The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1894-04-25

IT is TOO LATE TO REMEDY
The Cruel Wickedness of the Past,
But Not Too Late to Save the
Remnant of the People.
HANSKA, April Is, '94
Mr.. EDITOR:
In your comments upon the resO-
lutiOnS passed at the conference of
the friends of free silver, held at Des
MOlneS, Iowa, on the 22nd and 2lst of
last month, you very pointedly ask
this question: 'Shall the debtors
pay twice as much to their creditors
as they contracted to pay?'
This question has been uppermost
in my mind for the last Is or 20
years. Ever since Congress COM
menced their credit-strengthening
policy has it been my misfortune to
be more or less in debt; and conse-
quently have had ample opportunity
to notice the effects of this robber
policy [ have done, within my
limited sphere, what I could to open
the eyes Of my fellow-debto to the
grievous wrongs perpetrated upon us,
but only to find my efforts frustrated
by some hireling politician, crying re-
pudiation, dishonesty and other like
appellatives.
At last it seems that the enormity
Of the crime has aroused the people,
but only to find that they have slept
too long. 1t is too late.
1t is difficult to conceive of any,
thing more absurd than to attempt,
at this time, to procure redress for
the debtor-class of 20 years ago. If
the proposition had been taken no.
tice of Is years ago and acted upon
what mountain of misery could
have been prevented. But now!
Even the mention of it throws the
whole nation into financial panic
and aggravates the evil. What good
will it do the debtor of 20 years ago
to remonetiZe silver or enlarge the
volume of currency? Said debtor has
by this time succumbed to the cruel
treatment and is now beyond the
reach of human greed; he is in the
poorhouse and his family scattered
to the four points of heaven; or if he
has, by superhuman efforts, been
able to keep the old homestead, it is
encountered with the remnants of
the old debt, and the evidence Of
said encumbrance now read, "pay-
able in gold or it's equivalent" Be-
ing in this condition. how will re-
versal of this robber policy help him?
Suppose we could elect president
and Congress willing to do all in
their power to rectify this great in
justice, let them 60 to work and es-
tablish free coinage of silver; they
may also issue the 100000, 900 or more
of greenbacks; they may even go to
the extremity of justice and issue as
many greenbacks as there were in
circulation when we contracted our
debts; but what would all this help
us when our present debts previous
ly had been made payable in gold or
it's equivalent? 1t is too late. They
could not give us back the Opportun-
tiles lost in 20 years. Could the
United States or any other power
on earth give back to our families
the comforts they have missed? Can
any earthly power reimburse US for
the suffering and agony Of mind
which an honest debtor feels when
his creditors seize upon his property
and deprive him of that upon which
those dear to him depend for their
education, comfort and general we'll
being? Are these United States able
to give our children the education
which was, lost to them, because they
had to help father and mother pay
their debts-debts which the paren-
tai (?) government were increasing
as fast and faster than all our COM
bined efforts were able to pay them
off-children consequently growing
up in ignorance and misery? Will
they help redeem the old homes stead?
Can they bring back to life the child
that died from want created by
these conditions? Will they bring
back to the widowed wife or husband
the mate that so faithfully died in
the harness?
No! No! None of it. 1t is too
late!
Anything that can be done now
will only give still keener pang to
the throbbing heart, because the in