The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-06-05
TUESDAY JUNE 5. 1894
THIS is ropULrsM, NOT DEMOCRACY,

THIS Is POpULI~M, NOT DEMOCRACY.
Major Baker +. Lee replies in the Dis
patch TO our article, in which we de-
clared our opinion that he allows 100
much force TO the present sentiment Tor
free silver in the South. and particularly
in Virginia. Major Lee reiterates his
hrst views. and closes his letter thus;
As 10 Missouri The Times is surely at
fault. | would be willing TO leave the
final and irreversible determination OF
the question OF free coinage TO the Demo-
Gratis Of Missouri with no misgiving as
TO result In favor of Democracy ana
not of plutocracy.
The Times believes free silver" has
run It's coMse and is falling into decay
j cannot think so. On the contrary. /
am satisfied that all through the West
ad South, certainly, the political atmos-
phere viii be tremulous next tail win
the heat Of popular enthusiasm in favor
of the restoration of the status of the
currency as Ii stood when the merciless
LEGISLATION Of the minions of the money
kings laid silver low in 1873.
Whether Major Lee is right respect
ing the present state Of the silver senti-
nent. or whether The Times is right.
time alone can tell. We return TO the
subject 10 notice the inspiring idea OF
this extract from Major Lees letter.
He here places Democracy in the posi-
ton OF an antipode TO "putocracy" and
money kings" AS a Democrat. intus
ct in cute. The Times denies the pro-
priety or justice OF this ALLEGATION, con-
sidered in relation TO the actual facts
of the case here in the United States.
and as 1t contains the real gist Of the
rebellion now in progress in the ranks
of the Democratic party against Demo-
cratic principles We shall make no apollo
gy for reviewing IL at considerable
length.
What propriety Or justice can there be
in speaking of a "plutocracy" or a rule
of money kings in the United States?
There is but one law In the United
States. and that bears in exactly the
same way upon the rich and the poor.
There is no law here creating establish
ing and unfolding an order named "plu-
tocrats' money kings" or anything else
Of the sort. Under the operation Of pro-
tective tariff laws which enable tariff
barons to extort four and five profits out
of their fellow Americans for the every
day necessities of life. and under the
operation of the law which confines bank
ing to a privileged few. enormous for
a
lively small number OF the population.
But the thing 10 be attacked here is the
laws which have given them these I'M
fair advantages and not the fortunes
that the individuals have accumulated
under them. We insist that the accumu-
lation Of money under the laws, such as
they are. is no more undemocratic than
remaining poor. 1t is Democracy's glory
that every man shall accumulate all the
wealth that he can secure, and that he
shall be protected in it's enjoyment after
he has accumulated il. Democracy,
therefore. will not tolerate that sort Of
war upon accumulated property which
is suggested by Major Lees ALLEGATION
of Democracy upon one side and plu-
tocracy upon the other. Democracy says
encourage all men to the accumulation
of wealth, but II there are UNFAIR laws
that enable some TO get unfair advan-
tages repeal those laws. but leave those
who have accumulated wealth under
them in undsturbet possession of what
they have acquired. You cannot lay
hands upon what they have acquired
without pulling the foundation stones
from under the whole social fabric. Ma
jor Lee may possibly repudiate with in
dignation what we are about to say. but
we tell him. nevertheless. that when he
talks of a war upon ''plutocracy and
smoney kings in these United States
he Is preaching the doctrines OF "Popu-
lism" and not those OF Democracy. De-
mccracy 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.
Major Lee would have us restored TO
the status of 1873. and. in doing il, he is
again advocating the essential principle of
Populism. We leave out all consideration
OF silver, by name, in that connection, for
what we shall say will cover II genera
cally.
Eighteen seventy-three was the culmina-
ton OF that period which saw us cut
loose from the Democratic doctrine OF as
little government as possible, under
which we had always lived until then,
and enter upon the converse theory, born
OF the war. Of making the Government
all powerful. with the individual wholly
eliminated as a factor In the progress OF
events Until that period came the idea
OF money and the Governments relations
20 II was that the Government shaped a
piece OF metal and stamped on ii the
number OF grains that It contained, and
ended all connection with money at that
point The idea went further. and de-
Slared that IL there were to be parer
substitutes for money they should be
furnished by private enterprises alone.
and under that idea the country progress
ed as no people ever did-before. To carry
on war enectually. the war period in
troduced the idea that control OF mems
fortunes as well as Of their bodies should
be eentered in the Government. ana 70
ensctuate that idea II attributed to the
government power to create money
through the operation OF the printing
press. This totally overthrow the old
tdss and changed the order Of things
from che Democratic theory In which the
'no's'oual ana hb efforts are svsrythins.