Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1899-01-04
TWELVE PAGES
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 4, 1898.
"pRosPERITY!.

~ II a horde Of ruthless invaders should
get the upper hand of us. deprive us of
our money and currency. seize our
crops and other productions and send
them out of the. country, levy heavy
contributions upon us of every kind
and allow us the mere gleanings to be
gathered In the wake, of their ravages,
no doubt they would be very prosper
Gus and would shout aloud over the big
= returns they received from what they
$ had shipped abroad; but how would it
be; with us2 Would I'VE the people" be
pros porous? 1t Is parallel case to our
existing condition:
sS ''Wealth accumulates, and men de-
cay
In such state of things Every much
like they were in France. just proceed
ing the Revolution of 1880. it is only
y aggravation of the matter to hear our.
Princes and Princesses. our nobility
and their minions. our farmers OF taxes
s(especlally of delinquent land taxes)
4 and other official and speculative fat
tenerys on our losses and deprivations.
boosting Of their prosperity. of the
abundance of money among them. and
advising us, If we and our children cry
for bread. to eat pound-cake. for
there's plenty OF pound-cake!"
Yes: there's a plenty of pound-cake
and a plenty OF money; but not for the
people who made this Union, this gov
eminent. and who fight its battles. pay
Ats taxes, create it's wealth, maintain all
values, and provide all incomes, rents,
interest, dividends, with all the neces-
saTies, comforts and luxuries of life
that others engross and enjoy.
The general welfare. instead of being
promoted, is sacrificed to special inter-
( ests and privileged classes; the bless
fdngs OF liberty, which we desired to
! transmit to our posterity, have perlshed
with liberty beneath fraud, bribery and
corruption, usurpation and studied mis-
sconsttuction have prostituted Justice;
domestic tranquility has its homes
wrested from It and want prevails; and
J fhe common defence is made the pretext
L Cor garrison1ng our country, estab-
fishing a standing army. developing i'm
perfaliSm and skinning the people to
provide the extraordinary expenditures
demanded.
Under the pretext of feeding Cuban
JGlers, Ma1ayston desperadoes and Porto
Ricams revealing in all the fruits of the
earth Gas are the others also), the bread
is taken from the mouths of our indus
tyfous people. who have earned 1t in the
sweat Of their faces. and Is turned into
I money for the pockets OF thieves. Our
Bick soldiers die for lack of proper pro-
vision of medicine, food and attention,
that lmaves may riot in dissipation.
Contractors cheat at their sweet will.
leisure and pleasure; the army suf-
fers; the people pay; and they whose
duty IT Is to see the contracts honestly
i and promptly fulfilled, are themselves
Checked" by the contractors and gaily
seek their pleasures. This is our pros
perity!
The only prosperity Is that OF those
preying upon the people, their labor
and production. 1t is the prosperity OF
sion-producers fiourlshing upon the de-
|. sspoilment OF producers. But. we are
told, "the prosperity of the wicked
& 81 ~ al ~, destroy them" What consolation
/ rs rs that to us who are also destroyed by
that that = ubiquitous s prosperity?
sssssf "a SyII II i--------- ---l--.---------
~ When Maiays are running emuck in
= shtngton and our other cities. we
! shalt probably begin to see the folly
v OF this mal-Asian annexation or an
& uld desirable population, IL :.