Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-06-10
Another Letter from Major baker z. Lee.

To the Editor or the DispatCd:
1t goes without saying. that as the
Times AYERS. whether Major Lee is
right respecting the present state OF the
silver sentiment, or whether the Times
Is right, time alone can tell" / cannot,
however, permit myself to seem, by
silence. TO assent TO the correctness or
the conclusion drawn by the Times.
when IT characterizes my entithes.s OF
Democracy and plutocracy a5 containing
'the real gist of the rebellion now in
progress In the ranks of the Democratic
party against Democratic principles" "
II an advocacy OF the restoration of sill
yer TO its rights and relations as 1t stood
from the beginning of the government
until 1873 has in it anything Of rebellion
against Democratic principles / have for
many years been misapprehendng the
spirit and the genius Of tlat genuine
Democracy supposed TO have come down
to us undeiiled from Mr.. Jeffe sons time.
II in speaking of the milllonaires, who
control In finance, as "plutCcrat and
money kings" l use unauthorized epi-
thets not legitimately traceable 10 any
fatherhood of facts. | am ready TO take
back the grating terms. But let US see;
The plutocrat is he who in virtue OF In
ordinate wealth has "a power beyond the
power OF other men, and who uses that
power for the furtherance Ct his own
interests alone. "By the same token" the
money king Is the same o. a similar
man. Now, that there are such people
as these in this great country of ours,
the Times will, of course, without hesi-
fancy admit Then, IL my Dc fnition be
correct, wherein do we find the wrong
of naming them by their names?
fr.. 10. e.
Democrat Notwithstanding the fact that
In the fields OF finance his interests may
be opposed to the interests of the great
bulk and body of the people. For while
1t Is human nature for individual action
TO be determined by considera ion of in
dividual advantage, there are s. me eXcep
tional men, broad enough and big enough
SON etimes to turn human nature against
itself in the great Christian ca Ise of un-
selfish fellowship among men. rhe Times
is altogether in error when II thinks 1t
discovers a suggestion Of something Of
war upon accumulated PROF srty' in
Major Lees ALLEGATION Of Democracy
upon one side and plutocracy upon the
other" True Democracy, as | under
stand, is always as ready to protect pro-
perty as to defend poverty: always as
ready to defy Anarchlsm, to maintain
social order. 10 enforce the laws as
IL IS to throw its shield around the
rights and interests of the masses Of the
people.
Quoting the Times: Democracy says,
encourage all men to the accumulation
~ wealth. but II there are any unfair
laws that enable some 10 get unfair
advantages, repeal those laws. but leave
those who have accumulated wealth
under them In undisturbed possession Of
what they have acquired" "Ycu cannot
lay your hand upon what Trey have
acquired without pulling the foundation
stones from under the whole social
fabric" That IS all truly bravc.y. nobly
said. And none but an Anarchist, a So
ciallst or Communist would ,nsay it,
agree with thS Times, that not the
men who have accumulated the Iropertv.
nor the property. itself. but the unfair
laws" giving unfair advantages" should
be the objects OF attack. And the unfair
laws demonetizing silver and contracting
the currency are the things. the very
things. the only things, / am att cklng.
The Tinss says. Democracy welcomes
the rich man. and. the laws being equal
and fair to all. the richer the individual
gets under them the better is Democracy
satisfied at his prosperity"
y few paragraphs above that in the
same article the Times also says: "I'n-
der the operation OF protective tariff laws.
which enable tariff barOns TO ext RI four
and five profits out of their fellow Amcri-
cans for the everyday necessities Of life.
and under the operation Of the law which
confines banking 10 a privileged few,
enormous fortunes have been built up
by n comparatively small number of the
population In using that phrase, "the
tariff barons," the Times, | am absolutely
sure, had no thought OF Suggesting" any
sort OF war upon accumulated property"
| am satisfied 1t meant nothing more revo-
lutionary In speaking Of tariff barons
than | did in speaking Of plutOcrats and
money kings.
BAKER p. LEE.
Hampton Va June s. 1884,