People's Pilot, Volume 5, Number 32, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 February 1896 — Where the Fight Centers. [ARTICLE]

Where the Fight Centers.

Rumor has it that the name of Judge Wiley will be placed be fore the republican state convention for the nomination of appellate judge.

Under McKinley protection New York Citv alone paid out. in the winter of 93-94 for shovling snow. $39,789, and this winter, under democratic free trade, only SSOO have been expended in this industry. It will be mighty hard work next November to convince sngw-shovelers that protection don’t protect.

The following is an extract from a personal letter written to the editor of The People’s Pilot by Charles C. Post, the great economic writer and speaker, once secretary of the Indiana State Grange, and author of Driven Prom Sea .to Sea and other books. Mr. Post is now located at Seabreeze. Florida, and though not actively engaged in the reform movement, is fully alive to the impending political struggle and his words cannot fail to be of interest to those who are striving to inaugurate a better order of tilings. It was from the lips of Mr. Post that the writer received the basic truth of social ethics, and grasped the full meaning of the brotherhood of man. The following are his words:

“The outlook to me is not flattering. Everywhere the people are becoming more and more servile as they And themselves more and more at the mercy of the money cormorants, or if not this, then the election laws arc being so shaped as to defraud them of their votes if not cast to suit their masters. Then too our own forces are beginning to divide somewhat. It may amount to little or it may amount to much. The only course open to us is that of the “Middle of the Road - ’ as always heretofore. I do not think we would gain any thing by changing a single plank of the Omaha platform or by adding to it Ido not think the Initiative and Referendum would be a wise addition to the platform in any fuller sense than it is now a part of the platform, i. e.. as something to consider. I even doubt its practical workings if enacted at any time before the people have broken the shackles of party, and learned to think and act independently to a much greater degree than now. In some modified form or limited to certain matters, as an issue of government bonds or notes, or a change in the coinage laws, it might work and finally become of general application, but I have fears that incorporating it in the platform would weaken us. It does not look practical to those who have not yet learned to think without permission of their party leaders, and my observation and experience leads me to fear it.

“I am honestly of the opinion that the Sub-Treasury Plan, if thoroughly and intelligently discussed before the people by all our speakers and writers, would gain us votes faster than any thing else, and I consider i, sound and statesmanlike in its provisions. It is equitable in iis workings, or could be made so, meets- the wants perfectly of the people, relieves alike the business man and the producer from the grip of the morey shark, and puts the currency by which exchanges are made at the point where the exchanges are wanted to be made.

“I imagine however tbatit will not appear in the uext platform. Our leaders have appeared to fear it and never have fairly presented it to the people, except in a few states, but where it has been done it has rallied voters faster than any other issue has been able to do. “Leaving it out of the discussion as not probable to be inserted in the platform, or even have much strength before convention. I think it only of special importance that we retain to the fullest our positions upon the monetary and transportation questions, not forgetting the laud, which however should not be made too prominent, not more so than it now is. The fight is on the money question first and foremost, and always will be until

it is settled and there should be uo dodging, no compromise, no acceptance of anything less than a full and clear and forceable demand for a full legal tender paper money issued directly to the people without the intervention of the banks. When this is done there naturally arises the question of how issued directly to the people? in what waythrough what means? “Whether the question shall be answered by the convention by a declaration in favor of the SubTreasury Plan, a modification of Coxies Good Roads Bill, or some similar definite plan, or left as in former plat forms for open discussion to be finally settled by congress when the party comes in power, is not probably of vital conseqfieme. though I still hold to the opinion that a definite plan, and that the Sub-Treasury Plan, is best and will strengthen the party.”

The last legislature, which was overwhelmingly republican, passed an unconstitutional apportionment bill over the protests of ex President Harrison, Smiley C. Chambers and many other leading republicans. This unconstitutional law was last week set aside by the unanimous decision of the supreme court. Now the Monticello Herald, our own Journal and a few other republican publications arc advocating the calling of a special session of that same legislature for the purpose of passing another apportionment bill. This state might withstand the introduction of distemper, murrain, gangrene plague and pestilence, yea. even vermin, but another session of that legislature never. Carrol Co. Citizen .