The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1897-01-15
THAT PROMISED PROSPERITY.
VIII the Policy Of Protection Bring II
About Should Every Tub Stand
on It's own Bottom!

Aboutl Should Every Tub Stand
on It's own Bottom!
OCALA, FLA, Jan. 10th, 1897.
Editor MdnJdcturers' Record.
In reply to letter wrote you re-
Gently you are moved to denounce the
statements made thereinas false. This
is an easy thing to do. 1t is an ever
ready and handy weapon. 1t is heard
in bar-room, street and brothel. But,
AZ an argument, it is a weapon that
should be avoided by the editor, the
economist, and the gentleman. Don't
denounce thing as false, but prove it.
Imade no haphazzard statement. did
not draw upon heated and over
wrought imagination. quoted the
exact language of one of your cores
pondents who cast most foul reflec-
ton upon large class of honest and
conscientious men. This correspon-
dent, whose name mentioned, pre-
tended to believe that the silver agita-
ton, which he called ''lunacy,u had
destroyed the s'honesty'' and ''truth-
fulness' of the silver editors of this
country, and especially of the silver
editors of the south. This statement
was published with your approval.
You calaed editorial attention to it;
vet, II Tie ACE which, you de
l:ol1acs a false the taste.speSl q mine
that the Manufactures Record has
used abuse for argument against the
silver people, But let the statement
and g denial go for what they are
worth.
can readily understand that high
paid officials, whether going in or
coming out Of Office, can feel jubilant
and imagine that the country is pros
porous and lovely and that the "goose
hangs high.n
But few years ago his fees were so
small as a lawyer that one, Grover
Cleveland, regarded The Office of sher-
iii as promotion. Since which time
he has been governor of New York
aud president of these United States
and Fetirua 10 private life many times
I = mililoQ iss counting his millions,
\ he may w sge that the country
is on reas0 ssperous basis.
because tho nankefsy 0r naast of
them, have weathered the past two of
three years without joining the ever
Increasing army of hobos, Mr.. Eckels,
comptroller of the currency, drawing
a salary of five thousand per year,
believes that the talk of distressful
conditions is simply the insane raw
ings of few misguided ''calmity
howlers.n
Mr.. ]. Sterling Morton, head of the
agricultural department, with a
knowledge Of farming that almost
equals Horace Greeley's, whose book on
farming was said by the New York
Sun to be the "most brilliant work of
fiction of the century, like Mr.. Eek
els, drawing a large salary, believes
that the farming industry of the coun-
try was never more prosperous.
But, pardon me for observing that
high paid Office holders and the mill
ionaire class are not the ones to give
informs lion of the true conditions of
thecountry. me editor and economist
must look elsewhere for this informa-
tion. Where there is one palace there
are many slaoyels, You know and /
kRasE j anyone else outside Ae LIZ
matte aaylums Know, that the great
mass. sof the American people are not
prosps4ails. 10 pretend to believe
that they are, is nonsense. To insist
that they are, Is deception in its worst
form.
Railroads and electric lights and the
various kinds of labor saving inven-
tions, while they mark the progress
and advancement of the race, are. not
self-evident proofs that the great
masses of the American people are
prosperous and happy.
Men died Of hunger in Babylon at
the time Of lBelshazzar's great feast;
though Dives table was laden with
rich wines and costly victuals, there
were beggars at his gates longing for
the crumbs that might fall from his
table.
The history of the Roman Empire,
Just before its downfall, is so similar
! to our own that i'm reading it one
h might easily believe he was reading
Nhe history of his own country. The
Concentration Of power ami Increase
OF cnWe proceeded with equal step.
In It's essly ages the Roman admins
tration wxAexsfniasd by thousands of
persons. Az %tirAe il passed into
the hands Te az families. 1t
was at last seiz y ne man who be-
came master o. .NasIe the present
pppuiatiop i the ait, States. AS
seths 2 = - ut on, Ye,it .eh@
adQfa sIlier a, tnf +.
public, 49,. cared s5
1t is an evil day IN theIhisl .eof
any nation when wealth is recognized
as the sole standard Of social distinc-
ton. That day made its approach in
Rome. It is fast making its appear
ance in the United States. The most
evil consequences followed. The ac-
cumuiation Of wealth and power gave
place TO universal depravity. OH