The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1891-08-13

I've ulOOu dDOtlU UnlS Ulme.
1 have dwelt at some length upon
these quotations from our most emi-
nent Democrats, to show you farmers
that true Democrats have thought
and still think very much as you do,
That for every i'll of which you COM
plain Democracy, as taught by the
fathers, can furnish you remedy;
and that there is no reason in the flip
pant expression we sometimes hear
from some of you that no hope of relief
could be expected of the old parties.
l am not here to flatter you, but to
reason with you as neighbor with
neighbor, and L know you will do me
the justice to believe that L speak the
truth, for L have never deceived you
with false hopes or with false prom
ises. If it is necessary for the welfare
of the people that national banks be
abolished, you need not go outside of
the Democratic party for aid in that
matter, for we will help you mould
these institutions according to your
will. If it is essential to the preseva-
tions of our liberties that the domina-
tion of Wall street over the finances of
this country and of these people shall
cease, as think it is, can go with
you on this, as can every good Demo-
crat, but not outside my party, for
| shall fight within Democratic lines.
If you think the country needs addi-
tional circulating medium, and that it
should be issued by the government,
all Democrats who follow Jefferson
can join with you in accomplishing
this with the heartiest accord. If you
think the power of banking corpora
tions or of individuals or associations
to curtail it's circulation, should be
wrenched from them by the sternest
edict of the law, no DemocraG will
gainsay it, but will bid you God speed
in the good work with all his heart.
If you think means and agencies
should be provided through which
relief may be furnished the people
against the aggressions of money,
Democrats will join you in council
and help you devise some safe, con-
servative business method for the ac-
complishment of this object. In short,
and to sum up in sentence the ker-
mel of your grievance, if you wish "to
take from money it's power to oppress," !"
you can have no more faithful allies
and coadjutors than the Democratic
party.
But when you ask us to go with you
in the advocacy of loans by the gov
ernment direct to citizens, upon land
and imperishable farm products, you
ask that which no Democrat can con-
cede, for three good reasons, without
naming others:
l. 1t is visionary and impracticable.
2. 1t is unjust.
3. 1t would build up the very power
you would destroy, and would destroy
the very interests you would pre-
serve.
Let us examine these briefly and in
their order.
l. The government cannot deal with
$4,000, 900 of people, extending over an
immense area and involving illimita-
BILE transactions, without ceasing to
be Republican in it's essentials and
drifting rapidly toward absolutism.
In a republic, and especially one of
the extent of ours, and subjected to
the limitations of q written constitu-
tion, government must deal with the
citizen in fiscal matters through some
intermediary, which is it's creature
and therefore subject to arbitrary con-
troll. If the government starts in
business as a produce broker, it will
soon become involved in inextricable
legal meshes with the citizen, as
other produce brokers always are, and
this must soon result in a thorough
and disastrous arrangement of it's
financial operations. In few insulated
communities, involving peculiar con-
ditiOns, not existent here, such an ex-
pertinent may have temporarily sue
ceeded but in the vast majority of
cases wherein it has been attempted,
it has proved a most dismal failure.
2. 1t is unjust, because it would give
a preference to one class over all other
classes. What right have you farmers
to insist that the government shall
loan you money on your wheat or
cotton, and shall not loan me money
on my law books? or the carpenter
on the fruits of his handiwork?
Your reply is that the farmer
feeds all other classes, and the loans
to him benefits all classes, because as
soon as he gets it, he pays it out. But
that is begging the question. What
right have you to set yourself above
your fellow citizens in this way? or to
say that the blessings of the govern
ment shall flow to me through
you? If you demand Of the govern
ment loan upon the products of your
labor, 1 have the same right, as citi-
zen of the United States, to demand of
the government to loan me money
upon the products of my labor. That
the government may have made loans
TO special classes, in the past, does not
make it right. We have started out ON
On war against class and special privi-
leges, and the motto on our banner is
equal rights to all, special privileges
to nome" Let us not desert the prin-
ciple before the first gun is fired on
the skirmish line.
8. That it would build up the very
intended to be destroyed, and
destroy the very interest intended to
be preserved, is apparent. Your mon
ey does not stay with you now after
you sell your crops. Do you think it
would stay any better, if, instead of
selling, you stored and borrowed so
per cent? Or if you multiply the
ourranoy fnur- fold how LONG