Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1892-09-04
WASTED VOTES.

On the 18th and 18th Of August
the Peoples Party held oonven-
ton in Boise City. They adopted
a platform which was in the main
Democratic. 1t opposed high pro-
lection, monopolies and, If possible,
was more pronounced in its declar-
ations in favor of the free coinage OF
silver than were the Democrats in
their State Convention.
Wednesday last the Prohibition
lists held convention in the same
city. They declared that all trusts
and combinations for the purpose
of controlling the price Of articles of
necessity or popular consumption
are unjust and oppressive and
should be prohibited by law" They
also declare for 1.-THE abolition of
all monopoly legislation" and have
adopted several other planks that
are good Democratic doctrine. The
radical difference is only in the inn
practicable idea of prohibition,
which looks to an amendment OF
the constitution of the United States
that shall prohibit the manufacture,
sale and importation of Intoxicating
/ LIQUORS. This would not only in
volvc a submission of the amend
ment by Congress but its ratifica-
ton BY three-fourths of the States
1t must be apparent To all save
the extraordinarily hopeful that nj
such action can take place in thi'
century, and as far as reason car
pierce the uncertainties of the flu
ture, in the next.
All save two parties in this coun
try are short-lived. Such has beer
the experience of the past and likel,
to be Of the future. One of thos'
parties is founded on the principle
of no monopolies and opposed t
special privileges in any form; tn
other of host of parasites livinl
upon the hard earnings of the son
of toll and accommodating wealth b!
means of which they corrupt an'
influence large portion of the pee
Pile to yield their political support
These monoplists own or subsidis
a large portion Of the press OF tn
country, and impecunious orators
their Observation-Disclosures the PEG
pie. This contest between labo
and monopoly has grown to grea
proportions since the civil war
There is something practical in II
4 A victory at the polls is pregnan
with results in favor of capital o
labor. Those results are immedl
ate and all are interested. If Ben
iamin Harrison should be reelected
to the position of President it woul'
he great victory tor the monpo
lists. and yet the country would Sc
in the opposing elements--the Dem
ocratic, Peoples and Prohibition
parties-probably more than a mil
lion votes in opposition to its thee
ries. For this reason all those ele
ments comprising the Peoples ant
temperance parties should unit
with Democrats in their efforts I
put down a system of legalized rot
berry embodied in the McKinle
tariff, that is fast establishing
system of white slavery in the plac
Of that it cost civil war to abolish
; The members Of both the outsid
: parties named will simply thro'
away their votes, which might b
useful in saving the country iron
the grip of the plutocrats. Their
never was more critical period il
: the history of the country. Tn
; impending contest decides whethe
; capital and monopolies shall hav
four years longer in which to tighte
J their grip upon the Threats of tn
people or whether the people shaI
agai,. control the affairs of tn
country. And yet in the face {
these faets-for facts they are
more than a million votes are to b
thrown away 40 was Nho SoSo
1860, when Lincoln was elected
the presidency.
Not many persons are appreheI
sive of the reelection of Harrison
but at the same time men who agre
! in the main on cardinal principle
should form one combination an
, not fritter away their franchis
where it will be of no avail in I'll
decision of current events. In tn
!, present emergency votes arc mol
! valuable than gold, for the veal {
woe Of the nation and especial
that greatest of classes-those VII
earn their livelihood by daily toll.
L