People's Pilot, Volume 5, Number 48, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 June 1896 — TWENTY WHYS. [ARTICLE]

TWENTY WHYS.

Which Republicans and Democrats Will Do Well to Think About. Why does it take lawyers to explain the great principles of the democratic and republican parties, while farmers explain the principles of the people’s party? Why is It that members of the people’s party can tell why they are Populists, and republicans and democrats cannot tell why they are republicans and democrats? Why can Populists understand the financial situation, but democrats arid republicans cannot understand it? Why do Populist papers and speakers tell the people that they can understand the finance question, but the republican and democrat papers and speakers tell them that they can not? Why do democrat and republican leaders ask the people to take a position upon a question that they cannot understand? Why do Populist leaders urge every man to study politics, and the old party leaders ridicule the idea of farmers and laborers understanding politics? Why try to learn the people politics, and the two old parties try to make them believe that they are too ignorant to learn? Why do Populists invite democrats and republicans to come and join the issue with them at their public speakings, but the ■ two old parties refuse Populists the same right at their public speakings? Why should men vote upon issues they do not understand? Why is it that the democrats never quote Lincoln on finance?

Why is it that the republicans never quote Lincoln on finance? Why not drop the legal tender clause of gold by our law if it is the money of the world independent of law? Why object to the full legal tender clause and free and unlimited cqin.age of silver at the ratio of 16'ko I,’ if law does not make money? j Why should a man want a gold standard that he never owns, to travel in foreign countries where he never goes, and objects to silver and greenbacks for fear he will get too much, while he and his family is double worked, half clothed, rough fed, and cannot pay his debts? Why should farmers want high salaried officials, high taxes, high interest on the money, and low priced products to foot the bill with? Why should the farmer be in favor of the government loaning money to national banks at one per cent, per annum and not loan to the farmer at any price? Why do not religious democrats and republicans take God’s advice on usury if they cannot understand the finance question? Why do preachers not take such texts as “The Love of Money is the Root of all Evil.” “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.” “He upset the tables of the money changers.” “Restore, I pray ye, to them even this day, their lands, their vineyards, their olive yards, and their houses, also the hundredth part of the money and of the corn, the wine and the oil that ye exacted of them.” Why does a preacher serve God left handed, but serve mammon with his right hand? Why did Christ favor the tramp and tramp himself, and oppose the rich and our preachers take the reverse?