The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1893-10-05

ropolitan Press---Radical Re-
forms Advocated--Plain Words
From a Man Of Strong Consti
tuition.
The discussion oi "Thr Panic-Its
CnrIsrs and Cure is continued by the
Rev. Thomas Dixon. Jr. in his sermons
- in Association Hail. New York. The
specific subject Of tn" following discourse
WIS THE Cure Of Panirs." IIedenOunced
most vigorously the characterization Of
hall the money oi the world and gave as
remedies and cures for financial pancs
the increase Of the currency, the radical
reform of our banking system, more
Christianity i'll business, less faith in the
great capitaIiStir newspaper scare-, the
establishment, of postal savings banks
and tn" cessation OF special class lcgisla-
ton.
Til" texts Were from the eighteenth
chapter Of Jeremiah and the twelfth and
seventh nf Ezekiel:
Thou hast taken usurv and increase, and
thou hast greedily gained of thy neigh
bOfS by eXtOrtiOn and hast forgotten me,
saith the Lord God
As the partridge sitteth on eggs and
hatcheth them not, 50 he that getteth
iNi-fS anu iIpI DS lIeHt SNAIL ltdht liltIii
i'll the midst of his days and at his end
shall be fool.
They shall cast their silver into the
streets, and their gold shall be removed;
their silver and their gold shall not be
able to deliver them in the day of the
wrath of the Lord.
CONSPIRACY AGAINST THE MASSES.
We have seen in our present study OF
the financial panic that the immediate
cause was an insane popular fear-ln
short IL stampede of SelfiShncSS. But
We saw upon further study that the
primal caus" of the panic was to beiuUnd
beyond the dust and confusion OF tn"
StaIIpc1c; We found the evidences un-
mstakable tt 1T 1T WAS produced hv Il
concerted mo -ement on the part ui the,
great money hucksters of the world: III
fact, that it was in reality IL conspiracy
against the masses OF the people hy The.
great plutOcratS of our age. Som" OF
the noblcit men of our time have been
men of great wealth-all honor to their
names. They have administered their
fortunes as n sacred trust from God for
the benefit of their fellow men. While
this is true, it has not been the ru'-it
has rathe.' been the exception. The
money power has grown until Il lev men
nation.
When II few men practically possess
the whole commonwealth, there ceases
to be II eco nmOnwealth. and society
is again simply divided into two classes,
masters and slaves.
Have we today democracy?
Is it not in fact Il plutOcracy?
In form we have Il government by the
people.
But as IL matter Of fact have not our
representatives, for the last generation
simply carried out the edictS and the
policies OF our money kings?
1t is Il serious question: and the Amer
lean people are brought rudely face 10
face with it to-day.
If this panic is to be cured and its re-
currence prevented, the power Of the
plutocracy must be- in some way limited
Bishop Potter OF New York, at the
recent centennial celebration of the first
inauguration of George Washington, de
clared that in view of the increasing power
of the plutOcrat it was dOTbtful whether
the republic would ever celebrate another
centennial. In explaining his remarks
he afterward said:
When | speak of this as the era of the
plutOcrats, nobody can misunderstood me
Everybody has recognized the rise of the
money power. Its growth not merely
stiles the independence of the people, but
the blind believers in this OmnipOtent
power of money assert that its liberal ust
condOneS every OffenSe. Tile pulpit does
not speak out as it should. These pluto
Gratis are the enemies of religion, as they
are of the State.
Just before the bishops address Gen
eral l.. :. Bryce, in the North american
RsrieU, said:
We are living in the shadow of an UNI
Drldled plutOcracy, caused, created and
cemented in no slight degree by legisla
tive, aldermanic and congressional action
aplutOcracy that is far more wealthy than
any ariStocracy that has ever crossed the
horizon of the worlds history and one thai
has been produced in shorter consecutive
period; the names of whose members art
emblaZOned not on the pages of their IA
tons glory, but of its populations; who
represent no struggle for their country
liberties, but for its Doodle, no contests fol
Magma Charta, but railroad charters, and
whose OctapuS grip is extending over every
branch of induStry:..a plutocracy which
controls the price of the bread that We eat
the price of the sugar that Sweetens oul
cup, the price of the oil that lights us OF
our way, the price of the very collins il
which we are FINALLY buried.
This is fervid rhetoric, but it has NOR,
truth than poetry in it.
NATIONAL BANKS DENOUNCED.
Periodical seasons of general forcclo
sure, bankruptcy and ruin are inevitab!'
III such n condition OF society
" no shall deliver us from the body o
this death?
How shall we lift the shadow OF pan
from our fair nation?
There are some things the dark back
ground OF the present distress brings Ou
with startling diStinctnesS.
First-We must have less bank ant
more nation.
Our national banks have been suppose,
10 be institutions OF national character
1t was supposed that they existed 10
the benefit OF the community at large
1t was also supposed that as they carried
charter from the national government
and were nominally under its supervision
that they We're honest and law abiding
This panic has revealed the fact tina
it is about time for these banks to stan
before the world and give n reason 70
their existence.
Senator PETER recently introduced il
the senate most reasonable resolution
OF inquiry as to their methods of cor
Quoting business under their natiOna
charters
This resolution simply asked hecomI
troller OF the currency to report to tn
senate whether these banks were bein
conducted in violation of law: whethe
they were refusing to pay their depositor
in lawful money, and what rates ofintel
est they were charging on loans an
discounts.
The howl of rage and vitupera ito
which greeted this resolution should !,