The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-07-21

Ordinarily IT Is not within the province
oil an Industrial journal 10 discuss politics,
but strange conditions warrant strange
methods. We believe that the times are
sufficiently disiointed 10 Justify the di-
gre-sion which we now make.
The presidential campaign upon which
we are now entering is 20 be a battle
between honesty and dishonesty. between
law and anarchy. between wisdom and
folly. and between prosperity and chaos.
National integrity IS ~ stake and indi-
yiduM liberty is as-liied. A midsummer
madness has ralsied the intelligence of
our people. and they are wandering in
strange paths The situation calls ior
oandor and the manhood Of the nation
must respond.
This silver craze was born Of greed.
rursed by ignorance and trained by
Cemag0gues. The cry of cheap money
was started. and IT'S sound caught the
ear Of every ignorant man and every
debtor in the land. II wJs easy for these
men 10 believe the Cuuninl sOphistry OF
the orators who told them lat "chcaD
money" would double wages and operate
in every way 20 their benefit. ft was
easy for the debtors 90 believe that
cheap money would enable them % COM
promise their obligations These were
the classes that heard and gave heed
10 the cry OF free silver" The ignorant
and the desperate became its disciples.
The intelligent mon Of the South. the
merchants. the manufacturers. and the
professional men stand twenty 20 one
for the gold standard. As conclusive evil
dence OF this fact, we point to the policy
OF the Southern press. There are thirty
six daily papers OF consequence publish
cd in the southern States. Four OF them
have espoused the cause of cree silver"
Thirty-two OF them are waging earnest
war against the propagation OF this IN
slliOus evil. So much 10 prove that the
intelligent men Of the South have not
gone wrong ON this question.
This cheap money agitation is partic-
ular,y unfortunate for the south. For
years the South has been crying out for
capital 10 develop her resources. yet TO-
day she stands arrayed against the men
whose hands have always been outstretch-
"a 10 aid us. Whence came the money
that has built the railroads. the factories.
and the magnificent buildings that dot
the Southern landscape today Did any
of ~ come from the Western silver States
n to-day some mammoth enterprise were
proposed In the South. where would its
promoters go Tor capital? Would thcy
travel 20 the far West and seek 10 place
stock with the silver mine owners9 Who
are the purchasers Of our products. raw
and manufactured Are these uroduct.
marketed In the sllve States Of the yVes,
Years have been spent In creating IN.
friendships and business ties that now
exist between the people OF the Souti
and the North. These two sections hav.
become interdependent The North ba,
given the South n high testimonial OF hen
confidence; she has sent her children Il
dwell among US This once blghtel land
throbs to-day with industry that has beer
made possible only by capital from Tho
North. Shall Western greed and southern
ignorance destroy the strong commercial
lies that exist between the South and
North Never. our business men are
neither fools nor rascals. This unhappy
crazo will waste its frenzy and calm
reason shall rule our destinies.-Atlanta
Dixie