The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1906-08-07

times, it was written, then. and not
denied. that the ruler Of that country
was elected to his high ofiice-thc Of
nee that had once been filled by the
great WdShingfon-by the use OF
money which belonged to poor men
ana women who had insured their
lives, hoping, in their poverty. to he
able to leave a pittancC to their
children "hCn they died. Thus, as we
see 1T, the rich used money which
they took from the poor in order to
make themselves richer ana the poor
poorer and be il written to the eternal
shame of the rulers Ut that country,
While protesting to be the champions
of equal rights and square deals"
among their subjects, it generally hap
pened that the weight of their official
influence fell 10 the side of the op-
p~resSOrs Of the poor. But, the Strang-
est thing Of all was that the corrupt
leaders, could, With the money they had
aiken from them. Undue the Door to
believe that corruption was right, and
that to vote for it's continuance was a
patriotic duty.
1t did not tax long to destroy that
young republic. Wise and good men
warned and admonished. but to no
avail. Greed and graft soon impOV-
erlShed the masses, and they, in con-
of their hard condition. be
came restless and turbulent The
ifloIltN Gu 1lltH iDDtd1tu 10 the govern
ment for protection, which was given,
in return for which the ruler claimed
the right to hold H. office indefinitely,
and thus it came to pass that a
try which had boasted of being "the
land of the free and the home of the
rave" became a land of masters and
slaves"
AS things are going it does not re
Quire any great amount of prophetic
foresight to write the history of the
next hundred years of this country.
Solomon ruined Israel in forty years.
1t has been only forty-one years since
the spirit of graft began its reign,
yet the work of destroying the high
ideals, sacred memories and tradi-
of the revolutionary fathers has
gone so rapidly forward, one cannot
doubt that another forty years Will
so change conditions that our coun-
try will be q republic in name only, if
it MAY. be called a republic.
Money stands for eVerything-it will
buy everything. 1t is not denied that
it has bought the Presidency, bought
Senatorial ana other high positions,
bought nominations and carried cleo
tons, and it cannot be denied that men
have sold their votes as they Would
sell Il peck of onions or a bushel of
r... ..
In the commercial world it is not
expected that men will remember to
unto others, according to the gOl-
den rule. And in every phase of life
there is a lack of that old-time sin
cerity which obtained before the peO-
pie had been inOcculated with 4 mate
realistic spirit which placed the dollar
above the q
Is this pessimism? BY no means,
but it is simply recognizing and fac
ing conditions which should be
changed, and can be changed. if men
will stop and consider. There is
anoI10h of Dn01-pnnnph of O11-timp
patriotism and sense to over
throw the materialiStic spirit, to re-
enthrone manhood and ~Womanhood.
and to bring back to our land that
brotherhood of sentiment which OBJ
tanned before graft began to have its
sway. But those higher up must be
gin the work of reform. or it will be
an uphill business. If, for instance.
President Roosevelt would come
orWar in one OF his siren"2HS
office. and say. in conclusion, in the
language of Henry Clay, &c rather
be right than be President" he would
10 a work the angels would applaud
md his fame would go down in his
DRY for uprightness. honesty and
purity.
But so long as he stays in and con
iueS to enjoy the hOnorS and the
monuments Of a position which people
hink was purchased with money
AIKEN from policy holders, they will
lot have much confidence in his sin
:erity as a reformer, and nobody car
nope he will accomplish anything as
such. \ man may rail out agalnst
;tealinG until his tongue wears out
nut if he has stolen goods in his
possession, his preaching Will be, as
t. Paul describes it, sounding brass
II q tinkling Symbal.'
Yes if the President of the United
states would throw his great influence
nto the scale of political righteousness
instead of trying to put a 1901 mo
"a oh, scale. at the same time, thefep9
Weighing nothing. h country ana me
vorId outside. would applaud him. and
he work of reform in politics would
@ accomplished. AS matters now are.
he country's in a mess: n no one
AN he blamed for believing that some
people are "holding with the mare ana
velping with the hound
If men in high places ondon
wrong-doing what may we not eN-
nact of those lower down? The 8
FARCE of the age is the pretended
FIGHT against monopohstS ana truSls'
IFS all talk and no cider as the 1lulah
said to the Dutchman.
~ FOOLS nobody but those who want
to no Ooled 1t is simply a burteSque
on nolitical good faith and honesty.
NJ one believes that Rockefeller Is
at all disturbed by the fuss they are
making after him. lie knows very
lrau When the wheels need greaslhs,
and he's got the grease to grease mem
,-itb. he's not uneaSN-On the CON
trarv. while the sheriff is running up
ond down and is pretending ike he's
after him, the oldt fox is smln,hgly
a~nSconced in a shady place, speculat-
ing, it may be. upon what he VIII %
worth when he comes 10 own an 'ns
timber lands of the South. ana upon
how long it will be before ne can casu
he entire vote of the country lor
president. Somehow. or Sonlello"
else. money lords are very poPuial-
They come in for any amoun OF aouse'
but the know that abuse E+tIo
tnr,ad into peans of praise by a llitie
indicious use of money; so they are
serene and always in good huinor'