Mississippi leader. (Jackson, Miss.) 1892-1895, 1892-09-15


! the real issues, rs he conceived them.
The present condition of the country
was graphically portrayed. The old
soldiers present were appealed to and
asked to contrast their present financial
condition with the first year or two after
the war before the policy of contract
ing the currency in the interest of the
/ bondholders and moneyed class began.
In 1866, with population of 35,OO0,OOO
/ people, the money in circulation
amounted to S2,OO00,000,oO0. In 1892.
/ with population of 65,000,0O0 it has
been reduced to Sl,500,000,OO0; or from
/ over $50 per capita to about 81. Up to
/ 1872, there were no tramps in the coun-
/ try; now there are 100000 The Peo-
! pies party doesn't hope for a change,
/ it intends to have it. 1t is a ground
hog case and the meat has got to come.
I Neither old party can be relied on
for relief. The Democrats plead inabil-
ity. Well, if they have kept tho peo-
pie waiting 80 years the life -timc of a
generation and can't do anything, it
is time to look elsewhere, and the peo-
pie can look no where with greater
hope than to the young and vigorous
Peoples party If any one in tho aud
icnce would cite him a law Congress
had passed in 20 years for the benefit
of the people, he pledged that he and
Gen. Weaver would withdraw at once
from the race. The tax has been taken
off of incomes, bank checks, ETC., and
the revenue is maintained on apple
jack, Tot-gut whisky and tobacco. The
Morrill, war tariff remained the same
till supplanted by the higher McKin-
! ley bill. Some one asked Gen. Field if
7, l,1y "a
of whisky, and he answered emphati-
cally in the affirmative.
The Democrats talk about tariff re-
form. The tariff has been discussed
for hundred years by such men as
Daniel Webster, Henry Clay, John G.
, Calhoun, Thos. Benton and other great
statesmen, and it is no nearer a settle
ment today than at the beginning.
The more it is tinkered with by the old
parties. the higher it seems to go. He
is as much opposed to high tariff as
anybody ; in fact, he is opposed to any
tariff at all, and wants taxes necessary
to an economical administration of the
government collected on property of
the people, and not on what they con-
sumo. But there are other questions
more pressing than the tariff. Life is too
short to spend all ones breath on the
tariff III the present emergency. when
the people demand financial relief and
an increase in the volume of the circula-
ting medium. A reduction of the tar
if wouldn't add dollar to the volume
of money. Besides, the Democrats are
not agreed among themselves on the
tariff and are split all to pieces over it.
Gen. Hancock was right when he said
the tariff was local question. Cleye-
land would be President to-day, if he
hadn't written his tariff message. That
message and the Mills bill killed him
with his own party in 1888, and yet
the Mills bill didn't reduce the Repub-
lican tariff but ~ per cent. The fl
nancial question is the great overshad-
owing issue in this campaign.
The inconsistency of free silver
Democrat supporting Cleveland was
pointed out. Cleveland was elected
on free-silver platform and before he
took his seat as President wrote let
ter against it. That letter helped to
defeat him in 1888, and he will nev-
er be President again.
He answered the objection to the sill
yer dollar, and said that it was the
stamp of the government that gave q
dollar its legal tender value, whether
it was gold, silver or paper. Gold had
no intris1c, but only a commercial val
lie, until the government placed it's
stamp upon it. This country has no
need for international monetary con-
/ ferences. The fathers of the Republic
had distinctly declared against sen
tangling alliances" with other nations.
but it was left to the latter day saints
of Democracy and Republicanism to
change this wise policy of the fathers.
Harrison without authority of law, has
appointed a commission consisting of
four bank presidents and one silver SEN
ator to represent the United States in an
international monetary conference, and
the Democrats, with 148 majority in
the House, appropriated 100000 Of the
peoples money to pay their expenses,
while they sell them out to the bank
ers and plutocrats |!
Gen. Field then took up and discuss
ed the Sub-Treasury as offering the
best method of financial relief and
the surest safeguard against future in
justice. His arguments on this sub
ject We're such as are familiar to all.
Next he touched on government own
ership of railroads This did not nee
essarily imply government ownership
OF all railroads. Ownership of a few
J trunk lines weuld prove a wonderful
relief and corrective. Two of the trans
continental railway lines now owe the
government more than they would sell
for, and don't even pay the interest.
1t ought to compel the payment of
that which is due or take possession
The right of ownership and the practi-
cability of the governments running
them was argued at length.
/ In conclusion Gen. Field said he
was happy to note how rapidly Missis-
sippians are rallyine to the Peoples
party standard and standing by the
men who are standing by them. He
says If ne and Gen. Weaver are elected,
as they have good prospect of being,
they intend to be seated. There will be
no repetition of the Tilden timidity.
They don't want any fight, but the COM
i bined powers of plutocracy, with mill
ion bayonets, together with all the dew
lis in hell, cannot keep them out. He
closed with Woolsey's eloquent exhorta-
ton to Cromwell.
4 The speech was literally punctuated
with applause and made an excellent
impression It's delivery occupied
1 nearly three hours.
\ 1t twas followed by one of the finest and
most bountiful basket dinners ever
spread, to which the hungry crowd did
ample justice. 1t was at this time that
the immense throng showed up in it's