The advocate., 1891-05-27

requested to meet somewhere in your county
and that somebody viii be there TO lecture
them, who is to give them their political
theories of government and Of business %
well. They go there and shut the door, and
it's members listen to these men and believe
them because they tell them they are sent
out from headquarters. You people Of Aus
tin know something about them, because
they were here during the Legislature, and
you saw and learned their calibre.
But the great trouble is that you cannot
find out what they have taught; they 60 to
these Alliances and teach these people po-
litical theories and theories with reference
to banking, and they tell them that certain
things are true and that other things are not
true and these people without knowing, rely
upon them and believe IL, and you cannot
combat these false teachings. These things
are of the greatest danger, they are a menace
to progressive government. II these errors
were taught 80 that you could meet them, so
that you could show the people that they are
not true, they would not be 90 dangerous,
but they are conceived in secret and promul-
gated in secret, and the farmers viii not tell
you what they believe. I tell you their ideas
are being corrupted, and even their political
honesty is being corrupted by these people
and you cannot reach them. Even with
your newspapers you cannot reach them,
because they do not read them; they read
only their own organs, and if they get hold
Of one Of the daily papers, they think you
have gotten up your argument for the pur-
pose of deceiving them and they will not
believe il. They listen only TO their lecturers
and hear only from their own journals, 80
there is nothing encouraging in the feeling
Of the people Of the United States toward
banking or bankers.
There is also prejudice growing out of o
great many things. Growing out Of the
violent political contention that has been
going on. You will remember that in the
last Democratic state convention held at San
Antonio, there is q declaration in its plat
form showing their hostility TO tho national
banking system that is perfectly foolish. ]
think che national banking system only pre-
supposes the. existence Of a national debt.
Yet the people deOry them as q national
evil, Notwithstanding anybody can have q
national bank. It is no class privilege, and
there is no reason why politicians should
make their fulminationS against national
banking, for any Ave citizens can put them
selves together and organize national
bank. It is plain then, that there are no
political privileges attached TO it, and no
political significance, whatever, amy more
than any certain number Of gentlemen en-
gaging themselves TO 60 into a mercantile
business, or operating farm, and yet We
have this party through its political leaders
Illuminating in It's platform against national
banks simply to pander TO the prejudice Of
these people. Now, this is the last trouble
Che last evil--that shall allude to and il Ia
q vicious one. In this day and generation
we have class Of men known as politicians,
men who are professional politicians, men
who have no principle, and il they have
their only principle is that they shall have
an office and they win advocate any theory
that will pander to any prejudice, and will
make any kind Of an assertion that they viii
believe win be popular with the people and
secure votes. (Applause.) That is another
of the great dangers that threatens this
oOuntry-that the people are being led by
men who have not nerve TO do what they
believe TO be right or to advise measures
which they believe viii be unpopular, be-
cause they fear that il viii lose their cleo