Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 20, Number 80, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 June 1899 — The Significance of Peffer. [ARTICLE]

The Significance of Peffer.

Among the various recent signs of the break-up of the Populist party the return of ex-Senator Peffer to the Republican party is significant in its evidence that the original sincere Farmers’ Alliance element is recognizing that the cause of the troubles from which it sought relief in political action was not In politics at all. This, as proof of conviction of error among misguided Populists, is more Important than the defeat of misguiding Populists like W. V. Allen, Jerry Simpson and J. Hamilton Lewis, or even the admission of that defeat by practical professional Populists like Senator Harris, Peffer’s successor. The man whose “whiskers” were for six years as much the sign and symbol of a militant party aa were the horsa. tails of the Janissaries, represented Populism both at its worst, or at least wildest, and best. In his day, the day «f the defeat of Ingalls, the day of the

Ocala platform and the gamplda S|M treasuries—the day, too, ol the remark-! tble strength displayed in the electSkjH of 1892, Oren under the lead of sack a I man as Weaver—the party was moMl revolutionary, but also most sincere, tail its aims. It really thought that somM legislation could be found which wofM make crops permanently dear m&nl money normally cheap, and it set OBt|| honestly to find it. Meantime, thoil|| of its members who practiced frngalln| and cultivated patience have foun<Lj| not the millennial heights which tbeQM sought—though they have been neatml to them than any other farmers oa® earth—but the steady level of welfare | which must attend every land, such as| our agricultural West, where the *oH! is rich and cheap and the people hard- 3 working, intelligent and free. ThkH sort of Populist came out of the Raß publican party, and thousands of UoH have been returning, as the elections*! to Congress of last year showed.—NeifjM York Press. In Colonel Bryan’s State, J | The report of the Labor Bureau o£g Nebraska, which has recently been Is*T sued by an official of Colonel Bryan'sjj faith, will not become a part of the to-1 literature of 1900. It deals with! that mortgage question which MrJI Bryan never failed to turn to his ad-|| vantage In his speeches In 1896, by teliff lng farmers that they were belnflU ground to death by the ‘‘money power”* of Wall street, and by wanflng them ] that unless the country should get rid j of the gold standard and adopt a 45*3 cent dollar, they would fall Into bope- j less bondage. The farmers of Neil braska believed Mr. Bryan, at least, a j majority of them did, and gave him tbflg| electoral vote of that State, and thej farmers of Kansas did likewise. WltSgl the rest of the country, the farmers aCJ Nebraska now know that the ruin tn4j| perpetual bondage never came. stead, Nebraska is one of the Stated! which, to tbe amazement of the PopMl lists, has been having a season of un-1 usual prosperity. That such is tbll case the following table, giving tbß aggregate amounts of the mortgage® filed and released each year in Nm braska from 1892 to 1898, both includfl ed, shows: J Filed. Releasttfl 1892 $38,847,633 $31,91 1893 34,601,318 20,178,7451 1894 31,600,054 20.438.00 H 1895 25,753,304 22,048£§H 1890 16,474,006 18,218M8 1897 15,630,721 22,215,75 b 1898 21,303,855 27,496M8 Tty? foregoing figures embrace farjfl mortgages only. The annual amounfl of farm mortgages filed exceeded HW amount released by more than $23,000® 000 during the years 1892, 1893, 180jfl and 1§95. During 1£96 the tide tunufl so at during the three ending! with IB9§. $i4.606,QQ0 more of monß gages were paid off than W6fe flleflj The same report stows that there M much more money lfl the b&nk§ BgJM than ever before, and that those batM rowing money on farm mortgages gsjfl it at a much Tower rate of interest 1 I Of all tbe men in the country whl have been benefited by the defeat ofl Mr. Bryan in 1896, the farmers as 9 whole have had the largest share. Tfejfl voters in the newer West and, lndeeflfl in the West generally, gave Mr. Bryufl and 16-to-1 the most cordial suppoxjfl because many of them were deceive® by his fallacies. Tbe elections of 180® showed a reaction In the agricultonß portions of the country against the sUifl verism of Bryan. Suppose Mr. BrjngH does not take note of the improved co*® ditlon of the farmers of Nebraska aim other States and comes to them wit® his argument of 1896—what will than say?—lndianapolis Journal. | American Trade Expansion. I Everywhere American mechaaloß genius and American workmen coiflfl pete and win.—New York lsveßl]|H American genius, in the form of agx® cultural implements, finds favor eve® on the estates of Englishmen.— more American. ■ “American locomotive—get off th® track!” is the warning that resounfl® through the manufacturing centers a® England—Detroit Free Press. S Our present trade expansion is btxfjfl prelude to the vast proportions whig® the American export trade will assuajjfl a few years hence.—Philadelphia Bafl Now that London has taken to ordej® ing its locomotives here, it appears |9 be time for chappies to stop orderlUj® their trousers in London.—BaltJiaSH Herald. I Every European market has been lafl v&ded by tbe United States and Graaj® Britain’s trade has suffered In coisiH quence. It is not difficult to supply aflj explanation. A better article at a lovrqß figure has been furnished to ere by American manufacturers. Thßj English make many articles by haafl which we make by machinery. TmH have thus fallen behind American majH ufacturers in trade competition cause of inferior skill and higher c«iK of production.—St. Louis Republic. IJj