The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1897-02-12

poverty TOT the many.
Let me cite one example which is
true of the whole policy of protection.
In this state there are few hum
dred men engaged in orange growing.
The consumers of this luscious fruit
millions. Now, the few grow
ers want a protection or bounty from
the government of a dollar a box ON
each hox grown. Why should these
few men be thus protected and made
rich at the expense of the whole army
of consumers throughout the United
States? 1t must be borne III mind
that only the growers get the benefit
of this bounty. None of it goes to the
laborer. Whether the grower gets one
dollar or five dollars per box the hire
of the laborer Is the same; and, as is
always the case, the consumer pays
the freight" As it Is with the orange
industry so it is with all others. The
same principle is found running
through the warp and wool of the
whole theory. That it is any benefit
to labor is a mockery and sham. 1t
is selfish and sectional 10 the core, and
the quintessence and embodiment of
"paternalism." Yet its advocates are
continually lecturiDg the deludtd pop
ulists and Others of the sin ami folly
of expecting benefits and riches
through legislation.
But am digr. ssing. What of that
promised prosperity? That was the
watchword of your canvass. 1t
was one Of tie decapiions you prac-
ticed to cajp and capture the igno-
rant voter. cave Your protected mill-
ionaire manufacturers; leave the men
who have been given municipal, state
and national franchises and out of the
gift have accumulated millions; leave
the men who, through legislation,
have monopolized the bounties of ma
ture and grown rich by exacting usury
aud tribute from their neighbors; leave
your presidents and governors and
high paid officials, and put your fin
gers on any class of men who are en-
joying your promised prosperity, and
the free silver editors will lapse into
profound silence. Your talk of pros
perity is moekery,a pretense and a
sham. 1t does not exist even In the
imagination. 1t exists only in decep-
ton. 1t was born of political dishOn-
esty and the cry is continued in n.y.
pocracy and in the face of constant
daily refutation.
would that you were ashamed of
your part in it because you belong to a
race of people who have steadfastly
refused to bend the supple hinges of
the knee even though thrift might
follow fawning.
One of the great political needs is
tor editors who have the courage to
tell the truth. The restoration of
truth is as much needed as the resto-
ration of confidence and prosperity.
was one among many who urged
the farmers of Florida, just after our
disastrous freeze, to plant cotton. We
urged that it would be money crop
and with the cash derived from its
sale the unfortunate farmer could pay
taxes and buy needful household sup
plies. But what do We see? Tie
crop hasn't paid for the cost of its pro-
duction. AS usual the farmer has the
bag to hold.
met man on the tram the other
day from North Carolina. He was a
tobacco grower. The trust he said
controlled the crop and regulated it's
price. From twenty-five and thirty
cents per pound it had fallen to five
and six, yet the price of the manu-
featured article-cigarettes, snuff, etc.,
remains the same.
have before me copy of the Cleve-
land Recorder, a paper printed in
Mark Hanna's home. 1t gives an ac-
count of the Hanna dinner, when
this "Organizer" gave to the invited
editors twenty dollar gold pieces as
souvenirs and mementoes of the vic
tory for gold. Perhaps you were there
and got yours and feel that confidence
has been fully restored. Well, this
paper gives an account of another in
cident. A farmer brought a load of
corn to town to sell and from the pro-
ceeds of which expected to buy shoes
for his family and perhaps a wrapper
for his wife. He even went so far as
to select the articles before trying the
strength of the market. What was his
modification to find that his whole
load of corn would buy but single
pair of boots.
After voting for Mckinley what do
you think that farmer thought of the
restoration of prosperity?
But why prolong the story? Its re-
cital would be but gall and NORWOOD.
But a little more than a hundred
years ago there was bequeathed to us
government that was thought wor-
thy of imitation by the nations of the
earth. Our public domain was num-
bered by the millions of acres and if
rightly administered could have
maintained in comfort population at
east ten times its present number, but
in the score Of years allotted to the life
time of an individual, we have seen
this vast domain squandered-w have
seen what was intended for all given
to few-we have seen the character
of the government changed-we have
seen class distinctions recOgnized-we
have seen an oligarchy of wealth es-
tablished-we have seen the growth
of the millionaire and his favored
kind control the financial policy of the
M0ra