The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1893-10-04
A CRUCIAL PERIOD.

The Peoples Party Must Now Settle Upoa
aDeflnite Financial Policy.
The peoples party has now arrived
at a crucial period in its history and
must quickly determine what is to be
it's future policy as regards matters of
finance. Is it to be a metallic or a
nometallic party? Will it fondly cling
to old traditions, or will it discard and
repudiate all such terms as intrinsic
value" ''speeie basis and 'smoney of
ultimate redemption? What will it
do with the silver question? Will it
stand upon the same platform as do
the twin frauds and depend for sup
port upon the peoples faith that it
alone will redeem its promises? Or
will it adopt such distinct policy of
its own, as to leave a plainly defined
line of demarcatioa between itself and
Shylock's twins?
These questions are up for settlement
and an unequivocal answer, and they
will not down at any mans behest.
They must be answered Alright and in
line with humanity's best interests
Nor will it suffice for would-be leaders
and political bosses to darkly mutter
of treason and traitors and vainly prate
of Doodle and cloven hoofs. Nor must
men with officials bees in their bonnets
endeavor to erect barrier of policy in
the way of the onward march of princi-
pie Votes are requisite and necessary,
but votes obtained at the cost of sacri-
flee of principle are putrid and smell
badly. Some men would rather be
president than to see humanity free
from bondage. Others, again, would
rather be right than be president.
From a recent article from the sharp
and incisive pen of Norman Rapalee
clip the following terse and pointed
extracts, as voicing the sentiments of
all true blue and thoroughbred popul-
lists
What's the matter with Uncle Sam saying to
both the gOldites and silverites: II propose to
issue my own money. based upon the entire
wealth OF the nation-bottomed upon my tax
ing power 'redeemable in being legal tender
by law in the payment of all debts, public and
private; and I shall issue Tor makey that
money Of the cheapest and most convenient
material (paper); and il you two little infants
who want protection for your industries at the
expense OF all other industries, don't like it.
anu SCOp your racket III spank YOU both and
put both OF you in the same bedl"
For the life of us we cannot see the Justice in
giving fictitious value to either one or both
metals as free coinage Of either certainly does
and yet, while the people hang to the absurd
system Of metallic money, it is better that we
have both gold and silver than gold alone and
and it is no more than justice to silver that it
have equal rights with gold
Yet again, II 4121 grains of silver shall be
declared n "a hon 40,
clare that Is quarts of wheat or 81 quarts of
corn shall be declared worth dollar and
legal tender in payment of one dollar of debt
True, corn and wheat are commodities but
1t is just as true that gold and silver are too
But the metals are given a fat value not given
to wheat or corn
We shall never consider the currency oues-
ton settled until we have neither gold or silver
money, and till the government issues all
money OF paper, or other inexpensive and con-
ven1ent material-till the very idea of com.
modify money shall be considered relic of
barbarism
AS for u.s. we don't care snap whether the
god-bugs or the silver bugs win in the present
light in congress-. Our reasons for this are that
if the silver bugs win then both the silver and
the gold bugs must be overcome before we can
have perfect syst tenn of finance in this coun-
try If the silver-bugs are knocked out of the
ring, for the time being the mill of the contrac-
tionists will grind exceedingly fine and we will
see an era of the hardest times ever dreamed
of IN this country-but out of it all much good
will finally result. In other words the people
Of this country will never appreciate Heaven
till they have some experience in purgatOry.
They have been lowering on the brink of hades,
and getting nearer and nearer-a and still they
haven't ha sense enough to draw back. Over
with them Give them taste of it. That'll
cause chem to don their thinking caps. Then
no iii fhn how'll
will insist on Uncle Sam issuing all money, and
wonder how it could have been possible that
they ever allowed private individuals to con-
troll the kind and quantity of the peoples cir
culating medium. No more CinanciaD hades
for them!
The problem up for solution is this:
How shall we continue to advocate the
coinage of metallic money and so in
corporate metallism into our policy as
to hold in line the silver men (proper)
and at the same time so divest metal
lism of its pernicious limitations and
harmonic with the principles of simon
pure populism.
What do the silver men (proper)
want? They simply want the assur-
ance that every ounce of silver mined
by them shall have the legal privilege
Of being coined into s1.29 in silver
money. That is the ultimate of their
aspirations
What does the true populist want?
First-That the prerogative of the
issuance of money and the control of
it's volume in circulation shall be re-
stored to the peoples government, to
whom it rightfully belongs. Metal
lism does not fill this requirement., as,
under coinage laws, metallic money is
absolutely controlled by the owners of
the bullion from which it is coined and
is virtually issued and put into circula-
ton by them.
Second-More money; the limit being
fixed at $50 per capita. Men now
young will become hoary with old age
before metalllsm furnishes volume of
money equal to $50 per capita. Let us
examine briefly, and while so doing,
concede the widest claims that the
most fantastic metallic fancy can
evolve. No one has ever thought of
claiming that we were in any danger
OF being flooded" with gold because
Of re