The farmers' union. (Memphis, Mo.) 1891-1895, 1893-04-27
GOING INTO DECLINE.
THE FUTURE OF THE REPUELi-
CAN PARTY.
icpubI'cnn Management: Of T'nDlic Affairs
Has Been " holly Unsatisfactory to the
Great Mass of the Peoplc-Fiyhtinsa
Losing Game Since '7".
It's Death Kn"ll Sounded.

The Hon. John Sherman. of Ohio,
Is reported to have recently stated, in
private conversation in Washington,
that he regarded the la.e election as
the death-kncll of the Republican
party. Whether The dispatches quote
him accurately or rot as to what he
said, it is altogether probable that the
quotation gives correct statement of
MIR. John Shcrman's private opinions
on the subject.
According to the Farmers Tribune
the fact which form the basis for such
deduction are plain and substantial
and appear to b. full ard complete,
and MIR. Sherman is too close Il student
OF events not to fully understand and
appreciate the significance of what he
and all other observers see. The Re-
publican party has been fighting los
ing game since 1872 Its manage
ment of public affairs has been wholly
unsatisfactory to the great mass of
people since even an earlier date.
After the war had closel and peace
once more firmly established, the peo-
pie began to resume that habit of
watchfulness over their public servants
to which they had previously been ac-
customel. and which had been tenn
porarily abatcd during the exciting
times Of the civil war and the few years
Immediately succeeding its close.
They began to examine what had been
done while their attention had been
absorbed by matters of more pressing
Importance, and they were much dis
satisfied Will! the examina ion. They
found that the financial affairs of the
country had not been we'll taken care
of: instead OF u full and complete and
adequate currency. they found an
cmasculatel circulation which was
being rapidly retired to make room for
interest bearing bonds, held by specu
lators who had never advanced q dollar
of gold to assist in carrying on the war
but who were busy gathering in the
bends, after the war was over, as a
basis fer n stupcn!ous banking scheme,
more dang. .rous because vastly more
powerful when one organized, than
had been tie old United States Bank
which it has taken q Jackson to COM
bat successfully; a vast domain OF the
peoples land had been donated to
other corporations ostensibly for max
improvements. which it was found
however, belonged, when complete l.
exclusively to the corr orations to
whom the grants had been made.
Other franchises more or less valuable
had been granted to an innumerable
host of others and as n result of it all
monopoly was beginning to present an
arrogant front II, on all occasions where
lis demands for additional favors We're
not quickly complied with. Notwith-
standing the dissatisfaction in the pub
lie mind created by those conditions,
there was feeling that the party
which created them Lad done SO under
the pressure of circumstances. which
ought to relieve 'her: frorl large por-
ton of the responsibility which would
ordinarily attach to poll ical party
entrusted with the control Of the gov
ment, and il was believed by large
number of people that, if given time
to 10 so. the Republican party woald
correct whatever mistakes had been
made and there was consequently a
strong disposition to give it the opror-
tunity to do SO by continuing it in
power 1t not only failed to make the
corrections needed and promised, but
abused the continued trust reposed in
it by adding still others scarcely in
ferior in evil, Gaping the climax Of its
later digressions by coyertly t!emone-
tizing silver in 1873, an act fer Which
the only excuse ever offered by the
Tartv leaders was Ignorance.
Bat the feeling of discontent with its
acts among the people continued to
increase and to manifest itself more
and more plainly at each returning
presidential and congressional election
with only one intermittent and partial
lapses since 1872, as shown by the fol
lowing tables: