The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1895-06-27
TRUE PATRIOTISM.
MANY LESSONS TO LEARN.
Class Against Class.
Biblical Recorder.

Biblical Recorder.
Patriotism is worth something in
these times 1t is rare virtue.
1t is worth something to know what
patriotism is; and its meaning can
doubtlessly be more forcefully stated
negatively 1t is not patriotism to
seek office. On the contrary the spoils
system has overshadowed love Of coun-
try so completely that its parasitlcal
disciples are everywhere to be found,
whilst a patriot, in the old true sense,
in public life is as rare as the ancient
cvnic's honest man. 1t is not patriot
ism to array class against class; but it
is criminal heedlessness. 1t is popular
to decry wealth, just as century ago
it was to cut off mobiles heads Yet the
very foremost clamorers are seeking
wealth, just as those of a century ago
sought land. 1t is sin to use the suffer
ings of the unfortunate to arouse pref
udice against The fortunate it Is dla-
bolical to SOW discord between debtor
and creditor. There are good poor
men, there are good rich men come
poor men love their country, and some
rich men do, too. There is as much
reason in hating poor man because he
is hungry as there is In hating rlch
man because he has had breakfast. 1t
is the man and not his belongings that
makes or mars. 1t is not patriotism to
arouse the people against bankers be-
cause bankers have money. If they
are extortionate, 1t is we'll enough to
despise them but this cannot be, if
the people will exercise their inaIiena-
bic rights. 1t is not patriotism to say
that the bankers desire such a state of
affairs as will work hardship to the
people. A bankers success is as de-
pendent on the activity of the COM
merce and good financial condition of
the people as is a newspapers. A lead
ing banker of the country is editing
and paying the expenses OF the ablest
free silver paper in America, and in
many instances he sends the paper free
1t is lust as reasonable to say that he
is advocating free silver in order to
fleece the people as to say the oppo-
nents of free silver have the same mo-
tive; Just as reasonable to warn the
people against him as it Is to warn
them against bankers in general A
patriot will not be prejudiced against
his fellow-citizen because he is a bank
CT or a grocer or a pauper he will IN
vestlgate his point of view, and weigh
his opinions, and catch him in fraud
before condemning him. This is not
only patriotism, but it is common
sense.
We will all have learned a great les
son when we learn to be slow to preju-
dice. If we keep up the sowing of
strife through it, we will reap disaster
and learn the lesson everlastingly too
late
If we are seeking our country's good,
we are seeking 1t for every man in the
country as we'll as ourselves 1t is,
then, queer state of affairs when we
get to hating those whom we would
seem to desire to benefit. And the
cold truth is, it is not the people, so
much as the office seeking demagogue
behind the people, who are the source
of this baneful spirit Of hatred.
We believe in free-sllver coinage at
the 1873 ratio, in order to give silver a
fair chance but we are not disposed
to say that every one who opposes us
is an extortionate wretch, any more
than we are willing to permit anv one
to think That We hope to pay our debts
with dishonest dollars.
Let the debate go on. Let each one
vote tor the man who stands for his
opinions but for our own sake. let us.
one and all, avoid every man and every
publication that stirs us to hate our
brethren. If one has worthy cause.
and is worthy of it, he will not see the
necessity of arousing prejudice or re-
sorting to abuse
Important to Drivers.