Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1895-05-18
E1'TERS OF A.
LOOKER-ON
A WORD FOR SILVER.
CHARLES Town, w. VA,
May "a, 1895.


CHARLES Town, w. VA,
May IA, 1906
To the Editor of the Herald.
/ The third book OF DR.. William
Paley's Moral and Political Philoso-
ply opens in this wise:
IF you should see flock of pigeons
in a field of corn, and if Gnstead of
each picking where and what it liked,
taking just as much as it wanted, and
no nore) you should see ninety-nine
Of them gathering all they got into
a heap, reserving nothing for them
selves but the chaff and the refuse,
keeping this heap for one and that
the weakest, perhaps the worst pigeon
of the flock; sitting round and looking
on all the winter, whilst this one was
devouring, throwing about and vast
ing it; and if a pigeon more hardy or
hungry than the rest, touched
grain of the hoard, all the others in
stantly flying upon it and tearing it
TO pieces; if you should see this, you
would see nothing more than what is
practiced and established among men.
Among men you see the ninety-and-
nine toiling and scraping together a
heap of supertluities for one land this
one too, oftentimes, the feeblest and
worst of the whole set-a child, a
woman, mailman, or fool), getting
nothing for themselves all the while
but little of the coarsest of the pro-
vision which their own industry pro-
duces; looking quietly on while they
see the fruits of all their labor spent
or spoiled; and if one of the number
take or touch particle of the hoard,
the others joining against him, and
hanging him for the theft
The Rev. Doctors theme just then
was property, and writing as he did
under monarchical government the
somewhat quaint illustration above
quoted was not inapplicable to his
subject This pigeon business, how
ever, cost the reverend gentleman a
bishopric in after years. Kings not
only have long arms, but they also
have retentive memories. Later in
the good archdeacon's life, when his
name was mentioned to George III as
tit person for the bench of bishops,
the monarch replied in his quick slut
tering way, "What-what-pigeon
Paley - pigeon Paley' No no
we'll not have pigeon Paley!" But
better than being twice a saint in
lawn" was the honor of having pen
ned that simple yet truthful simili-
tude showing how millions of men
toll to support the few in idleness,
luxury, and pride. OF course such a
comparison is most appropriately ap-
piled to monarchical states; but even
in this our land of boosted equality the
tendency is continually toward an ar
istocracy of wealth which, holding
labor in contempt, contrives to alb
sorb and use for its own benefit a
large portion of the peoples hard
earned store.
John Randolph, of Roanoke, pre-
dicted that if ever our country should
| lose its liberties the downfall would
come from the concentration of wealth
in our cities. These centers of COM
mercial activity are like whirlpools in
stream sucking into their vortex all
the objects floating near them. So
the cities draw all the superintendent
riches of the country to themselves.
The farmer feeds the world. From
his granary the city derives its main
susteuance. If this were the whole
account of the matter farmers would
soon become the richest men in the
world. But there is another side to
picture. Though the surplusage Of
his crops draws annually from the city
the farmer must buy not only the
bare necessaries of life not produced
on his farm, but he and his family ex-
pect some at least of the luxuries. The
retail merchant comes to his help, and
relieves him of his spare cash. This
cash the merchant carries back to the
city to purchase new stock in trade
So the circulation of products and
commodities supported by money
medium goes on from year to year.
The farmer is always toiling, always
producing, the cities are always buy
ing and consuming, and the stream
of money runs on forever. Looked at
! casually II SSSho d IAN SHOuSn CA-
change; mutually beneficial arrange
ment admirable in all its details. But
somehow or other the honest farmer
has vague impression on his mind
that he is all the time playing the old
toss-penny game, Heads l win, tails
you lose " Somehow or other it hap
pens that large percentage of the
money in circulation remains in the
cities. If, after lifetime of toll, the
agriculturist may happy find himself
possessed Of competence, he observes
it as an almost invariable rule that
his friends who cast their lot in the
centers of trade are rolling in a super
fluffy of wealth. If he has laid up
little hoard for rainy day, ten to one
his scant savings are not in solid gold
eagles, for he is glad enough to take
paper money since the gold has all
gone into proud city safe. And here
comes new actor on the stage: the
lordly banker looms up. He comes
OF race of fine city gentlemen who
like the lilies of the field toll not
neither do they spin, but whose BUSH
ness it is to trade in money day in