The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1895-02-13

tho masses by the influx OF the pre-
cious metals from the newly liscov-
cred West, Macauley divided the i'll
habitants of Europe into two classes
the beasts of burden and the beasts of
prey. A little over a century ago,
Thomas Jefferson spoke Of them as
being divided into two classes wolves
and sheep. They arc now divided into
two classes-the nobility and gentry
and the commons and peasants.
The free Institutions of this country
have long been o standing menace to
the crowned heads Of Europe: and
one important feature Of the gold
trust as forcshadowed by the London
Economist is a combination Ct the
monarchical and monetary agencies
of the civilized world TO rcprcss De-
mocracy. Wise in statecraft, rs well
as verscd in all the subtle powers OF
finance, the projectors and custodians
of this gigantic scheme Of plundcrand
subiection well know that the free
holder is the natural supporter of q
free government, and that it should
be the policy of Republican govern
ments to multiply them. They like
wise know that the tenant, having
in fact no country, no hearth, no do
mestic altar no household god has
no patriotism, no spirit of independ-
ence, and is careless and indifferent to
his surroundings; consequently to adj
vance monarchy the policy should be
to multiply tenants; and ono of the
intents, as we'll as the inevitable ten
dency of this scheme, is to undermine
the freeholder and absorb the land.
During the seven years of plenty:
Pharoah, under the administration OF
the wise young Hebrew, garnered up
the excess of production, and during
the seven succeeding years of famine
let it out at such rates as to destroy
the land tenure in Egypt. The plum
der of the world, which found its way
to the Golfers of the Roman patricians,
gave birth, says Prof. Blanqui, to a
most odious system of usury-a sys-
tenn which finally transmitted those
| hardy husbandmen whose robust vlr-
tues conquered the world into a set of
cringing bondsmen and concentrated
in few hands the lands of Italy. 1t
was the appropriation of the land as
the absolute property Of their chief
tains which gradually turned the des-
cendants of free and equal Gallo,
Teutonic and Hunnish warriors into
colonii and villains, and which
changed the independent burghers of
Slavonic village communities into the
Doors Of Russia and the serfs of Po-
land; which instituted the feudalism
of China and Japan; as we'll as that of
Europe.
It was the gold standard Of 1916 and
the contraction resulting from the re-
sumption act of 1919 that doubled the
wealth of the fundholders and reduced
the frecholds of England from 16U,-
900 to 10000. Doubling the tariff, az
ter the withdrawal of the Cotton
States from the Union, gave the
Northeastern manufacturers the war
obligations of the nation. These ooli-
cations they more than doubled in
value by legislation, and then by
Joining the gold trust and striking
down silver they quadrupled them.
Today we are informed by tne most
reliable staticians that SO, 900 Of them
own three-ffths of the wealth Of this
country, consisting OF 3, 500, 900 square
miles and 70,000,000 of inhabitants;
and under present financial conditions
it is only question of very short
time before the interest Oh their secur-
| tiles will absorb the remainder.
The condition of this country i: very
similar to that discovered by the
French officers on their march to
Cairo, existing between the Egyptians
and the Mamelukes. To their ques-
tions, the Egyptians replied as follows:
Whose garden is that? The Name
lukes'. Whose palace? The Name
lukes'. Whose fields of grain! The
Mamelukes'-indeed, the Mamelukcs
were the propricters and the Egypt
ians their slaves. The gold trust
owns our railroads, our telegraph
lines, our steamship lines, our vacant
lands, our mineral lands, the mort
cages over the real estate of the South
and West and they hold nearly all of
the creditors, public and private. OF
the two, l must confess to more adml-
ration for the Mamelukes; they Sc
cured their plunder at least in more
open and manly way, by virtue of
superior valor and tAe sharpest
swords. The gold trust prosecuted
their robbery stealthily, under cover
Of legislative artificc and financial
craft, and won by hypocrisy, senti-
mental cant and simulated integrity,
and many apprehend by bribery and
corruption. The farmer, as produ-
Ger of the raw material, stands at the
base line and has to shoulder double
portion of these burdens: and as the
dollar grows larger and larger, and the
price of his products less and less, his
chances to redeem his obligations are
being constantly dimished under the
increasing weight of adverse legisla-
ton. They are rapidly sinking be-
meath the wave, their title deeds are
passing out of their hands, and this
government, merely to enrich the
holders of money and money obll-
cations by vicious system of finance,
IS rapidly destroying class of citi.,
zens which has always been regarded
as a nations pride and defense-the
backbone and main stay Of free instl-
tutions. Our government, in its sui
cidal policy, dictated by the tariff bar
ons and merchant princes OF the
Northeast of maintaining the Europe
all standard and placing our money
OH parity with that of Europe, is
fast reducing IS percent. of our peo-