People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1893-01-06
8YEAVER'S THOUGHTS
ne PREDICTS THE FINAL VICTORY
OF. THE PEOPLES PARTY.


the Important Issues-The Republican
Party Is Dead, and the Democratic Party
Cannot Do Anything.
General James B. Weaver expressed
himself as follows few days after the
recent election:
The POpulists succeeded in the late
election far beyond their expectations,
and have demonstrated their strength as
a political factor in American politics.
They have carried almost as many states
as the Republican party has carried, and
they have been defeated in half dozen
states by very thin margins, which
amounts to a practical victory. They
hold the balance of power in a large ma
jority of the states of the Union, and
will hold the balance of power in the
United States senate. This will enable
them to act as breakwater against vi
cious legislation, and will equip them to
force the great economic issues to the
front.
The Republican party is as dead as
the Wing party after the Scott campaign
Of 1852, and from this time forward will
rapidly diminish in strength in ,ry
state in the Union, and can never make
another national campaign. All their
great leaders have been killed off, in
Guiding Depew and Mckinley. 1t vas
our vote that defeated Harrison in Hi
nois, Indiana and Wisconsin and side
tracked Mckinley in Ohio.
The Populists will now commence
vigorous campaign and will push the
work of organization and education in
every county in the Union. Its organi-
cation is now national. 1t extends into
every county in the Union from sea to
sea and from the lakes to the gulf. A
conference of its leaders will doubtless
soon be held at some central point for
the purpose of thoroughly marshaling
the forces of the new party throughout
the country.
The Democratic party goes into power
as the result of violent reaction and
without any well defined policy, not even
upon the tariff. Mr.. Cleveland was re-
placed npower because the country was
disappointed with the administration of
Harrison, and the reaction which has
hurled the Republican party from power
is more violent than the first. 1t has
given the Democratic party control of
the executive branch of the government
and of the house of representatives, but
it has given the balance of power to
the Populists in the senate of the United
States. This, more than anything else,
marks the growth of the new move
ment.
If the Democratic party carries out its
pledges as to tariff reduction it will be
brought face to face with a treasury de-
felt, and, as the party is opposed to levy
ing an income tax to compensate for loss
from imports, its campaign pledges have
placed it between the devil and the deep
sea. When Great Britain started on
her career of tariff reduction she was
face to face with the same discomfort
among the people that exists in America
today, but the discontinued could not
vote.
They commenced to reduce the tariff
about the year 1880 and reached what
is called a free trade basis about 1915.
Labor experienced no practical benefit
whatever from tariff reductions III that
country. On the contrary, the condition
Of the laboring classes became still more
deplorable from year to year, until today
we hear Of immense professions of
the unemployed marching barsfooted
through the streets Of London. Tariff
reduction was not the cause of the dis
tress among the people, but the tariff
reduction there, as it will be here, was
accompanied by restricted currency,
and hence the poverty of the masses.
There is no relief for the people, either
DOR the wage earners, the day laborer or
the producer, except through an ade.
quate increase Of our currency, common
surate with our present population and
volume Of business, and this increase
must keep pace with the future increase
Of population and trade. The relation of
the volume Of currency to labor and
trade is governed by regular and well
understood laws. The relation of tar.
If taxes is collateral and merely Incl
Dental. Labor can be prosperous under
either high or low tariff il the country
IS supplied with an adequate volume of
money.
The circulation Of the national banks
Is rapidly disappearing, and the Demo-
cratic party in its national platform has
taken position in favor Of Q return to
state banks Of issue and the wildcat
and reddog currency Of bygone days.
This did not cut much Of a figure in the
late campaign, but 1t was placed in their
national platform after mature deliber
alton, and will be of tremendous conse-
Quence in future campaigns. The ques-
lion as to whether the currency Of the
country shall be issued by the govern
ment or by the banks, either national or
state, Is Of tremendous consequence-in
TACT, will overshadow all other issues in
the long run.
There is not single phase Of the
money question concerning which the
Democratic party is in accord with pub
1ic sentiment-neither free coinage, the
banking question, postal savings banks,
nor-any other feature of the great con-
troyersy. The party lives in the mast