The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1892-04-07

members. VINO are not able to afford
it. that they were paying double tax ?
You are taxed to support the county
and State governments, as other cItI-
zens. You are taxed besides, for the
salaries Of Jour oganizers, lecturers
and officers, and for the junketing tours
Of high officials in all parts OF the
/ Union.
Coz. Polk, president of the Alliance,
assumes that the subtreasury measure
| is a financial substitute that will bring
relief to the country, and should sup
plant the systems that have existed
since the foundation ofthc government.
| Now it IS legitimate to inquire into
Col. Folks antecedents, his life, quail
| ficatiOns, and ascertain whether he has
! the judgment, experience and prudence
| to dictate the financial policy of sixty
five millions of people. He began
| life as farmer, made failure at
farming, gave it up and went into
| merchandising. His success was no
better in that business. He then as
sumcd the role OF peripatetlc patent
medicine vender. In that peculiar
department he seems to have exhibited
an astounding degree of financial sue
cess. 1t is alleged that he testified in
Wake court that he made 600 per
cent. from his sales. His streak Of
luck, though, was short lived-prob-
| ably because the same parties never
| bought the nOstrum more than once.
Now if he made 900 per cent, he was
guilty Of an usury that no writer upon
the subject ever dreamed Of | can
not believe Col. Polk really made
such miraculous profit. 1t would be
charity to to say it was only his way
of Dragging and talking large. His
next step was to assume control of an
Alliance newspaper which position he
kept until elected president of the
National Alliance, which doubtless
pays him better than any position he
ever occupied.
Now | ask any unparalleled and
thoughtful man, would it be wise or
safe to adopt the schemes of vision
airy and impracticable politician and
supplant a system of finance and cur
rency that has absorbed the best
thought, study and talent of the great
est minds that America has ever pro-
duced? 1t would be similar to a
thou9htless child hacking to pieces,
in a few hours, the old tree that has
sheltered generations and withstood
the winds, storms and cyclones of a
momcntous century, ! again put
direct question:
Would any one who wished lnforma-
ton on the subject Of farming, or
business, upon the safest way to invest
funds, seek the advice of Col. Polk?
But the anomalous spectacle is pre-
sentcd of politician and not 4 pro
tessional Or practical planter, being at
the mead Of the greatest organization
the farmers Of America ever had and
who in all the walks and callings Of
life has been a rover, an expermentcr
and veritable rolling stone.
Now again, what is the cause of the
undoubted distress and depression in
business? 1t would take a conclavc
Of SOlOmOns to ferret out Of all the
reasons. One is fear and distrust upon
the part of Northern and English
capitalists on account of the agitations
about free unlimited coinage of silver
and the threat to enforce the imprac-
ticable sub-Trcasury plans upon the
government. The country is unset
tied by these proposed schemes, and
cautious capitalists are either hoard
ing their gold or shipping it to Eng
land. They are not sending any of
it South or West for investment. Few
living ever remember to have seen cot
ton sold at six cents pound, and
but few have ever known such strin
genCy in money affairs. Would it be
unjust to say that the fierce agitations
and the wild shouts Of Polk, PETER,
Simpson and Macune, had something
to do with the present condition 1t
has followed as closely upon their
revolutionary preachings as a food
upon the heels of heavy rain. assert
that over production and business
depression have brought the farmers
to six cent cotton, and the selfish
sCheming agitators of the day have
alarmed the conservative element OF
the country and are responsible in a
large measure for the brooding dis
treSS.
All secret, oath-bound political
societies have been regarded as danger
Gus to liberty and at variance with
public good. The Union League and
the ku Klux klan had to be suppressed
by law. That politics has entered the
Alliance, no one can deny; though
that was not the purpose for which it
was intended. Only those possessed
of the requisite grips and passwords
are entitled to exclusive privileges of
the order. 1t is secretly decrecd who
shall receive support for office. A
candidate, if he be an outsider, is de
MED chance to be heard, an oppor-
tunity to combat any statement or
report circulated against him by an
under-handed enemy. In this con-
nection it may be said that all the
world despises Cowardice. To sup
press all criticism of the Alliance
methods and all unfavorable COM
ments upon the ambitious plans of
Col. Polk, that individual has advised
a boycott against newspapers that
make such publications. l say Col.
Polk has not the courage of his con-
vlCtiOns. He will not meet an adj
rerSlry upon the platform. He fears
4 puncturing or ventilation OF his IN
tenable schemes. He breads above
~ ~ /