The Louisiana populist., 1894-10-26

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To the Voters OF Louisiana:
Believing in the correctness Of the
doctrine, Eternal vigilance is the price
of liberty" venture to offer words of
warning and advice. The present sad
condition of the industrial masses of the
country demands the exercise of lofty
patriotism, if you desire as you should,
the perpetuation of free government and
civil liberty.
The people on the one side and the
plutocrats on the other, are to-day en-
gagged in great struggle. The result
will in a great measure determine
whether the producers of wealth shall
enjoy share of what they create, or
whether their employers through vic
ious financial system shall continue TO
monopolize the fruits of the producers
toll The fight has already been in part
won by the plutocrats through the par
tial demonetization of silver-the issu-
ance ,of $50. 600, coo of additional inter-
est bearing bonds, and the refusal of the
National authorities to take any steps
towards supplying the country with a
circulating medium equal to that of
France or about $50 per capita in lieu of
s24, as it is claimed to-day.
The excuse against the free coinage of
silver, at the ratio of 16 to 1, that an in
ternatiOnal agreement with foreign ma
tions must first be obtained in order to
justify return to the status of 1878, is
snare and a delusion, for such agreement
can never be obtained and would not
be permitted by our present rulers if it
could. Our country is surely large
enough, populous enough and strong
enough to have silver policy of ifs
own, based upon the needs of our own
people, Independent Of the wishes and
views of European crown-heads and
capitalists. Whenever there may be
any clash between this American policy
and an European policy, surely the
American not the European policy,
should prevail in these United States.
All true Americans should look to Con-
gress alone for the governmental status
of silver in this country, and not to
Lombard street, London. Shall we after
118 years of independence consent to
become mere appendage of the British
crown?
The plea that silver has so deprecated
in value that the ratio of 16 to should
be at least changed to 20 to before free
coinage is restored is fallacious, because
based upon a falsehood. Silver has not
deprecated, but gold has enhanced; /;
not through natural causes however, but
because of pernicious legislation. In
this country the silver dollar has fully
held its own. A single convincing in
stance will suffice. The New Orleans
Democratic press is hostile to the free
coinage of silver, upon the ground of
the great depreciation of the metal, yet
in the face of this, the Picayune, the
Times-Democrat and the States, are to-
day giving more papers for one silver
dollar thanIt they gave few years ago
when silver stood in London on a pari-
ty with gold. To this they may reply
that their increased circulation has en-
abled them to put their papers within
reach OF the poor man. Well, we pro-
pose by increased circulation of silver,
to put the American dollar within reach
Of the poor man. In view of the situa-
tion l feel that l cannot too strongly
urge upon you to strenuously insist in
this campaign, and in those of 1896, up
on the unconditional and unchanged re-
turn OF silver to its status of 1878. To
do this with success continue your edu-
cation as to your rights as freemen. Re-
sist the false and perfidious advances of
Democratic and Republican politicians
and demagogues, because their vicious
economic systems are fast reducing our
toilers, laborers, and working men and
women, to a condition of serfdom,
Our position as Populists is peculiar
one. For years we have submitted to
outrageous frauds at the ballot boxes,
because of the bugbear of negro rule
Now that the time has more than arriv-
ed for stop to these frauds we find the
same frauds used against us, by many
whom we have aided in their political
elevation. Unfaithful servants, they now
refuse US an impartial execution of the
laws. An unquestioned majority of the
Democrats of Louisiana favor the free
coinage OF silver at a ratio of 16 to 1,
but are precluded by their leaders from
giving practical manifestation of their
preferences. With these citizens lose
no opportunity of showing that those
who control the National fortunes of
their party have rendered all hopes of
restoration of the status of 1878, through
the Democratic party, worse than futile