The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1892-09-17


equal the disasters consequent upon over
imitation. Carried to extremes, the dis
content, the uprisings, and demands of
the people soon call for the strong hand
Of the despct to quell insnrrection, and
Republicsis thing Of the past.
/. A people Wise enough to check these OPP
posing tendencies before they culminate
in national disaster constitutes people
capable Of self government. Such peo-
pie may establish and perpetuate Re-
public. The struggle between labor and
capital, the governmental protection Of
and, of more significance than both Of
these, the arrogance of gold towards sill
yer, indicates that the people of the
Union are on the eve Of being called up
on again to determine whether they are
capable of self government or not.
Says Webster: The freest government
cannot long endure where the tendency
of the law IS to create rapid accumula-
ton Of property in the hands of the few
and to render the masses poor aud de-
pendant. In his message to Congress in
81 Lincoln thus places himself on record :
II could scarcely be justified were to
omit raising warning voice against the
approach Of returning despotism. There
is one point to which ask brief atten-
ton. 1t is the effort to place capital on
an equal footing with, if not above labor
in the structure of government" Lin
coin again: 1sAs q result of the war,
corporations have been enthroned and An
era Of corruption in high places will fol-
low, and the money power of the country
mill onAoovOp IN rrnlnno roinn Inv
working upon the prejudices of the peo-
pie until all wealth is aggregated in few
hands and the Republic is destroyed"
Jefferson, Logan, Ihad Stevens and many
other men Of the same type have voiced
the same sentiment. These men were
not so called political cranks, mere Office
seekers. calamity howlers, but statesmen
who perceived the fatal antagonism be-
tween the aggregation of wealth and Re-
publican institutions, who realized the
danger and treason of affectinga Repub-
lican form of government while coun-
tenancing q principal that must sooner
or later prove it's destruction. II their
Interpretation of Republican principles
are of any worth, that legislation which
strikes at aggregated wealth by depreci-
ating the currency, by graduated in
come tax, or even in extreme cases 10y ap
propriating it to the use of the State, is
OF the very spirit of Republicanism, and
any citizen whom these measures affect
disastrously has no more cause of com
plant than he who pays the most trifliDg
tax. Both measures are imperative to
the maintenance of a Republica form of
rpfNey - hr.kvN tn in on
cepting citizenship in such government.
Nor should any man be deferred from
joining with the peoples party, by its
liability to abuse OF power. Abuses must
arise from the triumph of the peoples
cause as surely as mists are formed by
the rays Of the glorious sun, Unusually
dull must be the intellect OF even the
pettiest politician who cannot point out
defects in the popnlists' policy. but duller
still must be his intellect who would be
influenced adversely by such disclosure
and object to the party on that ground
Win the same consistency he would OBJ
ject to the rising Of the sun because for
sOoth it will generate mists and clouds
and rains. The great end to be gained,
and not the defects common TO any great
party movement, must influence our
votes in this political crisis. 1t Is not the
free coinage Of silver, vital as that is to
our prosperity; il is not the sub treasury
scheme with its promise Of much needed
aid to tile farmer; nor yet is it the over
throw of corporations and trnsts, with
the manifold blessings which would flow
therefrom, it is none of these that appeals
to the patriotism of the people in the
impending struggle for political power,
but the Republic itself. The popular
form Of government is at stake. The
next few years must decide between Mon
archy and Democracy, and as have faith
in the equality of the two forces that are
directing our national growth, l have
faith in the ultimate triumph of Democ-
racy-falth that the people will improve
their opportunity and show that we are
in reality what we are in name the great
est nation and the greatest Republic of
ancient or modern times.
The peoples party man asks can
did old-party men if there be not
truth in these views enough to call
them into The new party?
New AND OLD.