The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-12-20
Wall Street without helping me, | shall
always think you hadn't ought to-.
Yours, truly.
BENZ. PINEBURR.
IN OPEN LETTER TO PRESIDENT
M'KINLEY.
-. 81
Corntassel, N. c..
Nnrnnhnr 10 1900

IN ttEII-N LEI IIlIt ~ L hGENIIFELN l.
M'[INLEY.
Corntassel, n c..
November 10, 1899.
Mister President: / attended church
ut our little neiglborhood meeting
house today, and the preacher preached
Il good sermon on the subject of unity
and brotherly love. Now, | don't know
whether it's exactly the fashionable
thing to do, but / was raised Method
igt and taught 80 carry my religion
INTO the everyday walks Of life and
aIQly the preceptS Of the Bible to the
different phases Of perpleXity that.
reckon. comes into every life. And
I've been trying to find some precelf in
our Christian creed to make me feel
hfotherly towards the spectators that
rob MY babies Of the bare necessaries
Of life. BY lowering the products Of my
labor That they may live in luxury l.
amt envious. Mr. President because
there is compensation in everything. and
when | sniff the clear crisp mir these
November mornings and feast my eyes
upon the tawny tiids Of these autumn
days, / realize that kindly nature has
hung canvas 1T my very door. sur
passing the art OF the old masters,
without the noXiol5s smell Of paint o.
brush But Mr. President. our consti-
tuition says we united some years ago.
When the English didn't love us as
well as they do now, to establish JUS
tice and promote the general welfare.
That ] take it. means not only the
temporal welfare. but the spiritual as
well. Now, as ! said before, | was
brought Gp a Methodist and taught to
believe THAT anything obtained except by
fair means. either hy the state or indi-
yidEal. would never be profitable, and
that the iniquites OF the fathers would
10 visited Unto the children. In my
younger days | had a temptation To
gamble, but these precepts held nae in
check, and have caused me Ia earn
my bread in the sweat Of my face. But
I've been working hard all my life. ana
still | don't wear diamonds And an-
other thing. the crops may fail the
army worm may sweep down upon my
cotton like the plaques Of Egypt. the
grasshopperS mHy pull my fodder he
fore II is ripe, and the weeyils may
eat up my corn after it is housed ana
II the government helps me at all It is
simply through charity But these
gamblers Of Wall Street karin sarn em
they get in 2 tight llaee and they teIe-
graph Mr. Gage to come to New York
they want 10 Sue hm un particular
business, and be goes, and they have
banquet and eat up enough to fend 4
widow and six orphans for a YEAR and
Mr.. Gage he goes buck 10 Washington
with his Wristbands tight enough to
hurst. And then he issues a call for
bends. ahead 81 time. To relieve the
stringensy III ihe money market and
the next day the Wall Street gamblers
wear a smile as broad SIS county ne
gro's in q watermelon patch. and when
read about il 7 leese some Of my
hrotherly love. and / can't help it. Mr..
President Instead OF turning loose the
government funds to fill the pockets Of
these parasites that feed upon the pro-
ducts Of others Why not do something
to encourage honesty and productive
ness! Cur hoys read about these things
and just as soon as they get big enough
to part their hair ii the middle they
want 10 90 to s3Ge city or other. so
II they get hard ", the government can
come TO their aid. / tell you Mister
President. its ny honest opinion that
it's robbing our Young men 0f their in
sAh stAfAs AtNAs t8tAtA LIN ANSA tiNHittLNS Vi
manhood They ineulcate the idea that
to win dollar is mark OF the high
est type Of manhood. and after it is won
they feel like there viii he 10 questions
asked
la the meantime what encouragement
do we fellows get that try 10 lead an
honest, upright life II the government
sets 4 premium on gambling? We ras
heels love orr government. and don't
like to see it get into an indefensible
position. And we still have with Us
the blood thai took such active part
at the battle Of 'sAamance.a and we
still hate injustice and extortion and
we like to feel thar we are getting value
received for car tax money; and We.
don't want to hive t. pick up the crumbs
from the government table. when the
constitution gives MS a right to be seated
at the feast. New. Mister President
am trying mighty hard to have a broth
erly love for al my fellow creatures.
but ! will tell you. it's about as hard for
ME 70 feel it for those fellows on Wall
Street as it is 10 make hen SET when
she don't want to-"
Ycug.s f1,ulf