The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-08-14

situation in his State he replied: SIN
Illinois, as elsewhere, it is serious. I
am of the opinion that never before in
tho history of this country has there
been such an uncertainty as to political
results. In the South tho farming ele-
ment is losing confidence in both of the
old parties and is more than willing to
follow any political will-o- he-wisp that
has the cunning to propose to their un.
reasoning minds a plausible theory of
reforms, while in the North broad
spread discomfort with the Republican
party pervades the working masses.
From this discomfort in both the North
and South it is hard to predict what tho
result will be in November.
mo, do not believe that the Peo-
pies party, or any of tho other minor
parties, can ever succeed, but 10 my
mind the organization of these various
parties points TO q danger that actually
threatens the government to-day. Our
statesmen laugh this idea to scorn, but
so did they the idea of war in 1861,
three months before tho first shot was
fired; so did tho French and German
politicians two weeks before tho Franco
Prussian war. The Romans made light
OF Hannibals crossing the Alps, until
his presence endangered the very city
OF Rome, aud the Batylonians rested n
imagined security until the Assyrian
hosts were upon the walls. 1t is the
peculiar. prerogative of statesmen, it
would seem, to imagine their country
most secure when danger frowns the
darkest. The general discomfort in this
country is not from the choice of the
snine as politicians. Facts that thew
have long refused to confront have
grown SO stern and stubborn that they
are compelled to look them squarely in
the face. Having understood the stu
alton, or partially so, they believe that
with them the struggle is not for politi-
cal ambition, but for existence, and like
the drowning man, they catch at any
straw of hope, however weak it NAV
be.
mot long since, Judge Walter Ores
ham, man who has closely studied ex-
listing conditions, declared that to day
there is only employment for one-half
the people in the United States. 1t is
estimated that in Chicago alone there
arc 800, 600 men without employment.In
the manufacturing establishments
wages are being gradually reduced,
farming in the South has ceased to nav;
but the price Of necessarles has not de.
creased The masses OF the people are
growing poorer, but the farmer still
pays to the Government the bulk of its
revenue, while tho value of his property
aggregates less than forty per cent. OF
the total values of the United States.
In the meantime the aggregation of
wealth into few hands goes bravely
on. In few years the millionaires
a Wa iy,0r cn6
thousand. l tell you that there is
something radically wrong in any gov.
eminent whose economic conditions
give birth to such results. l regard
these various parties that are springing
up over the Country as u protest against
these conditions, and whilo the re medy
they offer is worse than the disease,
and they are doomed to ultimate dissolu-
tion, it is we'll for the statesmen of this
country to take warning
The cloud now is small and low upon
the horizon, but it is black and the
thunders have begun to mutter. When
the Roman empire went into the hands
of l,S00 families it foil; when tho cry for
bread h!led the homes OF the French
peasants and artizans they tore up the
stones of Paris to begin civil strife
that for bloodshed and bitterness has
never boon equaled, and which, in a
marvelously short period, entirely sub.
verted the government. | do not say
that such scenes will ever be probable
In this country, but the wiser plan is not
to assume that they are impossible and
blindly ignore remedying the evils that
may render them possible"
AT Hotel Roanoke yesterday a gentle
man told the following story of one of
his trips through Alabama: "a few years
ago was travelling through southeast
ern Alabama, and, of course, as here
were no railroads in this section at that
Time had to travel by private convey
ance Leaving Abbeville early in the
morning 1T was my intention to reach
what was called the Dothen postoffice
by noon. For few miles everything
went we'll. Then the mile posts and
sign boards gave out, the road grew
dim and eve-y few hundred yards road,
apparently more travelled than the
straight one, turned off to left or right.
For two hours drove through the
tall pine woods, occasionally having to
drive fifty to o hundred feet out of nv
way to go around fallen tree across
the road, and the further went the
more frequently / came to cross and
forklng roads, until l at last about con.
Guided that every family in the country
must have its own particular highway.
But to me the puzzle was. where were
the people? For fifteen miles had not
passed house or met or overtaken a
single soul. About the time had de-
cided that had Theseus fallen into this
section instead of into old Dedallu's
labyranth that he would have invited
the Minotaur to make supper of him
rather than attempt to find his way out
espled small log cabin in the distance.