The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1892-06-11

Courier Jourhul.
This is n very painful story which
comes up nom the South that the
platform of the Peoples party, or
rather of the Labor Conference at
st. Louis, at which the Peoples
party was dominant, is circulated
in the South in mutilated condi-
ton, plank being omitted which
is supposed to be i'll adapted to gain
votes in that particular section.
The platform adopted at st. Louis
on the 24th of February, 1892, was
a magnificent specimen of lurid
rhetoric. This remark applies es-
pecially to the preamble, which
absolutely bristles with shapes of
horror and specters of abomina-
ton. The old parties are painted
in all the colors that can inspire
hatred and mistrust, and so held
up for public eXecration. awe
meet" said the preamble, "in the
midst of nation brought to the
verge of moral, political and ma
terial ruin" "Corruption dom
mates the ballot-boX." "The news
papers are subsidized or muzzled;
public opinion silenced." There
was good deal more Of the same
sort, and it was all the fault of the
two old parties; the one that had
been out of power, somewhat
illogically, being held equally re-
sponsible with the one in power.
1t was the mission Of the new
party to change all this, even as
the physician in Moliere changed
the place of the heart in the human
body. 1t called itself the "flrst
great labor conference of the
United States and of the world"
and it began its jeremiad by i'm
voking upon it's action the bless
ing and protection of Almighty
God" Here, we are given to un-
derstand, was to start on its trump
ant mission party as absolutely
pure as any well-known baking
powder. A new star had arisen to
illuminate our night, day dawn
from on high to dispel the gloom
which lay around in chunks. In
the glad sunshine of the worlds
new spring, this party was to walk
transparent Hike some holy thing
(This is poetry, of course, but the
Courier-Journal is not primarily
responsible for it, 1t was expect
ed to lOathe the practices of the
old parties, to repudiate their
methods, to wear none of their dis
guises. There was no guile in its
mouth; what it wanted it demand
ed in plain words, without con-
cealment, without evasion. Its
wants, to be sure, were few and
modest, being limited to few bill
lion dollars in hand and whatever
the country had left in reversion.
But among the things that it want
ed, wanted badly, wanted at once,
was "that the Government issue
legal tender notes to pay the Union
soldier the difference between the
price of the deprecated money in
which he was paid and gold" Con-
scious of the rectitude of its inten-
tions, upon which it had already |
invoked the divine blessing, it |
demanded this in the words we
have quoted.
Will it be believed that into the |
ranks of this pious party sons Of
Belial have already intruded, and |
that these are actually publishing
in Kentucky, and,probably through |
out the South, eXpurgated editions
of this great and eloquent platform
which contain no hint or sugges-
tion of the billion or two of dollars
that are wanted to supplement the
present modest pension list of a
hundred and fifty millions year?
There is too good reason to fear
that such is the case. Several
papers have been furnished with
expurgated editions and this could
hardly have happened by accident.
Thus perishes the fond hope that !
we were about to have party lin
the midst" of this ruined nation
that could be expected to tell the
whole truth and not try to mislead
the people. Thus vanishes another
golden vision: "'twas bright, twas
beautiful, but tits past"
-s---,g.-r-..-s----------ss-
Rock Dale.