The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1892-05-07

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ent Of subsidized newspapers and
turnkey editors.
Badly lfisht Leaders.
In not very brilliant criticism Of
the action Of the Colorado people
especially democrats-for organic
ing themselves into silver clubs
pledged to vote for no man who is
not identified with the free coinage
demand and pledged to it's support
by the platform Of his party, the
Salt Lake Herald stiglnatizes all
who take the pledge as mad =
Having failed to secure such a plat
form and nominee, the Herald says,
the "Colorado democrats and re-
publicans are coming home, and,
pooling their issues, are going to
proceed and elect Q President and
vice. President upon q solid silver
platform" etc. A too direct refer
ence to the grammatical construc-
ton of the phrase quoted above
would be unkind, as it must have
been written in great hurry; but
the lesson it would impart is to be
reprehended, nevertheless. 1t seeks
to make sport of men whom parti.
san subserviency to the money
power have compelled to forsake
their parties in order to protect and
save their homes and their proper
ty, and whose published statements
Of their grievances and their pur-
poses, if they do not acquit them OF
madness, at least prove that they
are wiser and more far-sighted even
in the midst of their calamity than
is their self-adjudged sane critic in
the full possession of his intellect
ual integrity. But why does the
Utah sage sheer at the Colorado
people, only? Does he NOT know
that the people Of Idaho. Nevada,
Montana and Oregon are afflicted
with the same madness and are
organizing themselves into clubs
whose members take upon them
selves the same. or equally binding,
obligations, and who will not vote
cannot vote-for gold bug with
out a complete and disgraceful sac
rifice of their veracity? Does he not
know that the democrats of Texas,
Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, Ar
kansas, North and South Carolina,
are in revolt? Does he not know
that these democrats, although they
cannot elect a president, can pun
ish the traitor leaders of their party
with defeat, and bring to the front
in the new organization that must
follow new and more reliable men,
who shall lead them to victory and
free coinage? If he does not know
these things it is time he were be-
ginning to learn. The rank and
file of the party have learned them
through a quarter Of a century of
successive defeats and treachery.
They have learned them through
three and half million mortgaged
homes, through a lifetime of hard
work requited by increasing pow
erty, unschooled children and the
growing power and insolence of
lords and the beneticiaries
of government jobbery and class
The truth is that the
masses have followed
the leadership of the hirelings of
plutocracy to the jumping off place,
but they do not propose to jump nor
be hurled over the precipice. They
have "ordinary intelligence" and
agree with the Herald that:
Any person of ordinary intelligence
knows as we'll to-day as he will know after
the conventions adjourn, that an open adj
rocate Of free coinage will not be nom-
mated either ut Minneapolis or Chicago.
But having ordinary intelligence,
they know also that a presidential
silver coinage advocate nominated
on straight-out free silver plat
form, far from being ''swept out of
existence, would be elected by the
votes Of the "Solid South" rein
forced by the votes Of Iowa, Colora-
10, Indiana, Nevada, New Jersey, q
part of Michigan, Nebraska, Mon
Jana, Idaho and Ohio, with more
han a fighting chance for Mime
sofa and Wiconsin. Led by the
Herald and its ilk the democratic
party will find itself, when the votes
ire counted next November, liter
lily "swept out of existence" 1t
will even lose one-third of the
Southern States.
EVERY sensible Idaho man will |