The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1894-12-28

Pat Donan On tne 4vN0s =. ny :
We speak 81 England, France ~
many, Russia and the Omitted rtates
As tribe Great Powers| b,x among
ali the powers Of ear, sne press
stands easily first I'd greatest. 4
a 81. =, ;ournalIst t,dy appreciated bis
y al responsibility, and
49,. ,a,,.s.d were known to be abso-
,.'ta, s ssfithful, honest, fearless and in
s,Sdptible- beyond the reach of
l&heedling, bribery or intimidation;
wearing the dog-collar of no party,
section, sect or faction; patriotic and
not partisan; always for the right and
against the wrong-a union of all the
newspapers would be the highest ter
restrial illustration OF omniscience and
omnipotence. Such combination
could overturn any principality,
throne or dominion under heaven, as
herd of Texas steers might upset a
child's array of tiny tin soldiers. It
could establish and maintain any sys-
tenn, cause, creed or institution the
editors chose to support.
Civilization eliminates in the pow
express, and the bounds of civiliza-
ton are limited by the circulation of
the daily papers. There is no civil
lied speech nor language where their
voice is not heard or their influence is
not felt. A few weeds soaked in bilge
water, or little calomel rolled in
sweetened dough, with plenty of
printers ink, will make millionaire
of any pauperistic quack in five years,
whether it is the brains, hearts, livers,
lungs, kidneys or gizzards of news
paper-reading gudgeons, his humbug
panacea claims to regenerate. A few
thousand acres of iron, coal or timber,
a fair flatboat harbor, or two or three
intersecting railroads, with reasonable
circumjacent possibilities sand album
dant advertising-wil I'D a city out
of nothingness anywhere decade.
There is no enterprise business,
benefaction of villiany, that cannot
be pushed into triumph, or driven to
failure, by the newspapers.
On Saturday last Mr.. Charles A Sockwell, one
of Newton county's most prosperous and pro-
gressive young farmer, brought bale of cot
ton to Covington. The bale weighed 5I3 pounds,
and the best offer he could get was AZ cents per
pound, the entire bale bringing only sI1. "a. For
= r
full if bale of cotton was ever before sold in
that market for so small amount of cash. Mr..
sockweli will frame the receipt and keep it as
curiosity; that is, if he can buy frame to put it
in for sIIs4-Atlanta Constitution, Dec. 40.
Considering all that was said of the
flush times that would follow the sun
conditionalp repeal of the Sherman
law, the above is important testimony
Never in the history of the country
have farm products been at such per-
ishing prices; and as low as they are,
many people are too poor to buy them
even.at these prices. Think of it? Cot
ton q cents per pound. Good, sound
horses, $40 head: corn S5 cents per
OuoAlCh 0lNt iCSS OidASCo OV aCCAtc pei
box and under. Measured by the bib
lical test, what must be the verdict of
the farmers of this country against
congress and Mr.. Cleveland, judged by
the fruits that have followed their fl
nancial policy? All the worms that
ever infested the cotton fields of the
south; all the grasshoppers that ever
overrun Kansas; all the wevils that
ever invaded the corn cribs of every
farmer Of every state in the Union,
have not produced the blight that the
unconditional repeal of the Sherman
bill and sale of bonds have done?
And yet, in the face of these incontro-
vertible, astounding, startling and
terrible truths, there are still to be
found sycophants who are happy in
chanting praises to Mr.. Cleveland, and
the cry goes forth as 81 old, "Great is
Diana of the Ephesians!'
Oh, for men brave enough to stand
up and speak the truth!
People are wishing each other the
compliments of the season and ex-