Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1892-07-15


The independent platform adopted
by the national convention at Omaha
is a masterpiece of rhetorical naatness
and political absurdity. One half of
this remarkable production is but a
long continued howl about the nation
Brought TO the verge of moral, po!iti-
cal. and material ruin" The other
half advocates the adoption of several
gilt edged reforms that. If ever carried
out. woald render the condition of the
nation infinitely worse than it is at
present. Space will not permit us to
take mp this plank by plank but yet 1t
is advisable to call attention to a few
of the misstatements and to point out
the injustice and dangers of a few of
these proposed nickel plate reforms.
No n will assert that the present
condition of the country is everything
that could lie desired, but every %intelll-
gent and fair minded man will stamp
with disapproval the statements that
corruption dominates the ballot box,
the legislatures, the congress and
touches even the ermine of the bench"
That "the newspapers are largely sub
sidizel or mnzzled; public opinion
silenced." Corruption at the ballot
box in most northern states has become
a thing of tine past, while the most
fragrant cases of bribery in legislatures
of late years We're those of men elected
by Independents and upon independent
principles. We would ask II honest
independent brethren to point ont a
case where corruption has touched
"even the ermine OF tlesbench." SO far
as muzzling the press and silenc,ng
public opinion is concerned our calam-
ity croakerS furnish abundance of
proof that such Is not the case. At no
time NJ place since history aawned
have men been freeT to express their
views upon matters of whatsoever
nature they will, than they are at
present permitted to do III this country.
And they are using this %inalienable
right as it never was used before. A
few of the demands of the indepen-
dents arc Just, many of them unjust.
Several Il revolutionary and the
whole platform smacks most decidedly
Of socialism. The sub. treasury plan
"or a better svstem'-ls approved of,
flee and unlimited coinage Of silver is
demanded. also that the amount of cir
culating medium be speedily INCREASED
to not less than $50 per capita. This
last measure. If ever adopted. would he
nothing short of highway robbery. If
there was the remotest possibility Of
its becoming a law. an era of unraral-
lelled depression would be sure to fol-
low. Capital would be locked up and
general s%tagnation would inevitably
result. In order to increase the circu-
lating medium so much. it would he
necessary to employ some kind of fiat
money. The amount of money now in
circulation is perhaps less than one
third of the amount for which inde-
pendepts make demand. The valne of
money like that of any other commod-
ity. is determined largely by the law
of supply and demand. Leaving aside
entirely the dangers always attending
the issuance of inconvertible paper
money. ii is manifestly unjust to initiate
so enormously the mount of c~ircnlat.
ing medium. Ii the supply of money
10 Oo'S suS PulShuSIuS poWVi vi q
dollar will be Jut one third of what i,
now is. Is there any justice in such a
monstrous proposition?
Suppose a man has spent the greater
part of a lifetime in accommodating a
small sum of money upon which lie
may live during his declining years. II
was only by industry and frugallty
that he succeeded in LAYING up some.
thing for a rainy day. Suppose this mai
invested his savings ii some of our
county or state bonds at par
If the currency Is then inflated
three fold be will receive back the
same number of dollars that he invest.
ed to be sure, hut the purchasing
power will be only one third. Thus
he would lose two-th;rds Of his hard
earned savings. 1t would be Just MS
right to compel him to hand over that
amount at the point Of a revolver. as
to rob him of it by government author.
ity. A plan SO stepped in infamy can
not meet the favor an honest, fair
n,;udod ,,ano1o