The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1897-10-14
SCOTLAND NECK, N c.. THURSDAY, OCTOBER IA. 1897.

ing the calcium light in every crevice
to expose the pervading rottenness, the
coils of the anaconda would be past
unfolding.
Disguise 1t as they may, under the
mask of philanthropy, public necessity,
or patriotic purpose, it is clearly ap-
parent to the well informed, that the
major part of the appropriations are
made in and for the interest of the
party urging the appropriation, and
even our marvellous pension growth is
but the outcome of politics and engen-
dered in the interest of the party catch
Ing the soldier vote-its end mercenary
selfishness and not patriotic impulse or
sympathy for the soldier-so solicitous
are both parties for this advantage they
haye allowed the pension system to be
so expanded that 1t takes nearly one
half OF the annual revenue of the Gov
ernment to satisfy them. What excel
lent marksmen those ill-fed and badly
armed rebels must have been to kill
and MAIN two-thirds of the Federal
army
The honest, deserving pensioners
should be provided for; but 1t is sheer
lunacy to assume, that the larger, and
better equipped army, should lose over
one half its forces, through the meagre
facilities possessed by its weaker ad-
versary.
But there Is no appellate court to
which it may be referred, and so long
as there is money in 1t to the Con-
gresslonal shylock, the taxpayer must
submit to his unhappy environment.
This invasion OF personal liberty,
which is so truly subscribing the In
terests of enemies of true government,
begins in the primaries, enlarged at
the ballot box, and consummated in
State, and National conclave. A mer-
cenary scramble from the prlmate, to
the lex superma' of our system.
The past freedom of the Individual
has brought our country to its present
hlgn standpoint-its waning liberties
like the unfortunate Roman may be
even more rapid IN Its declension than
in its ascendant. 'Facilis averno
descensus.'
Dry as it is, permit me to glance at
a few statistics.
It is the estimate that the aggregate
real and perlshable interests OF the
United States is IS billion of dollars,
that in the past three decades we have
squandered one-eighth of this stupend-
GUS amount in war debts, unnecessary
appropriations, pensions, subsidies and
venality, and although our gold, silver,
and copper, and iron mines have been
yielding handsomely, and Providence
having blest us with abundant harvests
throughout this period, we still tind
our National treasury at the mercy OF
the money sharks, whose combined
strength, could easily crush our fnan-
cial system.
Allowing us only one half of the
eight billions we have squandered in
thirty years, on what a majestic base
would our country now stand, had 1t
been judiciously appropriated +! Our
merchant marine would have covered
every sea, our invincible frowning bat
Elements commanding the respect of
alien systems, and our feet of monitors.
the envy and fear of British arrogance,
we would be free from the insolence
and aggression, which the poverty of
the situation so temptingly invites.
On two occasions have we taught
British insolence salutary lesson, but
she still growls, from knowledge OF
the fact, that our financial system Is
deranged, and our seaports exposed.
Still there will be no war, for the burn
ed child seldom jumps into fire from
which it has been twice extricated.
The Monroe doctrine is cardinal
principle OF our Republic, and will be
enforced at all hazards by every govern
ment on this continent, against the
combined powers of christendom, a fea-
ture which our president in his wisdom
and vigorous foreign policy, has re-
Gently enunciated, so that all whose
sentiment runs counter to it, may know
the Gibraltar of our system.
The leading idea in Mr.. Cleveland s
Venezeulan message, was to dlsslpate
the error into which alien systems had
fallen, that the Monroe doctrine was a
mere sentiment with our people, and
by way of removing any mist, obscuri-
ty, or further m1sconstruction about 1t,
boldly enunclates that with his people
it is cardinal, inviolable principle
that although it is lex nonscripta,
it is no less cherished than the written
code-that it is one of the bulwarks OF
our system-that it neither seeks, no1
will it permit, any foreign interference
with this inallenable, reserved, right OF
our American sovereignties-he seeks