People's Pilot, Volume 4, Number 49, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 May 1895 — Why Is It? [ARTICLE]

Why Is It?

Why is it that people will not learn from experience? For twenty years the Democratic party denounced the Republicans for demonetizing silver. For twenty years they promised .in every campaign that if given power they would restore silver, to free, coinage and reduce the expenses of" the government At last the opportunity came. In 1892 the Republicans were swept out of power. TheDetaocrats had control of every branch of the government The great victory was celebrated with elaborate demonstrations of joy. Now the good times so long promised were going to come. Men who had been tenaciously voting the ticket for years sincerely believing that the hope of the republic depended on Democratic success, shed tears of joy. They as much believed in the fulfillment of the promises made by their party leaders as they believed in the incorruptible patriotism of Jefferson and Jackson. Many of them went so far as to say that if the party did not do something now they would* never again vote the Democratic ticket. What is the result? Take their platforms and their campaign speeches and not a single pledge has been redeemed. The first thing that hit us was a panic. Then an extra session of a real genuine Democratic congress wiped out the only law we had that provided for the free coinage of silver and placed us practically on a gold basis. This was followed up by one of the most venal, corrupt and licentious sessions of congress, that ever met in this country. Trusts were fostered, expenses increased and, at times, perfect pandemonium reigned. The people were so disgusted that over four million men did not go to the polls to vote in 1894. Now the question is, why will the people submit to this? Why do they not teach the machine politicians a lesson by voting against them, and for and with a party that is not run by tricksters, and whose platform is so plainly written that “a wayfaring man though a fool can not err therein?” The leaders in the Democratic party are now at their old tricks again. They are trying to rally the free silver element under the Democratic banners. With the broken pledges staring them in the face they again seek to deceive the people, as they did for years with the tariff question. It is the cry of the demagogue—the office seeker. The army of office seekers and money of Wall street are the.- only things that keep the two old parties alive. Neither of them advocate or represent a vital living principle. On most issues they are together. They are kept in existence for the triple purpose of dividing the people, giving places to the office seekers, and legislating in the interest of Wall street and the combinations. It is time the people were learning something and voting off the yoke of bondage that is dragging them down to industrial servitude.