The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1892-06-03
1.-THE PEOPLE BEDAMNED..
The Base Legislative Grimes of 1873 and
1900

Inc ksaSo Legislative Grimes OF 1873 anu
1892.
The Fifty-secOnd congress has
buried this insult back in the teeth of
restless constituency. o people who
have grown tired OF forgiving mis-
representation. and who will rise to
resent the insult by reputation. I'M
partial history has never chronicled
baser misrepresentation Of the Amer
lean people than the legislative crimes
of 1873 and 1892. The mantle of the
Republican party is disgraced by the
one and the brow of Democracy is be-
smirched with the other. The one
was the striking down of silver and
the other was the failure to restore it
In 1873 while the whole nation was
mapping: John Sherman secured the
passage Of bill which stopped the
coinage OF silver at the minis of the
United States. Free coinage before
1873 meant that any person. be he
citizen or alien, could take his silver
bullion to our minis and have it coined
into money the government charging
one-half of one per cent for coinage
Free coinage of gold meant the same
thing. The system of free coinage
had BEEN in vogue since the founda-
ton of our government and not
one word of complaint had been
heard against it. says the Tennessee
Toiler Sherman. the hired tool of
English and German bankers knew he
had to pursue a stealthy course, and
this he did by deeeption-at least both
Democrats, and Republicans claimed
that they knew nothing OF the true
import of the bill at the time of
its passage. Without entering into
history of the various struggles of the
people to. have this crime rebuked,
suffice it to say some PARTY rela-
tons have for twenty years interfered
with the peoples will. For these
twenty years the Der ,ocratic party has
been quick lay the crime of demon
citation at the door of the Republi-
cans, but never more can it point with
disgust to that fraud; never can Il
Democratic convention censure the
work of 154 Democratic majority in
congress-; the party's mouth is sealed
and where is the peoples hope? It
lies only with that political party
which can speak bold criticism of
these frauds and of official prostitu-
ton.
Possibly no bill for years has created
such fear and CONSERVATION among
the bankers and goldbugs of the East
as did the Bland free coinage bill in
the present congress. 1t is freely
whispered that the stenches OF Doodle
pregnated and befouled the very at
mosphere around Washington; and it
remains unanswered how the boodlers
captured the twenty or thirty major
ity which the enemies of the bill con-
ceded the friends of free coinage
The result of the vote was surprise
and the press admitted as much. That
the goldbugs could secure just enough
votes to kill the bill just majority,
is curious fact The Democratic
party is responsible for this failure Of
congress to. meet the demands of the
people A public reprimand can not
be too severely administered.
What else can be placed to the
credit of this congressp Where has
there been Il measure enacted into
law from which the people could ex-
poet help? This congress has been a
collection of politicians. paid out of
the public treasury to sit in high
council and devise ways and means
by which their respective parties can
hold. on to, the public teat-