People's Pilot, Volume 4, Number 49, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 May 1895 — PASSING SHADOWS. [ARTICLE]

PASSING SHADOWS.

NOTES AND COMMENTS FROM POPULIST STANDPOINT. Prodding the Animal* in the Old Parties for the Delectation of Our People’s Party Readers—Trying to Straddle Again. Sam Jones says if he was running a soap factory in hell and they would bring him a car load of the carcasses of politicians he would say: “I don’t want them.” Sam seems to have a pretty fair idea of the average politician, and it is the army of these men, acting as the paid tools of Wall street, that are running the affairs of this government to-day. • * * Wherever elections have been held the Populists have made gains, while the two old parties have lost. The people are waking up. They demand something more than fine speeches and cleverly constructed platforms. The politicians are becoming alarmed aid will promise everything if the people will try the grand old parties "just one more time;" but this cry is so old and worn out that it will no longer deceive the people. ♦ ♦ ♦ The Chicago Times-Herald has changed owners and will hereafter be run as a Republican “sound currency” paper. The owner has offered Mr. Cleveland’s comptroller of the currency, Eckles, who is a Democrat, ten thousand dollars a year to become financial editor of the paper. This goes to prove the charge frequently made by the Populists that the Republicans and Democrats were so near alike that they could stand on each other’s platforms and edit each other’s papers.

♦ * * Those fellows who want free silver, but want it through the “old party” remind us of the old lady that did not want her boy to go into the water until he learned to swim. Any man who has as much brains as an oyster knows that both old parties have had a fair trial and both have demonetized silver. On every occasion when pressed to the wall in their convention they have straddled the issue, but when it came to voting a majority always voted against it. It is the height of folly to expect that either of the old parties will give us free silver. ♦ * * The Democratic party put Grover Cleveland where he is, and he has done more to put this country on practically a gold basis than any other man in the United States, not even excepting old John Sherman. In the light of this fact why should the Democratic party, be now trusted to restore silver to its position prior to 1873? It is folly to think of it, and such men as Bland and Bryan who are advocating such a thing may safely be put down as the veriest political demagogues who seek to again deceive the people, or as political cowards not worthy to lead. * ♦ ♦ There is a movement on foot in most of the southern and western states to call a convention and make, some declaration on'the currency ques-j tion. In most states it is known that this declaration will be in favor of free silver, or a straddle that can be construed to mean free silver. The cause of these conventions being called lies in the fact that there Is rapid disintegration going on in both old parties, and more particularly in the Democratic party. This condition has alarmed- the bosses and they seek to stop this wholesale desertion by some declaration in favor of free silver and financial reform. In the meantime, the goldbug element in the two old parties are doing ajl they can to prevent any declaration in favor of free silver, and the bosses are having a monkey and parrot time of it.

* * * The greatest merit in the silver question is that the discussion of it is opening the people’s eyes and causing trouble in the ranks of the two old parties. The goldbugs, unable to hedge any longer, are compelled to make an open fight for a single gold standard, and thousands of voters are becoming disgusted and leaving the two old parties. As the two old parties are the sole dependence of the goldbugs it places them in a peck of trouble. If they don’t fight one or both of the old parties will pass a free coinage law, and if they do fight it looks like it will break up the two old parties. Again, the truth of the old adage is verified, that “when rogues fall out honest men get their dues.” » ♦ ♦ The president has written another letter. This time it is addressed to Gqv. Stone pf Mississippi and contains • much taffy for the southern people. He says he don’t understand why the South, that produces so much that is' sold abroad, for gold, should want cheat) silver money. The president seems to lose sight of the fact that the people of the South rarely ever see a piece of gold in circulation, and would not under the system which Mr- Cleveland wants to fasten on this country. They know that what he is pleased to term “sound currency” is gold for the bank and treasury vaults, and bank notes, founded on an interest bearing debt, every one of which represents a double rate of interest, practically irredeemable so far as the people are concerned. The people have studied these questions much more than Mr. Cleveland and his goldbug masters are aware of, and'when the' time comes for them to voice their sentiments there will be such a surprise in this country as was never known before.

W. S. MORGAN.

The Republicans don’t seem to be in any hurry to redeem the country.