The representative., 1894-08-22
A FLAT FAILURE.
The First Republican Gun Fired n,
Inf

The First Republican Gun Fired at
Duluth.
To the Editor:
Although but an embryo Populist, I am
impressed that it may be of interest and
value to your readers to hear from the
Sixth district, and know that the grand old
party opened it's campaign Thursday night
at the United States Hall in this city
by firing it's first gun. There were less
than 200 present "a goodly number of
whom were Populists) the honors seeming
to be divided with cheap-jack travelling
fakir. who was vending his wares across
the street. pail of gloom seemed to
overhang the occasion, and even the con-
ceded eloquence of our silver-tongued can
didate for congress, supported by Judge
Morris, seemed Intellectual in dissipating the
lethargy. The contrast with the several
large and enthusiastic meetings of the
Popullsts during the past few weeks ap
peared to have enervating effect upon
them
Mr.. Towne began by extoling his party
in the regulation fulsome STYLE and berated
Democracy for its shortcomings, impotency
and failure to do anything for common
veal, which, it is to be regretted, is quite
our own contention that there is ap-
preciable difference between the old par
ties since the reconstruction period. He
advanced the novel proposition that there
were two kinds of bmetallism, and Popu-
lists will be pleased to learn that the Re-
ublican state platform stands for the kind
of bmetallism gauged by gold standard
After touching up the Populist party
the vagaries and impra of it's plat
form, he conceded that it had some good
features that possibly could be utilized in
the dim vistas of the future. To attempt
government ownership of railroads he
deemed little less than lunacy, and in the
same breath said the recent large exports
of gold was occasioned by foreign bond
holders loss of faith in the reports and
managemnt of American railways most
potent argument, it would seem in sup
port thereof.
He made the further remarkable claim
that the last year of Republican reign
1892 was the most prosperous in our coun-
try's history, or of any nation on the
globe. The mercantile statistics of the
country show that from 1888 to 1892 there
were an aggregate of $1,000 business fail
ures registered. The number rose to very
nearly 11,000 during the fiscal year 1S9O-91
The next year, 1892 there an in
crease to 1928 failures. And the fiscal
year 1928, my friend Towne's alleged ban
ner year of prosperity, there were over
800 failures in the United States, repre-
senting the enormous liability of over
$4,000 1000. AS the present session of con-
gress draws to a close and passes into his
tory, every citizen who is not blinded by
partisan bias will recognize the apathy,
poverty, degradation and misery that now
prevails over our beautiful land as the
joint legacy of the Republican and Demo-
cratic parties. If Diogenes required only
a lantern in his search for an honest man
before Christs coming, it is indeed a sad
commentary modern civilization and
this age of the Christian era, for it would
require nothing less than marine search
light to find one, composing the present and
preceding national legislature, of the
most venal, corrupt, licentious, imbecile
and calloused bodies that ever sat in coun-
ell over the destinies of a people.
We have had a surfeit and let the tocsin
be sounded in every village and hamlet in
the state of Minnesota, rallying to our
support every true and patriotic citizen
and if we one and all do our duty and
make an aggressive campaign, individually
and collectively. until election day, we will
be able with the next morning sunrise to
sing:
Nelson's grave is made,
His kingdom pass'd away;
He in the balance weighed,
Is light and worthless clay.
The shroud his robe of state,
His canopy the stone;
The Populists are at the gate,
And owens on his throne.
f. d. CULVER.