Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1896-08-28
POUND.CAKE vs.. ASH-CAKE.
A FINANCIAL PARABLE AND ANALOGUE.

VI. AD1-GAAh.
A FINANCIAL PARABLE AND ANALOGUE.
NV. g. Elan in the Norfolk Pilot, Aug. 4th.]
And this is the parable of the staff of life:
In Felicia the Lord had provided two grains
for bread, and one of these was called wheat,
and the other was called corn, or maize.
And the King had opened mills for the
grinding of these grains, where both were
ground equally, without price and without
limit.
The land was fertile, yielding both wheat
and corn; but the greater yield commonly
was OF corn, and Wheat sold at higher price
among the people because it was scarcer and
made finer and winter loaves.
Yet the two grains gave abundance and
happiness. If the wheat lacked, the corn
supplied the deficiency; il the corn was scant
thewheat came in answer to the call for
bread. so that no man suffered of hunger in
Felicia.
And TIFF corn was every mans crop. They
who coull not grow wheat, grew corn, and
thew who ate no wheat, grew satisfied with
the corn prOf du 1hS11V uO bllG MIX Hills.
Both in quality and in price the two grains
thus co-operateattoe together to feed the people,
without possibility or monopoly and extor-
ton.
But MammoD who distributed the grains no
the flour and the meal thereof to the people
saw how he could control the situation and
make mighty deal in wheat (the scarce
grain and the more to be desired) if he coul6
persuade the King to close the mills aga ms
corn.
And so he sent his Professors and his Bank
ers and his Scribes and his Lawyers to thu
King; and they said
"Oh, King! wheat is the only food fit fol
thy people. 1t abounds; it is healthful, beau
tiful and sweet; it is more desired of all me1
and nations; corn is food only for swine
Therefore, close thy mills against corn
and allow wheat only to be ground therein.
So will Felicia wax greater and greater
sole and single staff of life, our people will
live longer, grow richer and richer, and be-
come the happier as the delicious biscuit
shall on every table take the place of the
coarse and unsavory ash-cake!"
So it seemed wiseto the King; and forthwith
he issued his edict that thenceforward no corr
should be ground in any of the mills Of
Felicia. which should remain open only to the
free and unlimited grinding OF golden wheat
For time. all things seemed to work we'll
Notwithstanding the edict. But soon the peo
pie who had eaten corn bread found that
they ould not turn their corn into meal. as
the mills were closed to every thing but wheat
They had to eat wheat or starve; and 10! by
reason OF discrimination against it, corn be-
came almost worthless in exchange for wheat
as everything else had also become by reason
of the mill edict.
And they who had eaten wheat only found
that it had risen enormously in price, not
simply because it had been made the sole
staff of life, but because Mammon and his
men had cornered the wheat product, which
had now become easy, as this product was
much less than that of corn and as corn had
been excluded from the mills and the bread
market, and could no longer come to the
rescue of wheat and its consumers.
Thus it came to pass that even the Kings
Baker was sorely put to it to furnish the ac-
customed loaves for the Royal Table. All
the Kings Household and Retainers, who had
formerly been served with corn-pone. had
now to be fed on flour.
So that with the Royal Carriers bursting
with corn, there was scant bread on the
Royal Table!
But Mammon & Co., had store of wheat,
and for while they cheerfully took the
Kings orders Tor bondS) in exchange for
wheat; but the peoples orders OF bonds were
disdained, -Mammon & Co., double-locking
their wheatbins against all popular demands,
insomuch that the people starved, while the
King Toasted and still kept reserve or sur
plus OF wheat by liberal issue of Royal
orders or bonds warranted to produce wheat
and nothing but wheat!
At length, when the people had been driv>
en- to the last extremity and famine prevail
ed in the land, even the Kings bonds were
refused for wheat by Mammon & Co., unless
he would also put in pawn his crown, his
sceptre and his throne!
And then the eyes and ears of the King were
partially opened to his PROSTATE people cry
ing for the re-opening of the mills to corn.
"We do not care for pound cake!" shrieked
the people. ''Give us corn-bread. lest we
perish in the midst of onr abundance!"
But the sleek Mammon, with his Portly
Professors, his Bloated Bankers, his Greasy
Scribes, and his Lusty Lawyers, talked day
and night to the King: "rhese ignorant and
half. educated people do not know what ails
them, nor what they need" said Mammon Il
Go. "Besides, they are hired to starve them
selves and make all this cutlery by these fell
lows who raise such enormous crops of corn.
The corn-producers alone will. be benefited by
opening the mills to corn. Just think what
an enormous pile of money they will make if
corn be again allowed as a breadstuff!
We, on the contrary. know all about grain
and bread, and from our very position are
utterly disinterested. We neither grow nor
grind anything!"
Except the people and the King!" inter-
iected the Kings Fool.
Scoring the unseemly interiection, Man,
mon & Co., went on: 1.-The people foolishly
saw they do not want pound cake, and clamor
for corn bread but we who know, Oh King,
declare to you that corn-bread is Injurious to
the digestion, fit only for hogs, and that
pound-cake, as our experience proves, is far
better for human food. 1t is true, that the
people say that they can get no pound cake;
that it is beyond their means, is scarce, &c.
Yet as we can testify conclusiyely, there is
nlentv of pound cake for we have got it! :