The Roanoke times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1897-1977, 1897-02-19

unity among those who suffer from the
rule of money Without this unity moth.
ing can he accomplished. 1t will not do
for those who suffer to follow those lead
ers who, as tried politicians, are content
to follow. They must seek ont and fol.
low leaders who have the courage and dis.
cernment to lead: who are ready and
capable to take the responsibility of lead.
ership. They must follow mer who are
ready and anxious to 90 forward; they
must not wait for men who must he
pushed forward.
There must be no uncertainty IL the
attack on the entrenchcd oli9archy. or il
will fail The attack must be made with
vi;or, and must be directed by those who
know the vulnerable points and who can
make it effective Therefore. the need of
leaders who will lead for strength must
not be wasted in IL blind struggle such as
the struggle against the encroachment of
oligarchy ust become If directed by
men, who waiting to see which way the
tide runs. must ever hesitate Those
who aim ut sclf-prefeI and hest tate
to lead through fear of ieopartlizing their
own political future cannot successfully
lead in the struggle with oligarchy. Men
who are prompted 10y the love of country
and humanity, not of self, men who are
ready to sacrifice their political future
must be found for leaders, or oligarchy
will triumph. The man fitted to lead is
not one who, through fear of jcopardiz-
ing his own position cinGs to one issue
and endeavors to check the movement
against oligarchy along lines that are, as
yet, ess clca 'ly defined.
The struggle for emancipation must be
led and encouraged, not checked and mar
rowed. To work for silver rcmonetiza-
ton is we'll: it is II step toward the free
ing of our producing classes from the
burdens that grind them down: but it is
not enough. 1t is not only through the
medium of an approaching dollar that
centralized capital lays. Ian unjust tribute
on our people. The railroads are used
rs an effective instrument in the taxing of
the productive CLASSES for the benefit of
the moneyed interests. They are used rs
Dne of the weapons of centralized capital
i'll the gathering, for the benefit OF the
few, of the fruits of the toll of the many.
Therefore, Governmental ownership of
the railroads is called for
Moreover, ii is not fo" permanently
approaching dollar that the moucvcd in.
tcrests work. They want an apprecint.
ing dollar as the stepping stone to some
thing else, that something .elsc being the
control over our paper currency. They
WANT an approaching dollar until falling
prices have made il impossible foy their
debtors to pay, and they have been ena-
hied 10 take the property of their ruined
debtors. Possessed of this property they
will want rising prices, and to get rising
prices they will want currency cXpan.
sion. But they will not want to EXPAND
the currency permanently They will
only want To keep prices rising until they
have had an opportunity To sell ut an al.
vance the property taken from their
debtors Mt wrecknge prices This done,
they will want falling prices again, such
rs will grind down to poverty The new set
of hopeful proircers who have taken the
property oil of their hands and thus cna,
bic the moneyed interests to repeat the
operation of ileccing the producing classes
Of the fruits OF thci- toll,
50, through the banks they want To get
control o; the currency, 50 thpt thcv can
raise prices and denrcsS prices at
will. Such II passing ci the control over