The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1891-06-19


DR.. G.: w. MACUNE.
treasury scheme and thus shield the
people and the country they ''love so
well" from all these calamities. It is by
offering some plan that will provide the
great people with a medium of exchange
that will accommodate itself to their
needs at all times, without squeezing
from them a destructive and crushing
commission in the shape of interest. Do
this, gentlemen, and the people will drop
the sub-treasury plan as though it were
red hot crucible full of melted iron.
The people admit that if anything in
their platform is,vulnerabie it is the SUBJ
treasury plan. They do not claim per-
lection for it. They have. begged their
senators and congressman and Estates
men" for some measure of relief, and
failing to get it they have felt compelled
to present plan devised by themselves
and ask that their national legislative
body give it consideration, and those
senators and congressman and estates
men" refused even to consider the plan
offered. First they tried to laugh the
plan down, but it wouldn't down. Then
they tried to dismiss it as an ''unconsti-
tutional" measure, but it wouldn't dis
miss. Then some of the statesmen"
held a caucus, and decided that there
must be united fight against this plan,
for if it went into operation it would
make the people too independent, and
the dominion and reign of the money
power would be. weakened.
When the fact that such a caucus had
been held was first ''let OUT but little
attention was paid to it, but it has been
said again and again that such caucus
was held, and the course of quite a num-
Der Of congressman and senators during
the past few months is quite sufficient
to prove that there must have been a
general agreement. of some kind against
the people, for while the people are
earnestly demanding the enactment of
the measure-or something better-into
law, they are meeting the strongest and
fercest opposition from these very con-
gressmen, who are not Offering anything
as a substitute.
Now the great people have come to
understand that they must begin to act
for themselves. If they yield one inch
of the ground already taken they will
weaken their cause, and they know it.
If they stop pushing the sub-treasury
scheme they will find themselves Just
where they were before they presented
it; and they will also find that no
statesman" will come forward with
another measure for them. They know
that up to this time they must have
the sub-treasury plan or nothing; and
all the raving against and denunciation
of the plan will not weaken their deter
mination to push it ON and on and on.
It is significant that many men who
have tried to kill this plan have died
politically, while the plan yet survives
and is growing stronger and greater
day by day. Some men have saved
themselves by making favorable terms
with the plan just in the nick of time.
Some Of these, after securing few
months or years Of grace by strong but
dishonest professions of friendship, have
now repudiated their professions, but
will remain alive politically until their
term of grace expires
The rounded and perfect truth about
the matter is that the powers that be are
resolved to do everything they can, be
the means fair or foul, to perpetuate the
financial system of today or make it
more favorable for bankers and specu-
lators. They are paid for this work, and
paid well. How and in what way will
be told by the Reform Press Bureau in a
subsequent letter.
Alliance men everywhere should take
special care to note that the most desper-
ate efforts are being made by "big" poll
clans and "big" newspapers to divert the
attention of the people from financial OF
monetary reform to some other matter.
Democrats are making desperate strug-
gle to have the tariff made the great is
sue. Republicans are dropping back
into the degradation Of sectionalism
again, and trying to excite the hatred of
brother against brother; and both are
fighting with all their power and with
all their soul the Alliance and its de-
mands. Let these things be kept con-
stantly in view, and let every man now
do his own thinking. If he will save
himself and preserve his free right to an