The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1893-09-19
LETTER FROM COOKE.
AN ADDRESS FROM HIM TO THE
PEOPLE OF VIRGINIA,
Defines the Objects of Government, Dis
cusses the Financial Question and
Appeals for Home Protection.
Richmond Times.

(Rlcnmond IlmeS)
Capt. Edmund r. Cooke, of Cumber-
land county, the Populist's nominee
! for Governor, was in the city this
week and left for publication, IN the
Peoples party organ, the following ad-
| dress to the voters of Virginia:
To the People Of Virginia:
Having been placed before you as a
candidate for the high and honorable
position Of Governor of Virginia, ask
! you to consider what l shall now say
to you. Let us lay aside partisan feel
! ing and look at the questions that con
! front us in q calm and dispassionate
way, meeting each other upon that
common ground, where every Virgin
ian can and should meet every other
| Virginian, in fair and honest consid-
Grafton of the great question: What
| is best for the common good of all2
Government was not formed for a
| party, but for the protection, benefit
and advancement of all of it's citizens.
An injury to one will, sooner or later,
be felt by all, for we are all members
of that great body, the Commonwealth
Of Virginia.
! Without hesitation or doubt l say
that the cause of our present distress,
which has been of long and steady
| growth, has at last eliminated in the
effort to utterly destroy silver asmoney
Of redemption. We have two classes
in this country to day; one advocates
gold as the only money, the O5her ad-
vocates both gold and silver, supple
mented by currency based upon the
untold wealth of a great nation and
mighty country, a country whose
credit cannot be injured, even by those
whose highest duty it is to preserve it,
| n at 0f lot n dot
will not do to decry or disparage, for
it gave unb3unded prosperity n the
midst Of war
| With one or the other of these two
classes we are now aligniug ourselves.
The men who tell you that there is
plenty of money are almost without
exception, advocates Of gold money,
and gold money only. The great body
of the people not only see and feel the
need of, buG demand larger volume
of money to give them a living price
for the fruits of their labor.
The demonetizati0n Of silver iutensi-
fed the situation and proved the
growth of the money power, showing
their ability to increase the value OF
| thoir money by maxim < nUus.r Sc rec.
This has gone on until day, throw
ing off all disguise, the money power
demands gold, and gold alone, as
money.
Submission to this demand means
for us and for our children slavery
more CALLING than was ever dreamed of
under Chattel slavery. Nor do | be-
| lieve for a moment that the people of
Virginia will acquiesce in this demand.
Is there any reason why Virginia,
blessed as she is in so many ways above
and beyond many other States in this
great country should not go forward,
should not take higher position on
the roll of the sisterhood of States2 She
can never do it so long as she has to
pay tribute, unlawfully and unjustly
levied upon her by the powers now
working so secretly, 50 silently and so
stealthi1y.
This great overshadowing money
question must be settled, and settled
ur der constitutional limitations, be-
fore we can move forward Virginia
can never move forward so long as
hundreds of thousands of her native
born citizens are recorded as residents
of other States in the census returns of
the country. You cam 1T have immi-
| grafton until you stop emigration.
Then we must be able to guarantee
every man who comes within our bor-
ders, whether he comes with money to
buy and build up our waste places, or
whether he comes with only the labor
of his hands to eat bread in the sweat
of his brow, that he shall have every
right given to him under the Constitu-
tiOn Of Virginia and the Constitution
of the United States sacredly respected.
And this right must be guaranteed to
every citizen of this State to day, with
out regard to it's effect upon political
parties, for only by being honest can
| you prove that you are honest. We
must have no fraud stains, no dark.
spots shading our map of Virginia, for
it is known and read Of all men that
those spots are there, and unless pub
| lie sentiment is aroused and stands
| jealously on guard for the honor and
integrity of our State, those spots will
| grow and grow, until civilization itself
goes down into the blackness Of dark
ness.
For myself I ask nothing, but ear
nestly, ardently pray for prosperity
peace within thy borders, dear old Vir.
ginia, for they shall prosper that love
! thee, and when the time comes to me
to lay aside the responsibilities and
cares of life, l ask no higher reward
than to have it said Of me that was In
some degree the means of calling my
State and her people back to the Old
landmarks to her fundamental prin-
cinIes 0f Justice, of right and Of truth,
ag laid down in that great Magma
Cbarta of our liberties, the Virginia
The aims of our people are high, our
n7rnose noble. We mean to preserve
a,1r homes and our home life in it's
purity, for this is the life blood Of our
"Our battle hymn is Home sweet
home.'"
Respectfully, your fellow citizen,
EDMUND r. Cooke.