The representative. [volume], May 16, 1894, Image 1

About The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901

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The Representative
"SPEAK TO THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL THAT THEY GO FORWARD.” ’
SI.OO ItArl in ADVANCE. MINNEAPOLIS, MINN., WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, 1894. VOL. II NO "t WBOTF vn
WHEAT CONVENTION.
Some Objections Noted and An
swered.
The call for the Grain Growers Con
vention, of July 12th, is creating a
great sensation. The Minneapolis
Tribune of May Bth, under the head
ing, “A Farmers’ Wheat Corner,” de
votes over a column of leading edi
torial, to the subject. It admits that
some good may come out of the pro
ject. It says:
“There is little doubt that farmers
may derive benefit from friendly asso
ciation forthe purpose of exchanging
sober and intelligent ideas and infor
mation. The convention called may
be beneficial in that direction. They
may achieve good by teaching each
other that it may lie better to sell
their wheat in small quantities dis
tributed throughout the year, instead
of rushing their crop to market in one
lump in the fall. They may in some
{daces accelerate competition among
myers by starting their own indepen
dent elevators. Hut that they will be
able to control the world’s market in
such a way as to boom the price of
wheat to high ligures—“to Hood the
market or starve it, as may seem
best”—is a vain delusion. Eighty
million bushels will never be able to
dictate a price to two thousand million
bushels.”
The 80,000.000 bushels are the sup
posed crop of the North-western states,
Minnesota and the two Dakotas; and
the 2,000,000,000 bushels are the crop
of the whole world. Hut it must be
remembered that the crops of India,
Russia, Austro-Hungary and the rest
of the old world, do not come to Chica
go. The option business of that city
is based on our northwestern crop,
and if we were able to put one-tenth
of that crop on the market, in a lump
or withhold it; we could smash any
ring that might be formed by fellows
who are selling millions of bushels of
wheat without having a bushel in
their possession, or ever expecting to
have one.
But we did not claim that option
smashing was to be one of the purposes
of the forthcoming convention. We
simply stated that such a thing was
possible “if the movement was made
general.” We regarded it as one of
the possibilities of the future.
The Tribune further says:
“What would be the result provided
the farmers of the Northwest succeed
ed in forming the combination which
they desire? The spring wheat crop of
Minnesota and the Dakotas is about
80,000,000 bushels. Rut the wheat crop
of the United States is about 500,000,-
000 bushels, and the wheat crop of the
world is nearly 2,000,000,000 bushels.
Suppose the Northwest this fall with
drew from the market their 80,000,000
bushels, which constitute one-sixth of
this country’s crop and one-twelfth of
the world’s crop What would be the
result? Would Europe put up the
price of wheat 5 cents or 10 cents; or
would India, Russia, Austro-Hungary
and other countries supply the
vacancy?
“If we are able to hold our 80,000,000
bushels for a higher price, there
stands India with 210,000.000 France
with 2:10,000,000, Russia with 185,000,-
000, Austro-Hungary with 100,000,000,
Canada and South America with 100,-
000,000, ready to fill the breach.
Would we succeed in “bulling” the
price, or would we simply give other
countries the market? Would the
withdrawal of 80,000,000, or simply
holding it in store for a few months,
with the expectancy of dumping it up
on the market at the first appearance
of a material rise, have the effect of
raising the price of the 2,000,000,000
bushels in the world’s market? In
deed, would not the very existence of
the wheat in the Northwestern gran
aries have just as depressing an effect
as if the wheat were out of the hands
of the lirst owners and held either at
Chicago or Liverpool? The wheat
trade is governed by the supply,
whether that supply be in farmers’
hands or in elevators and shippers’
hands. So far as the world’s market is
concerned, it is doubtful if the pro
posed combination, even were it pos
sible to maintain a successful and
workable existence, would have any ef
fect whatever!
“Rut the main trouble is in the
world's market. Prices in Minneapolis
•have been relatively higher than in
Chicago, New York or Liverpool. In
deed, prices during the late depressed
spell have ranged fully up to and
much of the time above Chicago
prices. At times during the past
month Minneapolis has paid two or
three cents more than Chicago. If the
farmers’ wheat corner did not increase
the world price, what would it accom
plish? It might temporarily compel
Minnesota millers to pay more than
the market price for wheat. Rut that
could not last long, for the millers
would then be unable to compete in the
world’s market, and their business
would shrink to supplying the local
market. The farmers would receive
an increased price for only that
small fraction of their crop which was
consumed in their own state. Minne
sota consumers would be forced to pay
more for their bread, the largest mill
ing business would dwindle to insignif
icant proportions, and the farmers
would receive no material benefit.”
Now it is right that the wheat-grow
ers should seriouly consider these and
all other objections that can be offered
to their project.
Let us see.
First,—we do not propose to with
draw all Minnesota’s wheat this fall
from market. That would be a dan
gerous experiment. If the farmers all
agreed to sell their wheat, say on the
Ist of May next, the rings would make
Herculean efforts to break down the
price at that time, and they might
succeed. We propose to sell on the Ist
of September, the Ist of October, the
Ist of November, etc., and at any other
dates when in the judgment of the
committee, the prices are satisfactory.
We cannot afford to put all our eggs
in one basket. Ours is not a “Hold-
Your-Wheat” movement, but a
“Sell-Your-Wlieat-at- the-liigest price”
movement.
The question is:—can a man with
100,000 bushels of wliea* to sell com
\ \ '
mand a better price and cheaper
transportation than the man with 40
bushels to sell? Of course he can.
The bonanza farmers, like Dalrymple,
have always obtained higher prices,
and cheaper railroad rates than the
poor devils living around them. Sup
pose the farmers of Polk county had
half a million bushels to ship, in a
body, on the Ist of October next, do
you not think they could talk per
suasively to the Great Northern and
the Northern Pacific, and possibly
even to the Canadian Pacific, as to re
duced rates? And would not the
same rule hold good with the roads be
tween Minneapolis or Duluth and
New York?
Let us tell you a little story. A few
years ago the Minneapolis Millers were
dissatisfied with the rates on flour
from Chicago to New York. They
wanted them reduced:—the railroad
companies said, —“we have got these
chaps by the throat; let us all combine
and stick it to them.” Rut the Minne
apolis Millers were no sardines. They
said, “we will give all our vast busi
ness to the road that cuts the agreed
rate.” Not a company budged. “Very
well,” said the millers, “if there is no
competition we will give our business
to one road anyhow.” And they did so.
One company got all the flour to haul
to New York, and the others ran
“empties.” Rut they couldn’t stand
still very long and see all the business
and all the profits going to one line;
and they “came down,” like Captain
Scott’s coon; and the combine was
“busted.” Now what is to prevent
the farmers from adopting the same
policy? If this kind of thing will work
for flour why will it not work for the
wheat out of which the flour is made?
Suppose the Grain-Grower Asssociation
had the selection of the route by
which ten million bushels of wheat
were to reach Liverpool, does any one
pretend to say that they could not get
inside rates irom transportation com
panies?
While it is true that the price of
wheat is llxed in Liverpool the price of
the United States’ crop enters into
the establishment of that pree. Now
we are slumping it and slushing it on
the market, as the filth of cities is
emptied by sewers. No one cares how
low it falls in prices;—the commissions
the transportation and the stealage
on it are the same, whether it nets the
farmer fifty cents on one dollar a bush
el. Therefore the producer is the only
one interested in keeping up the price,
and he must organize to defend him
self.
We have no desire to injure the Min
neapolis millers and we hope, in the
long run, to benefit them. I. D.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN?
The Republican State Convention.
The Populists are rising in import
ance.
We fixed upon July 10th for our
State Convention of the People’s Par
ty, and July 12th for the Grain Grow
ers Convention; and now comes the
Republican State Central Committee
and calls their state convention for
July 11th !!!
What does it mean? Are they
afraid we will get too much public at
tention during that week; or do they
propose to 'fuse" with us!
Shall we have the Hon. Knute, at
the head of a committee, consisting of
Tams Rixby, Joel Heatwhole, Frank
Day, George Thompson, and a lot of
other good fellows, entering our con
vention, amid immense applause,—to
tell us that they are satisfied they have
mis-governed the country and brought
it to the verge of revolution: and that,
—[filled with the profoundest contri
tion,] they bey us to name a ticket for
them!
Rut think of it:—July 10tli, 11th and
12tli! What a sandwich! A slice of
good, old-fashioned, healthy Populist
bread on top; a similar slice at the bot
tom; with a piece of decayed ham,
making up in mustard what it lacks in
sweetness, in the middle! That will
be the greatest week in the history of
Minnesota.
If now the democrats will only call
their convention for the 13th of July,
we will have a little limburger cheese
on the side.
It will be a feast for the gods.
___ I. D.
NOT QUITE SO SURE.
“The Populist Poison Spreading
Everywhere.”
“There are other questions to be
solved before we come to a nomina
tion, that make it inexpedient that
any name should now be forced upon
the party, whether it be Harrison or
McKinley or Reed or Lincoln. The
personal problem will embarass us,
while our whole attention should be
concentrated upon principles rather
than men. The poison of Populism is
spreading everywhere throughout the
Northwest. It has infected Kansas,
lowa, Nebraska and Minnesota, with
perhaps the two Dakotas and the
states farther west. In every case
where the third party has a ghost of a
chance to win we can count upon ac
tive democratic help for them at the
ballot boxes, with the desperate hope
that the election for the presidency
will be thrown into a Democratic Con
gress. Can we win the Northwest
against all these elements of disorder,
against this conspiracy of the Democ
racy and the third party, unless a
Northwestern man is the candidate?
We must save the Congress to save the
presidency—can we save the Congress
if we lose the Northwest?”—Minne
apolis Journal.
Tffe signs multiply that the Repub
licans have got a great scare on them.
Take courage, brethren. The G. O. P.
is usually well posted. If they had as
much honesty as they have sharpness
they would be fit to rule the universe.
When they are scared we can smile.
Push the good work. I. D.
# *
‘‘The End Tries the Man.”
There is a proverb—Byron uses it —
“Time at length sets all things even.”
Our readers know how shamefully and
horribly we were slandered and
abused, for more than a year, by
one Everett W. Fjsli. He was at last
compelled, by public opinion, to fly the
state. He entered into a co-partner
ship with Mr. Kidd, of the Aberdeen
Star, and Mr. Kidd was very much im
pressed with Fish’s goodness and our
wickedness, and expressed himself
freely to that effect. We bore it all
patiently until the annual meeting of
the State Alliance, when we boiled
oviir, and the result was a scalded fish.
Rut we had no malice against him.
Me felt as the philosopher felt towards
the bed-bug. Said he, “I have no
enmity against the bug as a bug; but
I don’t like the way he gets his liv
ing. ’ Fish got his living off the re
publican party, while claiming the
right to lead the People’s Party. This
we thought incongruous and compli
cated; we didn’t like it; and we
treated the bug with mercurial oint
ment. There was less bug and more
cleanliness.
Rut Fish went off—with a great flour
ish of trumpets,—to take possession of
Kidd, Aberdeen, South Dakota, and
the everlasting, universal universe.
And the result we have in the follow
ing from the last issue of the Aber
deen Star:
“Our attention has been called by a
number of readers to an article pub
lished by Doc. Fish. April 6th, reflect
ing severely on the Editor of the Star.
1 he article in question occupied space
nearly equal to this page of the Star.
It contained many gross misrepresen
tations and falsehoods. We had
thought we would not notice it, but
repeated enquiries indicate that si
lence on our part may be construed to
mean admission that his false asser
tions are true. We wish only to say
that Doc. Fish, was dismissed from
the Star for good reasons, after he had
exhausted the patience of everyone
connected with the concern. Our
board of directors comprises seven
members, all middle-of-the-road Popu
lists. Their action was unanimous:
but he was not satisfied and called a
stockholders’ meeting. This was at
tended by all stockholders except three
—every stockholder is a Populist.
They sustained the directors and the
vote was unanimous. The doctor was
not only “permitted to go” as he says,
but told that he “must go.” Every
thing that he brought to the Star office
was turned over to him, and a good
deal more. The action taken by the
board was a necessity to save the Star
from moral, political and financial
wreck. That it survives after two
month’s of the doctor’s mismanage
ment is a proof of its staying qualities.
Our Populist friends need not fear any
newspaper war on our part. We are
too happy to be rid of the mounte
bank to have any wrangle. If he
wishes to quarrel he must look else
where. Rut before we close, we wish
to publicly apologize to Ignatius Don
nelly for taking any part in the Min
nesota quarrels. Out of sympathy we
took the part of the under dog without
proper investigation. We now believe
that Mr. Donnelly’s course was per
fectly justifiable.”
We do not like to kick a miserable
wretch when he is down, and we would
not put a straw in the way of Fish
earning an honest living, in South
Dakota or anywhere else; but even
charity cannot permit us to forget the
awful damage he did to the cause of
reform in Minnesota; or the dreadful
virus with which he poisoned the minds
of thousands, —driving many out of
the Alliance and the People’s Party
forever. And all this he did system
atically, and he teas paid for it! That
was the horrible part of the business.
To be with and of a party, and yet be
constantly at work, under pay, to
thwart and head it off and defeat it
and bring all its efforts to naught.
The poet well said:
“Curse on the slave,
Whose treason, like a deadly bligrht,
Comes o’er the councils of the brave
To blast them in their hour of might."
And this is precisely what the
wretch did.
And there is no artesian well-hole in
South Dakota, into which Fish can
crawl, deep enough to hide him from
the scorn and contempt of all honest
men.
And so, brother Kidd,we accept your
apology as heartily as it is tendered.
Let us forget this corruptionist and
push forward in the good work; keep
ing however, a keen outlook for the
next Judas who will crop up, with a
fierce determination to strip the ac
cursed flesh from his abominable
bones.
The dishonesty of our leaders is the
great peril which our partv has to
fear. ' I. D.
Prominent Pacific Lawyer Declares
for the Peoples Party.
Spokane, Wash., May 6.—Patrick
Henry Winston, one of the best known
lawyers and republican speakers of
this coast and United States attorney
under Harrison’s administration, in a
public address to-day declared that he
will hereafter support the Peoples
Party.
That’s the way it is going all over
the country. By next November it
will be a perfect stampede. Get into
the band-wagon, gentlemen, before
the procession starts. Climb on!
Climb on! You will all be welcome.
The more the merrier. The Day of
Jubilee is coming. I. D.
A Good Nomination. -
The Appleton Press says that the
Hon. John Maguire of Lac qui Parle
county, who has ably and faithfully
served the district the lower house
for several terms, will probably be ten
dered the senatorial nomination by
both Democrats and Populists this
year.—Madison Guard.
We don’t want to interfere in local
affairs, but we will say, that John Ma
guire is a good man, and will make a
good senator, or we are greatly mis
taken. I. D.
COMICAL.
A String of Blunders.
If the people knew what big fools
write the editorials for the big papers
their utterances would have less
weight. The St. Paul Globe is an able
newspaper, but every now and then
something appears in its columns that
takes the breath away from all well
informed readers. Recently it said:
“When Senator Morgan secured a
leave of absence from the senate, ex
tending well into May, he made a mis
take. He would have done better to
have remained at Washington sawing
wood. The purpose of his absence was
to take a hand in the state campaign.
In a speech made by him at Birming
ham he said, “If the United States
had as much money as France the peo
ple would not suffer from the effects
of the McKinley law.” The senator
referred, of course, to the fact that
the per capita of currency (money) in
France is S4O, in the United States $24.
That circumstance affords no ground
for a comparison. Mr. Morgan took an
indirect and equally foolish way to
show disapprobation for the repeal of
the Sherman act and the veto of the
Bland act. He should have come out
squarely and said what he meant.”
Now Mr. Unknown-Nondescript, ut
tering oracles from behind the imper
sonal shelter of a lot of type,—why
don’t you tell the truth? It is just as
easy as lying, to most people. You
know, or you ought to know, that the
per capita of France is not S4O, but
S4B; and that the money in actual cir
culation in this country, outside of
bank reserves, is about $5 per capita.
Rut taking your own figures, why
should this great republic have but
$24 while France hass4o? The Globe at
tempts to answer, thus:
“As between France and the United
States, the systems of business are
radically different. One dollar here
accomplishes as much, in commercial
transactions, as at least three in
France. Checks, drafts and the like
in the American system perform ser
vice in fully nine-tenths of the trans
actions, while in France they are
scarcely employed at all, never except
in limited instances and in large deals.
There is no value whatever to Mor
gan’s comparison, and he ought to
have been too sagacious to have made
it. The per capita circulation in Eng
land and Germany is much less than
in the United States yet those coun
tries are fully as prosperous as
France.”
This is all nonsense.* This country
has tremendous crops Of wheat, corn,
cotton, tobacco, meats; and they are
bought with money, every year, not
with drafts. France has no such de
mand for currency. A year or two
ago there was not money enough to
pay for the wheat crops of the Da
kotas, and the elevator-men fell back
on bank checks as a temporary expedi
ent, but they did not work. Every
year there is a money-famine when
the crops have to be moved. Moreover
the use of checks and drafts pre-sup
poses that there is money behind them.
If the writer of the Globle article un
dertakes to use cheeks as money, with
out the money to redeem them, he will
have a chance to study political
economy in Stillwater, under the kind
ly tutelage of Warden Wolfer. And
he would do less harm there than
scribbling nonsense in the Globe edi
torial rooms.
And as to whether England and Ger
many are as prosperous as France we
would refer this imperfect young man
to the testimony of no less a person
age than Mr. James J. Hill, who said
the other day, on his return from a
trans-atlantic trip, that France was
the most prosperous country in
Europe; and that the rest of the con
tinent was so hard up that the people
were driven to bi-metallism, because
“there is not enough gold in the world to
furnish a sufficiently large basis of credit.'’
Mr. Hill evidently thinks that credit
to be abundant requires an abundant
supply of money of some kind. The
profound writer for the Globe, (11. P.
Hall would never talk such nonsense,)
holds that bills and drafts have no re
lation to money; and that you could
wipe out all the currency of a country
and run its business with checks—on
sand banks!
And then the writer continues:
“Forty dollars per capita would be
no relief from the effects of the Mc-
Kinley law. The senator knows this
perfectly well. He should be ashamed
to offer such a cheat to a public audi
ence. There is honest money enough
in this country, all that is needed for
safe and sound commercial transac
tions. It is not probable that Mr.
Morgan is in favor of an inflation of
fiat currency for the purpose of rais
in'/ the amount per capita, as are
Allen, Peffer, Stewart, and cranks like
them. If the per capita of currency in
the United States was S4O or SSO per
capita, it would not mitigate the op
pression of the McKinley law an iota.
That is not where the shoe pinches.”
Ah! Indeed!
“There is honest money enough in
this country, all that is needed for all
safe and sound compiercial transac
tions.”
Indeed!
Then how comes it that the Globe is
.in the hands of one receiver, and the
Pioneer-Press just ready to drop into
the grasp of another? Are they not
“safe and sound?” And what does it
avail the owners of those journals that
there are $80,000,000 of surplus money,
locked up in the banks of New York?
It is like the proverbial “Dutchman’s
anchor;” which was a good anchor in
deed, but it was a thousand miles
away from where the storm was ra
ging-
Some philosopher said to his son:
“My boy, as you go through life you
will be surprised to find with how lit
tle ability and good sense the world is
governed.” And so we might say:
“Good reader, if you use your eyes you
will be astounded to find how little
IMPERFECT PAGE!
leading editorials for a great daily.”
Give us SSO per capita and the
squabbles over the tariff, and the ir
come tax, and rings and trusts, ar
Coxeyism and all the rest woe
disappear instantly. The thie
couldn’t steal half a fast as the hor '
men could make money. I. 7 * ~-
The Cause of It.—Why the F
“Wobbles.”
“Observations are to be made -
taneously at Washington a ,t
Manilla, in the Philippine 1 c'.s,
which is almost directly oppos.te
Washington on the other side of the
globe, to see what is the matter with
the axis of our planet. Observations
show that for some time the earth has
not been revolving on that important,
if imaginary support, as she has done
for centuries, and scientists have de
cided that it is time to find out if pos
sible, what it all means. Those who
studied the subject declare that, if
the variations continue in the course
of some very long and very indefinite
period we shall have an arctic climate
at Washington, and the latitude of
every place on the globe will be
changed and our geographies will be
useless. An equatorial telescope has
been finished and sent out to Manilla,
and before long diligent inquiry will
be made into the whys and where
fores of the peculiar performances of
old mother earth.”
Just as we expected:
It is Washburn’s speech on the Tar
iff that did it!
The heaviness of that argument, su
perimposed on one side of the planet,
destroyed the equilibrium and set old
Mother Earth to “wobbling.” If
Washburn make another speech the
planet will turn a summersault, stand
on its head and kick its heels in the
air. For God’s sake brethren muzzle
Washburn, or all is lost! I. D.
GOLD NOTES.
Making Trouble in Kansas.
Here is an important matter:
Topeka, Kan. May B.—State Rank
Commissioner, John W. Breidenthal to
day sent a circular to all state and
private banks in Kansas, in which he
forbids them to sign notes obligating
themselves to pay their obligations in
anything except the legal tender of
the United States. In the letter he
says:
T am informed that New York banks re
quire banks that borrow of them to sign
notes payable in gold. In this connection I
desire to call your attention to chapter 90
of the laws of Kansas of 189:1. and request
that hereafter all banks under the control
of this department refrain from signing
any note or other obligation payable in
any thing other than lawful money of the
United States.
The bank commissioner claims that
no bank has a right to obligate itself
to pay any indebtedness in other than
legal tender for the reason that cir
cumstances might arise which would
make gold money v'orth double the
legal tender of the country and that
the depositors would be the losers.
The law he refers to in his circular is
as follows:
That from and after the passage of this
act all obligations of debt, judgment or
executions stated in terms dollars and to
be paid in money, if not dischargeable in
United States legal lender notes, shall bo
payable in either tho standard silver or
gold coins authorized by the congress of
the United States, all stipulations in the
contract to the contrary notwithstanding.
In Minnesota there are thousands of
mortgage notes drawn with that gold
clause. Last session the Populists of
Minnesota tried to pass a similar law
but failed. We must elect the right
kind of a Legislatures next winter and
release the people from the grip of the
gold-bugs, who now have every interest
to break down the value of greenbacks,
silver, silver-certificates and every
thing but gold. I. D.
The Same Idea.
Omaha, May 9.—A call was issued
to-day for a meeting of the Populists
central committee at Lincoln, May 18.
to fix the date and place for holding
the state convention. Chairman
Deaver in his call says that it lias
been desired to call the convention at
a time when the farmers could take a
couple of weeks off and the place se
lected will be in the central part of
the state. It is proposed that the
delegates boycott the railroads and go
to the convention by wagons.
This plan is spreading everywhere.
Nebraska is nearly as large a state as
Minnesota, and if the idea of making
a picnic convention is practicable
there it is here. Let the people organ
ize. Let us Coxeyise the State Conven
tion. I. D.
They Knock Out the Jobs.
Hon. Jerry Simpson saved the coun
try an expense of an additional clerk
to the interstate committee. This ex
tra clerk would have been a sinecure
for some congressman’s brother or
relative. Jerry saved nearly one-half
of his salary by defeating the resolu
tion. Such little matters count up in
the long run. It is estimated that the
Populists during the past three years
saved the country more than $25,000,-
000 by standing in the way of jobs and
frauds.” —National Watchman.
In Minnesota it was the impulse
given by the Populists that led up to
the pine land investigations which
have already put $50,000 into the state
Treasurer. We do not wish to be-little
the valuable services of any democrat
or republican who may have as
sisted in the good work; but it remem
bered that those frauds were practiced
for a quarter of a century and it was
not until the rise of the Populist party -
that any attempt was made to stop or
punish the wrong-doers. I. D.
No Doubt About It.
“Those Republican papers which
are glibly prophesying a majority for
that party in the next house of Rep
resentatives, should not count
their chickens before they are hatch
ed. The Populist sentiment is still
strong in the south and west, and with
proper leaders, will be an important
lactor in the campaign. The inability
of the two old parties to afford relief
t ) the masses, will cause a big Populist
vote, in our opinion.”—Appleton
Press.
Very true, you have hit the nail on
the head. Disgust with Cleveland,
drove thousands of Democrats into the
Republican party. Sober second
thought will land them in the Populist
ranks. I. D.
fV GRY FOR HE>LP. I
We have printed, (at a cost of $140), 20,000 copies of an
illuminated illustrated handbill, for our paper and as a [
part of it, containing forty portraits of Populist leaders and
fi lends Qf reform, including many Alliance senators, mem- f
bers of congress, governors of states, leading orators, male **
and female, together with famous literary people, friends [1
of humanity, like Bellamy, Tolstoi, Bjorne Bjornson, Bishop
Potter, B. O. Flower and a host of others; also two amus- [
ing and instructive cartoons; and a lot of reading matter '
that will set the stupidest old party fossil te thinking. We jj
printed this bill as a Supplement to the Representative. *
and so inscribed it: but one of the subordinate officials of the J 1
postmaster at Minneapolis refused to pass it as a Supple- li
ment and held our whole mail for two days, thus delaying rt
it to subscribers. This was on the ground that the postal li
regulations prohibited the use of handbills “or other odver- n
Using matter ,” as supplements; but we argued that the mat- N
ter in our supplement was not an “advertisement,” but an *
advocacy of our party and our paper; and we referred to the !l
fact that it had been customary for years for the daily pa- w
pers to send out, without objection, premium engravings, «
cartoons and even soap advertisements, as supplements to |
their subscribers. We appealed to Major W. D. Hale, the
postmaster, who treated us with the greatest fairness and [j
courtesy, and permitted our papers to go out. Unfortunate- *
ly, while the question was in suspense, we had sent out a *
vast number of copies, paid for by the contributions of our 0
friends, without tne Supplement; and this leaves us with
thousands of them still on hand. It will cost us SIOO to !j
send them out at second class postage rates and; we cannot
afford the expenditure; at the same time we believe that if s
these bills were posted all over the country they would U
greatly help the People’s Party in the approaching campaign.
And SO WE appeal to the friends of reform every- I]
where, to help us out. We want them to send us what-
ever they can contribute. If they forward us two cents in (1
postage stamps we will send to the address of the contrib- |J
utor two copies of the hand-bill. For ten cents we will send
ten copies. But if they can be more liberal and send us what [j
they can spare, we will employ girls to fold and direct them,
and send them to all parts of the United States, and they fl
will be posted everywhere in stores, postoffices,etc., and will |j
be read by millions of people, to the great benefit of the Populist
cause. ‘ fj
Let those who can afford it send us insl, or $2 or
$5, and it shall be faithfully applied to this purpose. Hund- fj
reds have sent us lists of names. We want to send these j]
bills among them. Help us. Let us hear from you at once.
I. D. J
Highly Suggestive.
When one considers the conservative
character of the Catholic church, and
how strongly the members of that de
nomination haveinclined to the Demo
cratic party, the following article,
from the St. Paul Northwestern
Chronicle of May 11th, the organ of
Archbishop Ireland, will be read with
astonishment and profit, as testifying
to the sweeping force of the revolution
now going on in the land:
Some satirical fallow says that Ben
jamin Harrison goes out into his front
yard every morning and lays his ear to
the ground to see if his country is
calling him. Though this is an exag
geration, there seems to be no doubt
that not only Mr. Harrison but a num
ber of other patriots are anxiously
waiting the call of duty to act as
president of this country. Mr. Cliaun
cey Depcw in explaining his jocular
announcement of himself as a candi
date the other day, added that he
thought the time would soon come
when we would have a railroad man
for president.
Perhaps it may come sooner than
Mr. Depew anticipates. The railroad
labor organizations are now the
strongest and most intelligent ones in
the country. If organized labor seeks
to put a candidate of their own before
the people, it is certain that the rail
road men will have a powerful, if not
controlling influence in making the
selection. It is not at all improbable
that labor will look for a candidate of
its own outside the ranks of either the
Democrats or the Republicans. Neith
er party has the entire confidence or
sympathy of the working classes, and
it would be impossible to bring the en
tire vote to a candidate for either.
Rut with one of its own the case
would be quite different, and there
would be a great likelihood, at least of
being able to unite the whole labor
vote in his favor. It would not be at
all surprising to see some such man as
Eugene V. Debbs placed in the presi
dential chair by a movement of that
character. If the labor organizations
should make a wise selection, choosing
a man of ability, sound sense and hon
esty, there would be nothing at all im
probable about his election. Always
supposing, proper motives and meth
ods upon the part of labor organiza
tions, we cannot but think that great
good would result all around from
their turning their attention to poli
tics, and seeing that they obtain their
proper representation in affairs of
state. Political power will bring with
it a sense of responsibility, the lack of
which is often the cause of foolish
hare-brained words or actions. It will
turn the peoples attention to the seri
ous study of social and political affairs
when they are called upon to act upon
new lines and by now methods, not
merelv following what often is a sense-
Tess party cry. And above all it will di
rect their attention to the only possible
method of redressing whatever evils
they complain of, and put an end for
ever to Coxeyism, rioting and all other
foolish vagabondism.
It is time for the Democratic party
to look out for political cyclones when
the able organ of Catholicism in Min
nesota talks that way. I. D.
REMEMBER
The Date of the Peoples Party State
Convention.
It will be in Minneapolis, July lOtii,
—not June 10th, as some of the papers
are printing it. Look out for tricks.
July lOtii, that is the great day.
Make your arrangemerits to be there
and to stay to the Grain Gravers Con
vention July 12th.
The Wrong Remedy.
A correspondent writes and asks us
to advocate the abolition of the ex
emption of the tax on personal prop
erty, to the amount of two hundred
dollars,—that several members of the
same family—father, sons, etc., very
often claim each $100; and thus the
family goes scott-free.
I hat may all be: but if I had mv way
I would exempt all personal property,
and make it up by an income tax,
graduated to let oir those of small
means. A man should pay in propor
tion to what he receives, not to what he
has. A farmer may have $5,000 of
property and by reason of poor crops,
hail or low prices, he may not get
enough to support his family. What
has that man received that he should
pay taxes for? Is it not wrong for the
state to follow in the track of the hail
storms and the drought to still furtlj-'
er impoverish the victim of
tune? But here is another man who
has $.>,000 out, on chattle mortgage
securities in St. Paul or Minneapolis,
at 120 per cent per annum! He receives
$6,000 annually on his $5,000. The
whole machinery of government is
maintained to protect that scoundrel’
life and property; and give him the
means to enforce his claims and wipe
out his debtors. Should he not pay for
it? Yes; to the uttermost farthing.
Lift the burdens of the weak and
poor and put it on the great and
strong. That is the true policy. But
laws and constitutions have been
made by the sharpers fur the protec
tion of sharpers; and the people have
snored one-third of the time and toil;'
ed the other two-thirds, until
have grown so poor they can neither
endure nor pay up; and they begin to
ask themselves: “What kind of an in
fernal contrivance is this thing called
government, which we have imposed
on ourselves, for our own impoverish-'
ment?” And now they are studying
the why and whereas and the where
fore, and in a little while they will'
have rings in the noses of the sharpers
and will drag them up to the snubbing
posts. I
Government should he a blessing.
And whenever it becomes a curse it
needs reconstructing from the ground
up. Is'otliing is sacred in this world
but life, liberty, equality and human
happiness. I. D.
Very True.
“The labor candidate for mayor of
Cincinnati has given $5,000 to the
Coxey’s Army fund. Still many peo
ple pretend that only the penniless are
in this movement. There can be noth
ing more erroneous. There are plenty
of men of means who can see that the
country has been plundered and is on
the verge of eruption. The men of
education are with them. There is
not a professor in our institutions of
learning, or among writers, but that
holds that our legislation, the past
thirty years has been a systematic rob
bery-numskulls excepted.”—Orton
ville Headlight. 1
Why you can’t talk to a prominent re
publican or democrat, who is not a fos
sil or a fool, but he will admit that
most if not all the Populist demands
are sensible and right. But they cling
to their old parties by their front teeth,
out of mere shame-facedness, or be
cause they are hoping for an office.
I. D.