The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-10-09
OLE @essenger.
WHENCE CAME PROSPERITY

One OF the stupid cries OF he epub-
1icans is that the prosperity Of he last
two years was all owing to h fact
that republicans had charge IL o
listen to h demagogues and read the
deceptive organs you will be assured
that the glory and grandeur and pros
perity of this vast country in all the
past come solely from republican
domination. The corruptest, most vi
cfous, most deceitful of all political
parties, the republican is to be credit
ed with all that has come to the peo-
pie that was advantageous and whole
some and pleasing. 1t is a lie out of
the whole cloth, and no really well in
formed man believes the contention for
a moment. He knows it Is an unmit-
igated falsehood all through. The re-
publican party brought on the most
gigantic war Of the world, piled up the
highest debt ever placed upon a mod
ern people by one war Of rapine and
destruction, prosecuted and outraged
the people it finally triumphed over by
using five men to one, n now it seeks
to take stolen honors and befool the
u~nsuspecting with the fanciful idea
that it is indeed a party of great merit,
of great success in causing light taxes
and blessed times and so on. The lie
is too pa1pable to deceive any man of
ordinary intelligence. In a most time
ly editorial the other day, the Balti-
more Sun, that opposed Bryan four
years ago, referring to the boastings
Of the republican party as to 1.-The
origin of our prosperity" among other
wise impressive remarks said this:
This is the sort of stuff which re-
publican orators are shouting from the
stump in every state in the union. In
telligent and reasoning people will not
be deceived by such nonsense. The re-
publican party is not the originator
of prosperity in this country. 1t came
into existence purely as a revolution
airy political organization prior TO the
civil war, and its first achievement
was TO bring overwhelming disaster
upon the nation-to destroy thousands
of millions Of property and to sacrifice
Hundreds Of thousands of lives in the
war which followed its accession to
power. 1t saddled the country with an
enormous debt and it brought ruin
upon what mad heretofore been one of
the most prosperous sections of the
United States. 1t imposed grievous
taxes upon the people in order to ex-
tinguish its war debt. Its economic
policy was designed to build up the in
dustrial interests 1t protected at the
expense of the consumers. The result
has been the creation of a privileged
class of shoddy and stock-jobbing aris-
tocrats which has piled up riches and
- l. - n
country. The workingman is absolute
ly under the control Of the mighty in
.dustrial concentrations for which the
republican party is responsible, while
the is equally at their mercy.
These are the conditions which have
suite from republican prosperity
Prosperity is not a stranger to the
people of the United States. There
were good times in this republic long
before the republican party came into
Our merchant ships sailed
seas in every direction, and the
American flag was seen in all the ports
of the world. The American farmer
chants proSpered."
That is precisely correct. The hap
piest, the most contented people in all
the world were Americans before the
cruel was was waged against the
south. Prosperity and happiness
abounded, and especially in this dear
fair southland of ours. There were but
few rich people-scarcely a millionaire
but a we'll distributed means and a
prosperous population as q Whole.
The student who turns back to the
foundation of our government by the
patriotic, loyal, liberty-loving forefath-
ers, who little anticipated the bad
conditions that now exist, will see how
wisely and ably they built, and how
soon prosperity and peace and hope
I Led the land. The Young Republic
started off excellently. 1t met early
with storms and set-backs from the
artiicers of ruin and discomfort, but it
rose above them and prosperity was
the ruling condition, and growth and
contentment followed in it's wake. We
give one more citation from the Suns
capital editorial:
1.-The foundations of national pros
perity were laid by our forefathers in
the free institutions of this country
and in constitutional government.
They offered equality OF opportunity
unuSE Tic W1SCSl Il O- iiAhNht
ever devised by human ingenuity.
They believed in the consent of the
governed and in the rights of man. A
country in which such principles pre-
vailed naturally drew to its shores
many thrifty and industrious immi-
grants, who had been oppressed by the
monarchical governments of Europe.
They became citizens of the republic
and assisted materially in its develop
ment. Under our free institutions a
national character was developed
which. until recently, had been the adj
miration OF the world"
Well regulated intelligence under
stands hat a great party, democrat or
whig, can do much to advance the
true interests Of a free people in a free
land. But it knows hat the Great
Oliver of every good and perfect gift
is God, the Almighty Ruler of the uni
verse. IT is His smiles Of approval and
the reaching out of His beneficent hand
that cauSa the country m proSnor and