
monsfeg's trunk with a loss to them
selves in the final wind up. The rail-
roads wouldshow up millions of profit
while the laborer could only show that
he had paid for a ride. We have, to
sorrow, been paying for a ride in a
round about way, but are convinced it
would have been better to have walked
and kept In the middle of the road. It
IS all right to cry robber against a cor
poration Or Individual who manage
their business in a ann detrimental
to the welfare of the masses. Tt is the
fear Of the masses that their vested
rights, handed down to them by their
forefathers, will be taken away from
them which causes them to halt and