The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-03-24
FREE COINAGE AND rHE People

| To the Editor OF the Eagle.
In your leading editorial of the 23rd
| inst. you criticise an excerpt from the
| the Atlanta Constitution which declares
that Democrats who talk about post
poning the issue of free coinage have no
knowledge of the temper of the Demo
! cratic farmers of the south"
The leading Democratic paper of the
south" which you truly say the Consti-
| tuition is, is simply warning its party
leaders that they do not comprehend the
| situation among the people and that
Democracy in order to hold them must
respond to their demands, otherwise
they viii be forced into the Peoples
party.
And yet it seems to me l remember
having seen insinuations that the ALI
ance is southern Democratic sideshow
to demoralize Republican states, or
something to that effect.
Southern Democratic dictation" in
| deed. You might as well talk about the
demands of western farmers. which are
identical with those Of the south, being
| western Republican dictation. Not
much.
The farmers OF the northwest, the west
and the south are ali in the same boat.
They have been for years pleading with
their leaders for a read justment of bur
thens, but found those leaders always
controlled in their action by power, an
influence lying in ambush. concealed
from view, but which comprised its pur-
poses in the end.
The farmers-and let it be said right
here that included in that class are some
as able as any in the nation-the farmers
and all the industrial forces have been
comparing notes, aud they have made
discovery.
1t is not that finance is an important
question, for that they knew before, but
that while it affects the interests of all
the people-who it is not to be forgotten
are the government, in the last analysis
it is controlled altogether in its own
interest, as you say, but not as you
mean, ''by single class in a circum-
scribed section and that is Wall street,
reinforced by the foreign money power,
which is the real antagonist.
Finance indeed! with system inn
posed upon the people for the nineteen
years last past, which in IFS inception
and continuance was and is wholesale
spoliation, and that with deliberate in
tent. \ full comprehension of the issue
demonstrates this beyond question.
Gold is the standard of money-made
so by the intrigue Of foreign money
power-and since 1878, when silver was
demonetized. it has risen in purchasing
power, as compared with wheat, corn,
oats, cotton and silver full 40 per cent
and bonds, mortgages, all evidences of
debt in short, in the same proportion.
ANY one who does not see the force of
this had better stop and study thoroughly
the first principles of finance lest he say
something not altogether to his own
credit as compromising the subject of
his criticisms
1t is well enough to understand that
upon economic questions and facts of
finance there is great deal more knowl-
edge scattered round among the people
than was ever the case before, and any
one who thinks to set these matters aside
with the ordinary campaign sneer is liza
BILE to be picked up and have the laugh
turned upon himself.
Party leaders who Law the flattering
uuCliOH 10 tilttT 50 rs THAT dll tue
ing of industrial forces going on Is for
naught, but to keep on swallowing the
TRADE of campaign eloquence, vote the
ticket, and draw nearer and nearer TO
the condition of the Russian mowJiks-
whoever dreams this is liable 10 wake
up some fine morning and find that that
most august grand jury, the American
people, has been in session and over the
vacant seats of both Democracy and Re-
publicanism has been hung the Legend
weighed in the balance and found
wanting" To such people, if Democrats,
the advice of the Atlanta Constitution
would seem wise-and if Republicans,
some of the speeches of Ingalls,, Plumb,
Stewart and Jones very interesting read
ing, after the fact and the flood.
S. F. JOCELYN.
Wichita, Kan, March 90, 1895.