The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1897-10-15
ocAlA oNcr AaArn.

glimbcr Of years ago the freeze killed the |
groves. and hard times amorR the farmers
throughout the world killed the sale Of phos
phate. As the central point Of thesc two indus
tries, ocaia suffered more during the immediate
past than any town in the state. bat her In
domiiabie spirit puts her again at the rnp. and
one Of her local papers says even the most pr6-
uounced pessimist Is Obliged to admit the sitna-
lion IS improving When ocaias pessimist
does that much, the rest OF us need not hesitate.
Prosperity is here. Times linton and citizen.
Now here, indeed, Is an unexpected
acknowledgement from an unexpected
quarter. Hard times among the
farmers throughout the world -
What Ocala pessimlst has said more
than that? fit be, indeed, true, as
the Times Union-C Citizen unwittingly
states, that the farmers throughout the
world have been fighting hard times,
then newspapers Of its gild have been
attempting TO heguile us with false ar
guments and false allurements. IL is
not true then, as they pretend TO
have u believe, that the destruction
Of silver as money, high tariff lepisla-
ton, The Invention and application of
labor-saving machinery, the private
ownership of railroads, the coucentra-
ton and combination Of capital, and
the monopoly by few of All material
products, have caused Arcaaian winds
to blow over the earth and gorgeous
rainbows to decorate tie heavens.
All these things hayiug been done,
and as result hard times" have
been the fruit plurked by the farmers
of the earth. That's the admission.
Why il this9 Has the great God IT
the Universe suddenly refused his ap.
prevail aud benediciion 10 this great
army Of industrious tOilers? Have
the farmers suddenly lost their skill
and cunning? Have they been -loth-
ful and improvident' On the con
trary, do not the statistic snow that
they have been industrious, ski.l.al
and enterprising? Mors than ever he
fore the soil has generously T. ~p0nded
to their industrious efforts. Indeed,
il is the favorite argument ol ueWspa.
| pers like the Tue. that the cause Of
these acknowledged hard tunes among
them is the result Of "over-pr0duc-
ton" TIE farmers produce too
much. They are ten industrious and
too skillful. Yet, in the very next
breath we are told by these Atnle
newspapers, who set themselves Dp as
/ economic experts, that the farm r.
must not expect to get IS melting for
nothing" They must first Sow before
they can reap. They must not tx-
pect to buy until they have something
to sell. If they want to bring about
prosperity they must get on hump
and "hustle."
If We had ten year old boy that
could not display better Knowledge
of economics than is evolved ia the
brain Of these pretended editors We
would gently incline him across ouf
knee and inspire him with a strap.
Acknowledging there are hard t,ues
with the farmers throughout the
world, the editor Of the T.-U.-C ends
his little squib 10y saying; " Prosperity
is here" What has brought it here9
Was it the defeat of Bryan and the
election of Mckinley? Isit Tho policy
inaugurated by the republican party.
Why, the policy of this party is even
sectional in the mere matter Of flrm
products Why, Mr. Wilson, has the
"Dingley tariff" made the price Of
wheat high and the price of cotton
low? Must the south rejoice over this
one-sided, sectional prosperity? Is it
putting money into her pockets u pay
a big price for Hour and pare with her
cotton for less than the cost OF produc.
tion9 Good, honest. reliable farmers
here tell us that they have abandoned
whole fields Of cotton because it wont
pay for the picking; ami don't Mr.
Wilson know that if the price of
wheat is higher now than it was a
year ago it is because of the failure OF |
crops in other quarters? That if a /
few growers Of tobacco in Florida are /
obtaining fair prices for their products |
it is because of the misfortunes that /
have overtaken our neighbors in Cuba /
and does the editor of the T.-U.-C. |
put these arguments forth as sound |
economies Wise statesmanship and !
bene'icent legislation is not born of
such erroIs. If sound economies could
prevail, skill and industry would not
entail poverty OF the human race.
We would not have to expect pros.
perity through the calamity Of our
neighbors, and when half the world is
hungering for foodstufts and shivering
from cold, for want of clothing,
newspapers like the TUG. would not
be forced to falsely proclaim that these
things are the result of overproduc.
ton of farm crops and fabrics Of the
loom.
As long as human wants are I'M
supplied there is no such thing rs
"oyer-production, aud as long as
there is an abundance" in the sight
of poverty the cry Of prosperity"
is false aud hollow sham. 1t is a
fragrant, siekening mockery.
The New York World calls the bi-
metallists of this country pe,verts.
but it frankly says: The main issue
in the Chicago platform Is not dead.
1t Is very much alive. Alr. Bryan,
hold upon the party is NOT relaxed. 1t
is stronger than ever This is the
of a pronounce gold-bug
paper-Roehester y Y. Times.
There never was any truly great and
noble that was not also tender ana
symPa thetie.-South
l Ma