People's Pilot, Volume 5, Number 9, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 August 1895 — Will They Do It Again? [ARTICLE]

Will They Do It Again?

In 1878 there was a strong greenback sentiment in Missouri that threatened to overwhelm the Democratic party. When their state convention met it adopted the following plank in its platform; “We regard the national banking system as being oppressive and burdensome, and demand the abolition and retirement from circulation of all national bank notes and the issue of legal tender notes in lieu thereof, and in quantities from time to time sufficient to supply the wholesome and necessary business demands of the entire country, and that all greenbacks so issued shall be used in the purchase and retirement of bonds of the United States, so that the interest bearing debt of the country may be lessened to the extent of the greenbacks thus put in circulation.” This plank corralled the boys. They all fell in and whooped for the grand old party. The green backers warned them that it was only a bait and meant nothing except to catch votes. These warnings were unheeded. They followed the leaders until they are now in the gold-bug camp. And now the Democrats of Missouri are trying that same old trick. They have held a free silver convention. They have declared for free silver. But the trouble is they still remain with a gold-bug party. They are in the minority. They will have to vote for a goldbug for president in 1896. It is the same old story of betrayal. The people must be deceived in order to save the party and give a few men office. It is a continual scramble for spoil instead of principle. The same farce is being played in other states. How long will the people suffer themselves to be thus fooled for the sake of a party that frustrate their objects?