The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1893-09-21

Merchants offered him fabulous prices
for his store that they might speculate
in the necessities Of their fellows. He
would not sell them IL peck. He sold to
the poor for their promise to pay, and
his children's children are not done reap
ing the golden harvest. AS the old in
habitant passes the big gate that
leads to the great clump OF trees that
mark this garden spot of humanity, it
is no wonder that he tells you the story
with moist eyes and adds with evident
satisfaction: "It's still the handsomest
place in the county, Such places will
always be garden spots. Such men have
always been and ever will be the salt OF
the earth. 1t would rot without them.
LIvERs WHITE AS MILK.
Second-It is the quintessence OF selfish
ness. The more elemental the savagery
OF life. the narrower the circle OF care.
The basis OF fear is selfishness. panic
is caused and maintained by every man
irving to take care of himself and let the
devil take care of his neighbOr. The end
of it is that the devil takes care OF the
whole establishment. No man lIyeth to
himself, and no man dieth to himself.
We can not isolate our life from the com
munal life without at the same time des-
troying both What an exhibition the
panic has given us OF men and lnstltu-
tions What n grim procession OF COW
ards and pOltrOons where stenSth and
dignity were proudly boosted!
How many towards, whose hearts are all
as false
As stairs of sand. wear yet upon their
chains
The beard of Hercules and frowning Mars,
Who, inward search'd, have llYers white
as milk.
These are the mighty men and lnstltu-
tions who call themselves the bulwarks
OF human society, who have taken to the
woods and taken their money with them
And they have left the people to starve.
4 bank in New York locks up -, OoO,O 600
in this hour OF sOrest need and issues
bills OF credit as though pauper.
The man or the Institution that locks
up money at this time is guilty OF MUIR
der. 1t is useless to say: The money
is mine. I've the right to do what |
please with my own" It's lie. And
the devil never told to mortal bigger
lie.
Have YOU the right to lock up your
money when by that act you shut down
factories, close mill doors, stop a thou
sand wheels OF commerce and throw nun
dreds OF thousands OF men and women
out OF work? Have you the right from
insane fear and selfishness to thrOng the
streets OF our cities with quaint, blear
eyed, hungry wretches, driven by star
walton and suffering to crime and vlo-
lencc? Have you the right to take the
bread from the mouths oihungry women
and children to save few dividends you
are afraid may be lost in Il shrlnkage OF
value? Your money is not your own.
II is a trust. The community created
its value The heart blood OF the com
munity is in it. Ii you withdraw it from
the community, you are traitor. You
have betrayed q solemn trust to the
race-to the God OF the race. Your
money is worth nothing without the life
OF the community back Of it. TO destroy
the life Of the community is thethe surest
| way at last to destroy the power ofyour
money. Let me say again no man has
the right to do what he pleases with
what he may possess. He only has the
right to do what he ought to do.
THE MEANEsT INFIDELITY.
Thrd-It is reign of doubt.
\ savage world is a world of doubt.
As civilization advances, doubt re-
| treats.
Faith in man is the imperial stamp
| upon the coin of civilized society.
Doubt effects the image OF faith.
We descend from trade to barter. Once
more we are SaVageS.
| The tailor and the barber is all we have
| left between US and the naked animals O.
| the children of the forest.
To doubt God is mean enough.
To doubt man is to add crime to inf
deity. We may be lost in speculations
about God and the mysteries of the Uni
verse. To some minds doubt OF Goo
may have here a plausible excuse. But
for man to doubt his brother is to descend
at one step to the primitive savage, anC
that without excuse Why should LOSE
faith in my fellow man?
| The longer we study that question The
| more absurd becomes a condition o
| panic \ few men prove false to then
| word, but they are the exception to tht
rule
| In the vast volume OF days The
| number of men who betray trust are
| but drop in the ocean of human integ
| rity.
| The world is not run on a cash basis
| 1t never was. 1t never can be. The
| world is run on faith. 1t is the basis
| fundamental of civilized society. Why
| doubt when there is not one betrayal o
| trust to a million obligations fulfilled?
| Why should we doubt our friends anC
neighbors? Our lives are bound up il
| theirs. Would it be worth while to live
| ourselves if in seeking to save self W.
| should destroy them and carry the stair
| of their blood with us and upon us? Are
| oil h,ot L. n
| live apart we could? i'll all men are false
are not we of the same material?
| To doubt all men is to confess one:
self villain.
Why should we as a nation lose faith
| OF what are we afraid?
Can we doubt God? Has He not showr
US that we are a chosen people? Has IL
not loved us and blessed and guided u
through the years to be the richest an,
| mightiest nation of the earth? In ever,
trial He has led us to victory. Hewatchet
over the ships that sailed unknown sea-
and gave this continent to humanity
He planted the love of freedom in tn
hearts OF our ancestors and gave us ;
nation with liberty asits cornerstone. II
our struggle with the mother countr,
for freedom did He not protract the wa
over long years and array the civilized
world against England until we won
Has He not led Us through long crise
of internal strife and civil war on and III
to greater and better things? Is no
the hand of God manifest in the building
of the nation in its growth and develop
ment and in its reflex influences upon tn
fate of the oppressed millions of othe
cllmes? Can an American citizen doub
the God OF our fathers with the divin
miracles OF our history before him?
BULWARKs OF THE NATION
The bulwarks of nation are not col,
and silver, but manhood and woman
hood. Have we not the sterling mel
and women whose hand and heads ant
hearts make true greatness? Have the,
ever failed the nation? Are they not a
many heroes and herOines to-day anon.
62,O0O,O00 OF our people as eyer before
Are there not as many brave hearts read
for the sternest work of life? Are we no
rich In noble boys and girls growing int,
nObler manhood and womanhoodo VIII,