St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1892-08-06
CORRESPONDENCE.
OPELoUsAs, LA, Aug. LIST, 1892.

| the Farmers Alliance Will support no one lni
| Congress who does not, aud that they VII
accept no compromise on the subject. In his
! card lie is pleased to remark that friends OF
! mine in the western part OF the PARISH, speak
| of me as having been supporter OF the
| Oranges before the organization OF the
| Farmers Alliance, &c.
am Lappy to say these friends have pro
perly aud correctly represented me. | have
| been an advocate on the hustings III social
| life, and through the Press, of the neglected
| rights of the labOriug classes Tor thrty-nlne
wears. The Oranges and Alliance have never
! called in vain OH me, for services Ill then
| behalf MY views of their wrongs, remain
| undimmed by the lapse Of time, and the tests
| of observation. | believe nor, as long
have, that our Legislatures have not given
| that attention to the interests oil aborerS and
! producers, which should have been bestowed
upon them. This negligence has been large
| ly attributed to these classes themselves.
They elect the law makers aud It's executors
! and aid in the administration OF the laws. l
| am glad to see that they are awaking to d
practical view of their own Importance AS
| political factors. Party names have hereto
fore blinded them. They saw and would
hear nothing, but party and the call OF lts
| leaders. All classes are supported by the
products of the soil, directly or indirectly
| and vet the producers have spent their lives
building up un-prUducers, only to have 1t
said they were strong and ardent party men,
l la We always regarded parties as means OF
| servin. the State, and not as objects per sc
worthy Of peoples devotion.
This view has heretofore, caused me to be
thought unsound rs party man. With NE
the state is the prime aud paramount source
of all patriotic inspiration. Whenever it
becomes apparent that parties are used to
serve individual purposes and to crafty per
sonal ambition, tbiuk they are failures
and should be abandoned by, every patriot.
xl,,fr tt,,,,I
have to stand squarely and boldly upon the
st. Louis and Ocala platform" I'VE re.
qure he says, an uncolnproml-ing. support of
the Sub-Treasury bill, until something better
is put forth through or organization"
Gentlemen how do you stand. Silence
means opposition"
If | had been asked how | stand on the
"DECLARATION of PURPOSES set forth i'll the
Constitution aud Bylaws Of the Farmers
Union l could and would have answered,
nth the Farmers Union, but Mr. Truman
apparently ignoring these, asks how stand
on entirely different questions. All have SO
long advocated, 1 am still devoted to, but the
sine qua non proposed by him conpes me to
halt. Let me briefly touch upon the Ocala
demands seriatim:
lst. 1t demands that the National Banks
should be abolished. | think so too Tor
several reasons, which / cannot here cnumer-
ate. prefer the State banks as they ex-
listed ante belluu.
think the currency Of the country might
safely DO increased TO so per capita. We
now have few cents less than 50.
2nd. All tho gambling features i'll the
dealing in futures should he prohibited,
whether they be- in agricultural and me-
cbanical products or not
3rd Under the existing legal tender laws,
and in the absence OF any International
agreement, the unlimited coinage of silver,
would not to any great extent, increase the
amount of money in circulation, because,
with gold alone as a standard, all the silver
on earth would he worth only the gold there
might>be with which to purchase it. We
might have vastly more coin, but its pur-
chasing power would necessarily he limited to
its value in gold. Silver is a commodity and
rises aud falls in the markets of the world
just as other commodities do. 1t il not a
standard Of values and cannot bo made 50,
except by the common consent oil the pin
cipal Nations.
Its unlimited coinage by this government
Of the silver mines, as long as there existed
gold to purchase it, Foreign nations would
be glad TO sell us all they have, for our gold,
but after all the result would be IL vast gan
tity of silver, too vast to estimate 10 wei ht,
but no more money for the people. Iu other
words all of it, whatever its gantity, would
have the purchasing power only of the gold
which it would sell for. silver dollar is
worth dollar in gold ouly when the holder
can get a gold dollar for it,. Therefore, il
there he more silver coiued than there is gold
to back it, it must siuk in value to the gold
standard. Ii by the convention Of the prin-
ciple nations, silver be made a standard of
values then it's unlimited coinage might he
desirable.
18th. Laws to prohibit the alien owuor-
ship Of our lands should be enacted. The
restoration Of the lands which have been
granted to railroads is desirable, but | see
no way to accomplish it except by purchase,
No more should be granted. If our National
Legislation does i'll any way serve to build
up one Industry at the expense of an other
it should he speedily changed All heavy
tariffs on the necessities of the people should
be abrOgated. A graduated system of ill.,
come is desirable; the difficulty ia to devise
one.
9Th. The people should have the use of
all the money In existence, but should get it
by giving adequate labor for it. 1t is er-
roneons to suppose the government makes
the money, as the people alone furnish the
Government with it. 1t coins what they
furnish as the price of their labor.
9th. All governments shOnld he conducted
as economically, as may be, consistently
with dignity, decency and efficiency.
9TH. 1t may be wise to change our system
Of electing United States senators, but as
the laws are, seriously doubt it. l think
we have too many elections already. They |
cause the people to be less careful and eclec- |
Tic, and tile consequence is the successful
ambition of unqualified aspirants, and
brood of evils resulting from dead letter
avs. l believe the people should elect all
heir officers, Except judgesl but their
qualifications should be defined by appro.
Driate laws faithfully enforced.
treasury proposition. but much that is
otherwise. 1t, in effect would make the
Government mere factor, or broker, SO
gigantic as to be entirely monopolizing en-.
Icted in the interest of those engaged in
agriculture, and of owners of land, it ex-
udes all others from any participation in
is imaginary benefits, and thereby subverts
he other practicable purpose of the Alliance
# equal rights to all and special fauors to
lOne."
The carpenter, blacksmith, wheelwri.ht,
millner, merchant, hotel keeper
he day laborer and a thousand other useful
eedy men and women are left out Of this
hOuld he il it were feasible. The Govern
uent should legislate for all classes and if it
proposes to lend money on pledges, people
f every useful pursuit, should be enabled to
aise money by pawning their wares. 1t
would require an article Of great length to
he Sub-treasury proposition. 1t suffices to
ay that, III my opinion it is entirely imprac-
icable and if ATTEMPTED to he put in opera
ion, would bankrupt the United States in
sss than ten years, i'll which event the
farmers would prove the greatest sufferers.
Yet it is evident they have grievances
Which tho Government should remove if DOS
lille. For many years the persistent effort
1 capitalists has been to lberate themselves
rom the effects Of restraining laws
Money is the creation of the laboriug men
nd should be held by appropriate legisIa-
ou to answer all necessary purposes, on as
economic scale az possible. l would suggest
, tue people at large, and to tho Farmers .
lliance i'll particular that it it be feasible ,
, limit the Government to per ceut utter :
Il, it is not less SO to limit ind NidlIals and =