The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1899-02-08
THE LIGHT Is BREAKING.

In private letter to a friend in Rich
monG. our old and esteemed friend Cap
tain Camm Patteson. OF Buckingham. has
the following:
Times ere getting much better IN the
country. and the prospect ahe'td - more
encouraging than II has been Tor years
The phenomenal incre use OF gold q al
lude 10 the worlds production for last
rear1 which amounts to fully s30oo403D
Is absolutely without parallel Ana u
win Increase stiH more tlis ana succeed
ing years II IS destined to change the
financial system Of the world, and VIII
surely but slowly be reflected IN higher
prices for land and all its products. l
have for twenty years kept in close touch
with the subject. and the change for 'he
last five years has upset all my pre-
vious calculations and opened up vista
Of prosperity in the future which l had
not deemed possible
Captain Patteson was asked If he had
any objection to this being published
and he replied that nc had none what
ever.
An honest confession is good for the
soul. and no doubt Captain Patteson
feels infinitely better now that he has
cast of the shackles that bound and has
placed himself in the ranks Of those who
accept conditions as they exist and push
forward with their faces always to-
wards the morning instead Of repining
over a lost and forgotten past with an
RENTING efforts TO turn the hands on
the clock Of time backwards.
This confession Of Captain Patteson's
Is very significant There has not been in
tho whole world a more earnest. consis-
tent. unvarying advocate Of the free coin
age Of silver than he. nor has there been
anywhere more virulent denouncer Of
the gold standard or more iurid prophet
Of the wreck and ruin that were to fol-
low.
But Captain Patteson is a better OBJ
server than most of the others. lie has
seen this country's condition improve by
almost magical stages ever since Free
silver was utterly routed upon that mem
orable battlefield Of 1896. and what has
transoircd before his eyes has taught
Rim that mis- Vaccinations Of woe were
founded upon an erroneous conception Of
conditions. and ne has the maniiness 70
come out openly and proclaim his error
and accept facts as they are. All honor
IN CAPTAIN Paueson for his manly
course
But there is a deep meaning also in
this announcement Of Captain Patteson.
I. is ike the rising OF the sun. II means
that light IS about TO break all over tho
| land and that day is to prevail every
whore in place of night. Captain Pate
son is merely the advanced outpost OF a
/ coming army. There are millions Of
Americans in whose minds the same
course OF reasoning that brought Captain
/ Pareson 10 his present conclusion Is
going on. and ne is simply little ahead
Of them IN making the announcement
/ The others are coming along. II will be
/ bur a short time now before they are
-s,mbling over each other an their eager
ness to have it known that they are
done with free silver and propose TO
never say one word more about IT,
The Democratic party may Vet right
/ itself before the next presidential cleo
I ton and nominate real Democrat upon
a real Democratic platform, and II 1t
does Alger will bury Mckinley. Alger
! IS the best friend the Demcratic party
/ has If It will only be true to itself.