The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1907-02-12
TIE STATE OF \ lord.

HE Nittf vi \ ftbBsb.
In the days xh blood
made q popular fetish 4 Lord som
bestowed honor when ~ claimed the
virtue OF the ~cotfager's daughter.
The plebian that thought hm +
IGNORED through the most trivial
contact with tho nobility. looked t.
the condition ana was careless ~ Tire
~ant"cedents OF power.
1t was nothing 10 a vassal that the
Lord Of tn Mano- might b. the de-
ac,ndant Of. pirate who got his title
as the price Of rapinc and cruelty
Upon tie head Of heraldry vas TIN
ointment OF hcredity. which was spo-
cial favor. No one cared how .se
favor came. To touch ii. IL sroyel for
the touch Of its palm. even the FAM
lar cuff of its gauntlet. was to gain
a secondhand patent Of nobility.
When this county "cut OUT blood
i almost seemed that it sought impa-
ticntly 4 substitute fetish Of worship.
1t found il in money II the odor Of
money. Il Suficcl 4 section Of scrfs
who delighted to honor the man who
lives in the antc-chamber Of millions.
These gentry have both the name
and the habit of old world nunkeys.
they have the courtcsan's slnirk: tn y
are ready 70 suffer for Il smile. aal
10 smile at a kick. When money
passes, they breath deep tina they
may catch the dor of its garments.
When power condescends to stop in
their presence, they assume an atti-
IlIe of ha,1k fnlnaSC. ana rin,,.. ,,.3x
er. When some rude Democrat sands.
covered in the sight of he new roy
atty, their loyal, servile souls cry out
in Daiued distress.
Recently there came to Raleigh sew
eral gentlemen who have gained the
prominence which wealth and power
affords. IN person, they missed the
physical beauty Of n demi-god. IN
intellect they justified the positi0nsl
they held but did no discourage hum
BILE ambition. Apart from the posi-
ton they occupied they We're humble
American citizens-even ordinary CIT
liens. Yet the flunkcyS had a 1T.
They We're excited beyond bounds.
They sat up nights thinking of what
it would please the magnates Of the
4 l - blltIil u 80 II
They hustled about and rubbed their
hands and bowed from the middle.
Their ears strained for the slightest
sentence Of greatness. Platitude be-
came wit: the obvious was wisdom;
the crassest sophistry was the pure
gold of logic. The vassals Of the
money power repeated the words Of
the Lords. They mumblcd their opin-
ions as a priest might count his beads.
They glorified them and maEnifed
them forever.
When Mr.. Justice asked that Pres
ident Finley be sworn. the tenants Of
the land stood by in blank amaze
waiting To see the thunderbolt de-
scend. When heaven withheld its
fire, they ANTE in concert the doom
that waits on Sacrilege. The Depart
ing car of the Southern Railways
Chief Executive officer left them koW-
towing OF the track. an apologize
and q miserable herd. The lese mag
este has left them anything hut dumb.
Protesting still, they stand in The
open. with rent garments and appeal
ing hands to high heaven raised in
laInentation and malediction. The
King has been ~insulted by his people.
Great and terrible must be the wrath
of the King! Chatting upon Their
breasts his faithful serfs protest ia
loud assertion of innocence. each Tor
himself, MY Lord. it was not L.
We 90 n o think that President Fin
ley himself encourages this attitude.
4 strong man who has won his way
may have almost every vice except
that of a light-hcaded vanity. HIS
pride is the pride of strength n ac-
complishment and it does not relish
the plaudits Of vacuity. Mr.. Finley,
himself, made no objection to being
sworn. although he fastened to get
out of the way Of continued examina-
ton. With him the matter was
doubtless such a practical disadvan-
tage as assails any citizen who IS
subpoenaed to testify TO things he had
rather not. We do not consider either
that Mr.. Finley is a or Or that he
wants to be thought one.
What We 10 regret and what We
woul discourage. is the fact that 50
many loud voices are ~declaiming the
delusion from their bellies in the
dust,
Never until now has it been deemed