People's Pilot, Volume 4, Number 22, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 November 1894 — Harrison’s Astonishment. [ARTICLE]

Harrison’s Astonishment.

The dissatisfied Democrats who voted the Republican ticket 1o rebuke their party have, perhaps, killed instead of corrected. The voters of Union and Jordan are still capable of attending Io their own affairs; for the office of trustee nobody’s hired man need apply in either of these Populist townships. Elder Wilson has not, as yet, had to get out any “Music and Mutton’’ circulars taking back what he said Sunday night about the Fair Oaks “free excursion” (?) neither has anybody scattered the dodgers, “Another Lie Nailed.” Only 203, over half of the people of Jasper county belong to the Republican party, so gentlemen there is somebody besides yourselves to do business with. Draw the line just as soon as you like; we will not be the first to commence it. but once it starts damn him who first says stop.

On the 4th of July last, one of the patriotic, towns in the country advertised an old-fashioned celebration, and the people were present from far and near. Whenthe order of exercises were being gone through with a gentlemen arose and commenced to recite the Declaration of Independence, he having committed it to memory. He had not proceeded far when an old party leader became indignant, arose and walked out of the audience, remarking, “I have heard enough of that d d Populist rot.”— Michigan City Searchlight. —■ Bishop Watterson, in commenting recently upon the partisan press, asserted that it is one of the “pets of the day.” He said, “it defends its party, right or wrong. It suppresses the truth; it suggests what is false; it misrepresents its opponents whenever it expects thereby to benefit its own side. It mggles with its own moral sense. It confuses the public conception of rectitude. It does the devils own work by misleading conscience, by making the worse appear the better reason, by deceiving the simple, by calumniating the good. It prefers to be victorious rather than to be right. It esteems party success above the public welfare. It puts the triumph of its faction before the prosperity of the nation. It disregards the meaning of patriotism, and trains its followers to be unworthy citizens of the republic.”

The Republicans are in the saddle but taxes, salaries and government expenses will remain the same. An ounce of silver will still buy a bushel of wheat, and the country will maintain the single gold standard. The rich will continue to rejoice, while the poor will mourn because sendefiled pirates are permitted to rob them of the products of their toil. The sheriff will relieve the debtor of

his property, the soup house and the tramp will increase, the calamity howler will howl like the coyotes of the plains, but the joy of the whole matter is, the Populists will preach the gospel of righteousness and prepare the way for a better time to come which, when attained, will bring happiness, joy, prosperity and contentment to the whole people. —Logansport Advance.

In comparing the figures of the recent election with those of former elections we find the following, taking the vote on the head of the tickets for different elections. The total vote this year, in the county is 184 more than it was two years ago. Since the last election the Republicans have gained 194 votes, or a little over 14 percent. The Populists in the same time have increased their vote 173, a gain of 49 per cent, and over. The Democrats have 184 votes less than they had at the last election, which gives them a loss of 19 per cent. The Prohibitionists have lost five votes. While the Republicans seem to have a large vote, yet they cast 46 votes less, last Tuesday, than they did six years ago. The Democrats cast 250 votes less than they did six years ago. The Democrats have been the great losers, their votes went to both the Republicans and Populists.

From the demonetization of silver in ’73 till the close of the last session of congress we were living under a Republican high tariff and all these years times have gradually been growing worse. Now under a Democratic low tariff we see no change for the better. Neither Republican protection nor Democratic free trade seem to releave the distress. The panic of both this country and Europe coming at the same time and in the same way is surely not chargeable to the tariff agitation in this country. The United States and Europe have demonetized doubled the purchasing power of gold and thereby reducing prices 50 per cent. Those countries which have not demonetized silver are suffering no such depression as we are. Japan, Mexico and all silver standard countries are more prosperous than ever before. Should the United States remonetize silver we would at once become the financial leader of the world. Quack, Harrison, quack, Reed, McKinley and Cleveland democracy all prescribe the tariff remedy. We have tried the Republican tariff tonic, we have taken Democratic free trade pills to cure the disease of contraction and every day we are growing worse. Wh V not change doctors. '

There are 541 men in Jasper county, who voted the Populist ticket last Tuesday. These voters have formed their political opinions from honest study and searching investigation. They are readers. Sheep skin bands, free rides, loud huzzas, dirty vulgar abuse, have no power to lead them from or into any party. For years these 541 have been reasoning with themselves, having dismissed prejudice and passion from their minds honestly and earnestly have they these years been seeking after political truth. vVho are the Populist voters in Jasper county? They are not idle worthless fops, they are not the indolent and ignorant of the community, they are not of the shrewd, scheming, skinning class that lives bj their wits alone, but they are of the very best class of men in the county. There is not a professional or business man in the county, that if he -were on trial for his life, and was innocent, but what, if his jury had to be composed of men all of,- one party. and picked up just as they were met on the streets and highways, but what would say, ‘ ‘give me a Populist jury. ” How

the old parties have labored, especially the Republican party, to prejudice the people against us. We have been berated and belied, denounced and damned by the Republican party, without stint or measure, yet we have increased our vote in the county, in two years, a fraction over 49 per cent. Every epithet that is hateful has been applied to us, we are called cranks, anarchists, and even the other day we heard an old Republican soldier say he respected the Democrats, but he hated the d d Populists, for they were a set of rebels. In proportion to its numbers, the Populist party has, perhaps, more old soldiers in its ranks than any other party in the county. Now fellow Republicans, be honest, look around, who of your Populist neighbors do you think are thieves, Ears, anarchists, fools and rebels? Republican business men, what of your Populist customers, are they honorable, are they responsible, are they a class of men you fear to do business with? Think of these things gentlemen. The Populists of Jasper county are “people,” they have influence and friends outside of their own ranks, all they ask is fair treatment, and their business and social relations will in no way be governed by their political views, but if this persecution and uncalled for abuse the prominent men of the Republican party is continued, politics will be carried into business.

Carieston News and Courier. Mr. Benjamin Harrison is “astonished” by the Lexow revela lions. He was not astonished by the Dudley revelations or the Wanamaker relations, but he astonished the country by keeping Dudley out of the penitentiary and putting Wanamaker in his cabinet —and most of all by the revelations of how small a man the presidential office can get on with a pinch.