People's Pilot, Volume 5, Number 29, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 January 1896 — CONDITION, NOT A THEORY. [ARTICLE]

CONDITION, NOT A THEORY.

The Editor Of The Lamar, Mo., Leader Relate* an Experience. In the course of their work Populist editors have many funny experiences. Most of the brethren will recognize the following as a counterpart of some of their own experience: “Good morning, Mr. Blank.” “Howdy.” “Fine weather we are having, Mr. Blank.” “Ya-as, sort of tollible —too durn hot fur the corn.” “Mr. Blank, don’t you want to subscribe for a Populist paper?” “Na wk I I’m a Republican. Don't take any stock in that doctrine. I’m gittin’ all the papers I want. Can’t pay fur them.” “I supposed you were not a Populist. But you ought to read our side, too. What papers do you take, Mr. Blank?” “I git the New York Tribune, the Toledo Blade and the Kansas Star —they give me all sides.” . « “No. Mr. Blank, you are mistaken; all those are goldbug papers. While two of them are Republican and one Democratic, they all indorse Grover Cleveland and are opposed to free sil- \ er.” “Ya-as, ya-as, that’s what all you i'opulists say, all the time talking about free silver and hard times. Thar’s just <:s much mdhey in circulation as there ver .. s. What gcod would free silver co n <, I’d like to know'’ Mr. Blank, didn't you say awhile ago that you can’t pay for the papers you get now?” “Ya-as.” “Why can’t you?” “Can’t get nothin’ fur what I sell—wheat 50 cents, and that horse thar, what d’ye suppose he’d fetch?” ‘He looks like/ 4 good horse; about SIOO, I suppose.” - j “Ya-as, SIOO, but I can’t sell him for $35.” “Well, why can’t you get what he is worth?” “Too blamed many bosses.” “No, there is not enough money.” “.list as much money as thfere ever was, I tell ye.” “Where is it —you say you haven’t got it—l know I have not—where is the money?” “Plenty of money in the banks —get all the money you want if you’ve got good security.” “How much can you get on that SIOO horse?” “Can’t get a durned dollar—banks don’t lend money on horses.” “Then, according to that if you had $20,000 —all your property—in horses you could not borrow from, the banks. The time was when you could borrow from your neighbor farmer —why can’t you now?” “I dunno —(whoa thar, Jack, you old lummix) —ye’ll hev to excuse me, Mister (git up, Jack) —I’m a Republican—got all the papers I want (Jack, you ole heathen) —got no use for Populists, nohow.” —Lamar Leader.