People's Pilot, Volume 5, Number 20, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 November 1895 — CURRENT TOPICS. [ARTICLE]

CURRENT TOPICS.

In the World of Thought and the Field of Action. The Democratic press says that the Populist senators have indicated their willingness to vote with the Republicans in the organization of the next senate, provided they are given a liberal share of the patronage that would come to the dominant party. Strange that the Populist papers have not been Informed of the proposed trade upon the part of the representatives of the People’s party. Fact of the matter is, the Populist senators have declared themselves opposed to any dickering with either side of the chamber. Populist senators are wise enough to know that .such action would result in their being asked by the people to take down their signs and no longer pose as Populists. The People’s party does not send men to Washington to fight for spoils, but for principle. * * * A correspondent writing from Washington says: A sample of the agreements England has forced from this country is one In which Uncle Sam enters into a contract not to build ships on the lakes, and also not to keep but one fourth-class gunboat on the lakes. What ridiculous nonsense! What business is it of England if this country builds vessels on the lakes or keeps a fleet of iron-clads on one or more of the lakes bordering on our territory? I hope the day may come when the people of this country will have the independence and manhood to stop British dictation on these shores. If English rule in America continues much longer I am going to join Finerty’s Irish army and help lick the stuffin’ out of every Britisher found in the country. I am so disgusted with English dictation in American affairs that I am ready for a declaration of war with England any day. If the People’s party does not show more Americanism and independence of British dictation when it gets in power, I will be the first person to advocate an American party in opposition. This cringing to England makes me tired. • * * The interest now being displayed in local elections indicates the deep concern of the people. It is just as important that true principles should actuate the people in local affairs as in national affairs. local gain adds to the national gain. State politics depend on county politics, and national politics depend upon state politics. The local organization is the base of the whole structure. Let us lay a strong foundation and build upward. * * * The Texas Democratic platform says that there is an organized “conspiracy inside of the Democratic party headed by Grover Cleveland and his cabinet to lead them into the Republican party.” No doubt that is true; and the prospects of the “conspiracy” succeeding are growing better with every conference of the Democrats for the purpose of “reform Inside the party.” The Ohio silver Democrats have sent forth their manifesto advising all Democrats to support the gold-bug state ticket. And so the work of herding the kickers goes on. The gold bugs will make the next national platform, and the silver Democrats will vote ’er straight, to save the party. The silver-inside-the-party advocates are doing more to hold the party in line for a single gold standard than the gold bugs themselves are doing. ♦ * * More Americans went to Europe the past year than during the Paris Exposition. The number Is estimated at about two hundred thousand. The steamship companies alone have received about thirty million dollars from these tourists, nearly all of which is spent in Europe, only one of these steamship companies being an Ameri-

can concern. It is fairly estimated that the average amount expended between landing and sailing would be more than SSOO. As a matter of fact it would probably be so much in excess of this amount that readers would doubt the estimate. So let it be SSOO. If there are 200,000 American visitors and each one spends SSOO, the total would be $100,000,000. Then add the $30,000,000 of steamship fare and there would be a horrifying grand total of $130,000,000. It is doubtful if any method of calculation copld make the amount less. This huge sum has a possible effect in the balance of trade, but it never enters into the official reports. But even this is not the worst feature of the matter. In this vast crowd of Anglomaniacs and pleasure seeking millionaires with marriageable daughters in search of a title, are also many United States congressmen, other high officials and political bosses who spend the time conferring with English financiers and being made tools in the hands of the Rothschilds and the bank of England for spreading the gold standard doctrine in America. We might easily bear the expense of the pleasure-seek-ers—but the destruction due to English ideas absorbed and conspiracies entered into by our congressmen threatens to wreck the whole nation. ♦ ♦ ♦ The socialists of Germany recently held a meeting at Breslau. The chairman in his opening speech referred to the recent remarks of Emperor William and other utterances villifying the social democracy. He said that the party could now defy defeat, no matter though bayonets were at the disposal of those who wished for a trial of strength. “The highest authority in the land throws down the gauntlet and insults us. Let us take up the challenge, no matter who it may be who casts this mud at us. He is incapable of touching us, for we are above his insults. Socialism will triumph. A violation of universal suffrage will be equivalent to the death warrant of the imperial government.” The socialists of Germany are very moderate in their demands, one of the greatest being the right to vote. ♦ ♦ * A unique and timely organization of farmers -has been incorporated with headquarters in Cleveland, Ohio. Its object is the protection of farmers from railroad companies. Farmers complain that if they are not well-to-do and influential, they are unable to obtain redress when fences, barns and haystacks are burned and cattle killed by the railroads. The association proposes to establish a fund, by means of annual dues, and keep in its employ attorneys to present all such cases in court • * ♦ An operator on the Chicago board of trade has made a bet of SIO,OOO that he will supply one of the elevated roads of that city with corn for fuel the coming season and that it will be cheaper than coal. He claims that a ton of corn will produce 25 per cent more heat than a ton of coal and he expects to buy corn in Kansas at 12 cents a bushel. This is a great country where sawdust is used for bread, corn is used for fuel, and horse-meat takes the place of beef. We have a beef trust and a coal trust that have put meat and coal so high the people can’t afford to use them, and a railway trust that puts freights so high that the people can’t afford to ship corn. The coal miners can eat coal and the grain producers burn bread. Great country, where Baron Rothschild says more money can be made in the next two years than in any other country on earth —that is for speculators • and money-changers. It was all right for Mr. Cleveland to give a foreign syndicate $10,000,000 in a bond deal, but he could not sign a bill granting an appropriation to the Texas. Kansas and Nebraska drouth sufferers It was unconstitutional, you know.