The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1893-05-23
THIS IS Calamity ROWLING.

The S0VRy South is a sideshow to
the Atlanta Constitution Both papers
are owned by people who have helped
to make calamity bowling a necessity.
However, between campaigns they
manage to tell the truth now and then
and in that way hold the attention Of
both sides. Tie following is from n
late issue Of she Sunny South, and we
are going to put 1t On record. If it
supports a goldbug party next time, as
it has in the past, there viii be some
fun:
The greatest government the world
ever saw is on its knees to the golden
calf. The trinkets Of the masses have
been gathered up in one way or another
by the high priests Of p~lutOcraCy, the
god has been cast and set up, and all
men and women bow the knee before
the idol It is the condensed represen-
tative Of all values and the custOdians
of the g%lIstening calf hold q dea6hlike
grip on the necessities of the world.
Only the discovery Of gold mines that
shall glut all markets, or the adoption
Of g new basis for a circulating me-
la CCACC Vic SAlOELilIt2l AAl-
gers of the hOary tyraut to relax.
Is it not better [ dem0netize gold
itself than suffer a c0rpOral's guard Of
It's lucky owners to manacle mankind2
Is it not a mistake to tie the hopes of
the world to q thing which is controlled
by a handful Of its inhabitants?
Statesmen should be able to find asub
8titute for gold as an exclusive standard
Of values. Let them enquire what the
people would have done If no gold, sill
yer or diamonds had ever been discOy-
cred. If there had never been any
precious metal in existence would
not mankind have been more generally
prosperous and happy? When the
American pioneers. had reached that
point where they stood no longer in
dread of the savages; when each new |
conner could choose a home on virgin !
soil and plant his family in primitive !
independence. the golden day Of this !
republic had come. Those granGsires
Of the present restless and anxious gen
Grafton had no money but they had q
plain abundance and they were full of
a cOntentment, a hope and a patriotism
unknown to the people Of our day. Not
one of them that would not have low |
fully given his life for the institutions |
of bis country without much enquiry |
to the causes of conflict. But the !
day Of cheap homes is past, and yet the
home seekers are growing ever more
numerous. The public lands are ex-
hausted, or have passed into the hands |
Of spectators, or mortgages, and poor |
heads Of families become tenants and |
debtors with all the odds against them. |
It is pi1iabIe to see this powerful re
in a state of terror over the |
movements of gold. Gold! gold is the
only cry from government centres. We
must have gold Or perish! It reminds
one Of a drunkard in delirium tremen5,
begging for new supplies Of that which
has been his ruin.
Governments have followed the the
cries of wise" financiers time out OF
mind; but the Peele, and HamiltOns,
and G~ladstOnes, and Chases, and Sher-
have not preserved the equilib-
rum OF business chances to rich and
poor alike; they have surrendered all
peoples to the p0ssessors of the precious
metals. The doctrine that gold is the
only and necessary standard of values
is as old as the hills, but for that very
reason is probably wrong Ben Butler
had q bigger brain than Daniel Web
and he declared his unbelief In it.
Other great minds have disinterestedly
attacked the theory, and it may be that
The time has come;when statesmen will
be forced by the pressure of necessity
and public opinion to experiment with
he theories of the radicals.