People's Pilot, Volume 4, Number 31, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 January 1895 — The Average Argument. [ARTICLE]

The Average Argument.

The following excerpts from a leading democratic journal of Indiana is amusingly forceful when properly analyzed: -Jf the leaders want to keep the Democratic party intact, they should keep It clear of entangling alliances with tlie Populists." It is too late now to talk about the “infract” busines and of the “entangling alliances” the populists have had enough; it is advice wasted on that score. "Most democrats are democrats from principles and not for spoils, and such men can never be led far away from the landmarks of the party as laid down by the Jeffersons and Jacksons of tlie organizations. That is a secret of the growth of the populist party and of the decadence of the democratic or ganization. They refused to be led away from the precepts of those sterling defenders of the people. • “Nearly every idea the populists have is socialistic or paternalistic in its conception and intent, and democratic leaders ougiit to know better than to suppose the intelligent believers In the democratic theory of government will ever follow a course directly opposite to tlie one of all their traditions and beliefs.” Pardon please, but if it is not sacriligeous, pray what is the democratic theory of government, and in what respect does the socialistic financial ideas of the populists differ from the ideas of Old Hickory and Jefferson? Where is the proof that they were not paternalists and socialists? "They are instinctively opposed to the tendency to absorb the Individual citizen into u mass swayed by a centralized power.”. That is why they “instinctive ly” oppose the centralization of vvpalth into monopolies of money, of production, of transportation, of land and of aright practically to exist, and it is the reason why the democratic party has been deserted by nine hundred thousand voters in two years.

We have just received a copy of “The Autobiography of a #101) National Bank Note,” by Frank E. Richey, the editor, of the St. Louis illustrated Populist paper, Vox Populi.- The story is told, of course, as though the 8100 bill had written it. In it the early history of the banks and of the Greenbacks, and the secret inside workings of the present banking system is charming ly told. The work contains some 30,000 words and is profusely illustrated with more than twen ty cuts, making it the best literary bargain that was ever offered at 10 cents. Bristling with facts, figures and illustrations and con taining a stirring story concerning the latter day White Slavery of the National Banking system, touching deeply the national life, this story will sell by the million and profoundly impress the political thought of the time on one of the most vital subjects before the People, It can be had at the Pilot office.

It gives us that “tired feeling” so explicitly described in patent medicine advertisements, when we hear some babbling idiot say “paternalism,” and lift his dingy digets in horror at the possibility of having such a world quaking calamity upon us. Paternalism, and he patronizing and praising our paternal postoffice, tramping on paternal sidewalks and pavements with a paternal poor house waiting for him and a paternal potters’ field in reserve for him.

Enforced idleness and its consequent miseries is the cause pf most crime and immorality, and it is also the cause of more inebriety than all other causes combined. The establishment of a socialdemocratic republic based upon the principles of liberty, equality and fraternity is coming. Depression in trade is caused by inequality in distribution and the power of capitalism to fleece and monopolize. The theory assuming wages and the maintainance of labor to be drawn from capital is fallacious. Plutocratic “laws are spider webs which catch the little flies but cannot hold the big ones.” There is not as much difference between one man and another as superstitious people imagine. Sociological truths are as fixed as mathematical principles. t ,—i The universal federation pf all labor approaches.