New-York tribune., 1891-03-08
WASHINGTON GOSSIP.
MISSIONARIES OF THE KANSAS IDEA IN THE
EAST
JEREMIAH SIMPSONS EFFORTS TO INSPIRE RE
spECT FOR FIAT MONEY-DECLARING THAT
THE REPUBLICAN PARTY is DEAD
crcvS Or MODERATION.


Washington, March THE impatience of the
representatives of the Farmers Alliance to MAKE
an early impression upon an Eastern pubAc mas
been shown in the numerous visits here OF tho
various representatives of this new poiltcal III
sttution Senators-elect Kyle and Peher ana MI
Simpson have spoken already in Washington
This is a preliminary for general c''hP"ls,,
a,ropchout the East. jeremiah Simpson VIII
lead an aggressive movement upon the last III
order 70 educate it ND to what he describes as the
Western standard of finance and public ADMINS
tration The Farmers Alliance authorities have
arranged 10 send out these gentlemen as lecturers
To certain extent they are modifying their pro-
gramme. They have become alarmed already at
the eject of their reputation doctrines. Money
is leaving Kansas and other Western States where
these doctrines have been promulgated, and in such
. way as to threaten seriously the prosperity OF
these communities. In the speeches maze III
washnpton there has been distinct claim upon
,he mart Of the teachers that they intend TO move
only in gentle way in the direction OF the cap
i,alsts Money is not 10 be taken away from
canitalsts bv force Neither are debts TO De IT,
undated for the present. 1t is interesting 10 s''
at the leading ideas these gentlemen are seeking
10 submit for Eastern appreciation. flIs', ti's
announce officially what has been apparent Iva
some tme-that there is political UNION De'"''
the South and the West against the East 'e'o"''
these new leaders desire to have Goverhhei' oo'-
troll of the railroads. so that the farmers can nave
cheaper transportation TO the markets. i"'S
want the experiment. tried by the Government
building one through line from the EaSt 10 soihc
central State in the West. If this is successful
then the Government should go on and purchase
the rest of the railroads or acquire them Dy con-
demnation. Their argument in favor oil 'his Is
that the present railroad systems are dong ousi-
ness upon such largely watered caplta that they
must make excessive freight charges and that the
misfortune of the whole system falls dlrectiy upon
the farmer. whose condition has not improved in
the last fifty years. They argue that in the far
West it costs more to raise corn than can be OBJ
tained for it in the market, Their second great
remedy is free coinage of silver This is their
argument for Eastern consumption. They do not
90 so far as to advocate in an Eastern atmosphere
the printing of fiat money Their Illustration
of the value of an inflated currency is given by
citing the period following the War of the Re
belion. Then there was an inflated paper cur
rency, gold and silver had disappeared from cir
culation, and, according to the Farmers Alliance
people, prices for all commodities were high and
every one was contented.
Farmers Alliance argument would not be
worth anything if it were not based from be
ginning TO end upon mere bumptious assertion
The period following the war was one OF over
speculation, which led TO the disastrous panic of
1873. The condition of the country was such
that every one continued to view the financial
condition with alarm until specie payments were
actually resumed. It was only through long
course of education at that time that the people
were weaned from cheap-money ideas, so that the
doctriues of honest money, the best current opln-
ion of the civilized world, prevailed The Farm
ers' Alliance people have some real grievances,
but they are undertaking the impossible in at
tempting to turn back the country's progress in a
financial way. There are certain principles which
are to-day accepted, and no union of West or
South will ever make cheap-money doctrines pre-
vail although they may succeed in making such
an uproar as to stampede the next House Of
Representatives. This is the reason for the carly
beginning of the movement in the East. 1t is to
influence the next House of Representatives.
jeremiah Simpson, the most active of the mis-
sionaries, has just one speech. He calls the at
tention of his hearers to the fact that he was
nominated by convention where only two of the
delegates wore collars and only nine of the men,
bers were the happy posscssors of white shirts
In the enumeration of the details of this con-
vention. Mr.. Simpson lays great stress upon the
class of shirts worn by the people who sup
porting him, as if this had particular bearing
upon the class of statesmen evolved Although
Mr. Simpson was nominated by q convention
made up of collarless members he himself wears
one of the largest collars, in political sense,
ever worn by man sent 10 Washington. lie
wears the Farmers Alliance collar and is dogged
about by set of committeeman who direct where
he shall CO. just what he shall say, and if he
Il l. l,.aI slo,r
OF the Western prairie from which he came.
Mr.. Simpson is not the first granger who has
come to Washington in rough homespun dress
and has attempted TO base system of statesman
ship upon woollen shirts and the clothing sup
posed to be worn by the agricultural laborcr.
II has been observed that even Mr.. Simpson, short
es has been his stay in Washington, has shown
some signs of being affected by his surroundings.
lie has, in the first place departed from all the
traditions of his constituents by donning white
shirt and high white collar. He even has his
boots BACKED and it has been observed that he
has fallen into the pernicious and dangerous habit
common among capitalists of being occasionally
shaved. Mr.. Simpson, who says that there is
not enough gold in the world TO fill the decaycd
teeth Of humanity, and that consequently fiat
money is good thing is not an ordinary polti-
cal charlatan. He is man Of keen sense, quick
humor, and a ready oif-hand style with q crowd
which makes him an attractive speaker upon the
stump. He is quick-witted man, whose face
bears anything but the stamp Of sincerity. He is
q good actor. and will undoubtedly play his part
the representative of the Alliance very well.
But TO dignity him prophet of a new move
mcnt would, be simply ridiculous. When he has
been in Congress for two years he will be in a
position undoubtedly where the capitalists and
railroads of the country will be able to secure
his services if need be. Some of the most fero-
cious relormers in the country. who began by at
tacking the railroads, end by becoming their
doce servants 1t is always safe TO presume
that where vested interests are attacked with too
much ferocity il is possible to change the views
of such an opponent by some sort of cOnsidera-
ton.
Mr. Simpson is altogether too shrewd a man TO