The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-08-04
DISCIPLES OF PROSPERITY.
Populists Deny That the Calamity
HowP' is Their Trademark.

The Populists viii have to dig up some
new variety of dissatisfaction or go out
Of business.
The calamity howl which they have
been palming off on the people as states
manship and high political philosophy,
during recent years, seems to be playing
out.
As the reports of good crops have
come in there has been a melancholy sag
/ i'll the chin whiskers of such notablps \ <
the Hon. Richard Razor, Rev Righteous
Altogether Cobb Col. Zeke Bilkfns Ram
sey and Maj. Jay Yahoo Hamrick-alI Of
whom are good Populist office-holders,
within a stones throw of the State cap
itol. Not word do they utter. Che
whiskers only say lower and the head
ways doubtfully, as the reports continue
/ to come in each one better than the
last. What right have the crops to
grow this way? What right has the far
mer to become prosperous? Is not calam-
| lily the food upon which Populism feeds
and fattens? Are not the people in the
coal districts having strikes, the mill Oper-
atives in the north losing their Jobs by
mills closing. the farmers in the west
suffering from drought? To be sure they
are.
But in the crops of North Carolina there
seems to be something peculiarly per-
verse and wholly unintelhgent.
They insist on growing to enormous pro-
portions without asking Populist office
holders whether such an arrangement
is agreeable to them or not.
Amid this gloom and confusion comes
| Mr.. s. j. Pritchard, of Brodie. n. c..
as an angel of mercy to solve the diff
Guilty. In effect he suggests that good
crops mean prosperity; that the Re-
! publicans being in, they are responsible
for it: that as the Republicans and Pop
ulists have fused the Populists are equal
! ly responsible. This being so why
should not the Populist, like the fly
| perched upon the chariot wheel, exclaim
Behold what a dust I am kicking up?'
This is in effect the reasoning con-
tanned in the following letter received
/ at the Agricultural department from
Mr.. Brodie. 1t will bring joy to the
hearts of all downcast calamity howlers
and Populist statesmen:
'Brodie, n. c., July 10.
"Dear Sir: There is a man at this
place who, having read your crop report
and comments thereon, declared the
whole thing to be n 'Populist lie and
that the crops Of the State were the poor
+ est for ten years. You say our own
State always makes her own bread. Of
/ course 1 think that is true, but he says
/ we haven't made enough corn to last
until June q single year since the war
If you have any figures relative to the
grain crops Of the State for the last few
years kindly send them and I VIII try
\ TO convince some Of those who had rath-
/ err have Democratic adversely than Pop
ulist prosperity, that our State is not
The barren waste of pauperism which
/ they in their ignorance and partisanism
( deem it.
"Your very truly,
IS. J. PRITCHARD.
! SO You may no more expect to hear
1.-The infamous Populist calamity howl.
/ But the dolorous chant has been kept up
1 long enough to accomplish the purpose
/ whereunto it was sent. For the
last four years chorus of
bowling, led by Populist charla-
tans and offce-seekers has been
waiIing necessarily. Discomfort and
distrust have been cultivated with a
view to reaping for them a political
harvest for the benefit of the bowling
chorus. They have got it; their croalling
has ceased and now the people are find
ing them out for the humbugs they are.
They have walked up to a consciousness
that their patronage of pessimism has
been an expensive investment, and that
the croaker was croaking for pie to fill
! his own nav.