The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1896-07-19
MuTrER1Nas OF THE STORM.
Wall Street Threatens to Bring It's Re.
served Power on Existing Conditions.

4 SefVeU ROVER on Existing SOnultlOnS.
No more revolutionary threat was ever
uttered in this country in any quarter
than the one contained in the financial
circular recently issued by Henry Clewes.
He speaks the deliberate and devilish de-
| termination of Wall street One cannot
| twice read these words of ill-omen with.
out being disturbed to depth never
| reached before. 1t is as plain declara-
| ton as need be of the war that Wall
street intends to wage upon the people OF
this country to compel its vote against
| it's patriotic and clear convictions.
| If Wall street fails of controlling the
| political conventions by the dismember-
ment of their forces, then it will proceed
to open it's silent batteries with their
smokeless powder on the entire voting
| population of the country, together with
the helpless women and children depend
ent on it. 1t will not attempt to buy the
votes of the people; the arch conspirators
| have learned a. less costly and more
effective way of gaining their end. The
dread success of their inhuman expert.
| ment of 1893 taught them final lesson
i'll the art and science of tyranny. The
words we are about to quote direct from
Wall street, the seat and center of the
| money power in this country, reveal their
cold blooded purpose. The people of the
United States cannot have their purpose
of the plutocracy exposed to them too
soon or in too strong colors. This is the
proclamation that but imperfectly hides
the heartless and hellish intent.
wall street." says Henry Clewes,
'has learned to believe that there are
geater potencies than party platforms,
than legislative subserviency to popular
Ignorance, than the madness of par
tisan infatuation. There are situations
n re inc fu "a
convert the most reckless legislators
into the willing servants of conserva-
tive sentiment (the money power) that
represents the real interests and safety
OF the nation. The near pros
pect of the authorization of free coinage
would evoke in Wall street the
kind of conditions that no Congress has
ever yet dared to disregard. and the
cause of free coinage would be overthrown
ut the moment when its success seemed
most certain. 1t is this reserved power
on which Wall street is now reposing"
Yes. reposing as the jungle tiger re-
poses before making its fatal spring on
its unsuspecting prey What is this
reserved power on which Wall street is
now reposingn unless it is the power TO
wreck and ruin, the power to drive to
despair, to destroy and make desolate,
to rob industry of its labor, to dry up
the wells of hope, to starve, to drive to
self destruction, to turn prosperity into
a barren waste, and to blast the ripening
fruits of our later civilization? All this
is included in the collected threat of
Wall street as it is spoken to the free
citizens of America through Henry
Clewes
In one breath the marvellous intel
lliig.ence Of the American people is extolled
out OF all reasonable statement by GER
tain speakers and writers for purpose;
in the next they are buried under their
sneers for being incapable of understand
ing the money issue even in it's outline
and underlying principles, and so far
their total incompetency to decide it in
general terms at the polls. This Wall
street unhesitatingly charges ''legisla-
tive subserviency to popular ignorance.
The people are told that but one class of
men are capable of mastering the subject,
ann they are bankers and brokers and
business men, of the country, especial
ly of the East. Which is to say, that
those most selfishly interested are the
only ones competent to comprehend its
many mysteries. The one selling the
horse is the one to call in when it comes
to fixing the animals value! The rob-
bed person is to be told by the one rob
bling him that it is not for him to decide
how much is good for him.
The ominous threat of Wall street may
roll their accommodating thunders across
the sky, but this popular investigation
and discussion of the currency question
will 90 on to Il final adjustment of the
volume of money to the actual and grow
ing necessities of the people. 1t is made
political question because it affects so
seriously and directly the entire life and
business of the people And thus affect
ing them and affecting their politics as it
does, the potentious fact looms into plain
sight that our policies are fast coming
under the dominion of the power that
seeks first, last, and always the supreme
control of the money of the country
Whoever can control that can get control
of all, for money is the life blood in the
country's veins
A plutocracy haunting the people of the
United States with ignorance Does not
the average citizen know enough to know
that he has to eXpend nearly twice the
time and energy to pay off dollars in
debtedness that he expended twenty five
years ago?-indebtedness for taxes, in
terest, and debts. Is not the average
citizen intelligent enough to understand
that the cause of all this is the arbitrary
and unnatural lowering of the prices of
his agricultural products? That the
cheapening of the food products of the
American farmer is the result solely of
dearer money in consequence of its great
er scarcity? In other words, that the
steady impoverishment of the whole
country, while yet so rich in it's varied
| resources, is owing directly to the de-
monetization of silver and the consequent
halving of the country's money and the
prices of its productions at the same time?