The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1894-09-19
WHAT'S A PLATFORM?
hoy Wake. Up andHewSant. to Know
About ThoYe Things.

What platform, pa? il -
| Why, the Democratea platform of course.
Are you Democrat, pa?
| Yes, sir. VI 81
| What kind of a Democrat are you?
| Why-a-why, just "a Democrat; you run
| off now, I'm busy
| What is a platform, pa?
Why, it's a-a-declaration of principles
What do you mean by that?
Why-ah-it means, or tells, rather
| What we are in favor of doing
| Doing, when pa?
| When we get to congress.
| Are you going to congress, pa?
| No, no. l mean when our representa-
| tives get there.
| What does the platform say, pa?
| Oh, it re-aftirms the platform of 1892.
| What was the platform of 1892, pa?
| Come, run off and play now, I'm busy
But L want to know what you re-affrm.
| Well, let me see; well, we demand the
1 free coinage of silver, the abolition of a
high protective tariff, the repeal of the 10
| per cent tax state banks, rigid economy
| in public expenditures.
Aren't the Democrats in power now, pa?
| Yes.
And your platform is going to be the
| same again this year it was two years
| ago?
| Yes.
| If you demanded and affirmed that all
| those things should be done, why, when
| you got IN, u1Q you not 90 tnem!
| OH well, you see, it was this way. We
| couldn't do it for
Is it a fact, pa, sure enough, that you
| didn't do any of these things you promise
| to do?
Well-a-no, not many. There, run off
Did they vote to repeal the 10 per cent
| tax on state banks?
| No.
Did they vote on it at all?
| Yes.
And voted it down after promising the
| people to repeal it?
Yes.
How did the vote stand, pa?
One hundred and two in the house voted
| to repeal the tax and 172 voted against it.
| Yet the house was Democratic by sc
majority over all?
| Yes.
| Had the people changed their minds
since the election, and decided they didn' t
want the tax repealed?
| No.
And you say, pa, that these delegates in
| congress that We're elected to repeal the 10
| per cent tax. and that promised faithfully
| to do so, actually voted not to do it when
the time came by 10 majority?
| Yes.
When congress adjourns these men will
| go off and hide and never dare look in the
faces of the constituents they have be-
| trayed, went they? 5tI0
Why; ahem-a-see here if you don't
hush up I'll give you a thereshing. There
| now. "a II
Boo, hoo. hoo; l was trying to find out
| about platforms
Well, you shouldn't ask such fool ques-
| tons. ~-'
| You are out of humor, pa what
Well, to tell the truth, Bynum. from this
| district, voted against the repeal of the tax.
| Well, what of it? He'll never dare come
| back to indianapolis again, will he, pa?
| Yes; and that's the worst of it. He will
be asked to return to congress again.
| does?
Why, yes he will.
| On what grounds, pa? Does he claim that
| voting suuarely against the platform he
| stood on entities hin, to reelection?
| Mol - tsi
| He won't get many votes. will he, pa?
| Why, yes [ guess he will.
| Shall you vote for him, pa?
| Why, ah, see here, I'll raise Wets On
your
1 won't say anything more about Bynum
| Well, see that you don't.
| Didn't you say, pa, that the country
| needed more money, and that stopping the
| coinage of silver made money that much
| scarcer?
| Yes, it foolish thing to do to stop
| the making of money right in the midst Of
| panic that driving to the wall
| by thousands.
| Did the Democrats vote to stop the COIN
! age of silver dollars?
| Yes, Bynum among the rest.
| Have the Democrats reduced expenses, pa?
| No, not much:
| Have they any?
| No, not a cent
| Did they increase them any?
| Yes, they had to issue $500 600 of bonds
| 1t was against the law, too, wasn't it, pa :?
| Yes, ] guess it was.
| They reduced the tariff, didn't they?
| No, not yet.
| Are they going to?
Yes if they can.
| What is to hinder majority doing what
| they want to do?
| Why, the Republicans and few Demo-
| Gratis in the senate determined to keep
| protective tariff coal, iron, sugar, COL
| lars and cuffs.
| Do you really think the Democrats in con-
gress want to reduce the tariff?
| Yes, of course L do.
| Because they say they do?
| They said they wanted to repeal the 10
! per cent tax on state banks, too, didn't
they, pa?
| Why-yes, but
Did the Republicans keep them from do
ing that?
Yes of course they did
How could they when they only had 1875
members to the Democrats 800?
OIL ean-that-say go off now Pm
| Sick-I---
Oh, pa, what is the matter? Shall I go
| for doctor?
| No, no: | mean, I'm not very sick
| Now, pa. to sum up: The Democrats
| have not redeemed any of their promises.
| In fact they voted against what they most
| solelnnly promised their constituents they
would vote for. Not only that, they have
| increased expenses. and plunged the coun-
try $5O,0O0,OOO deeper in debt They have
| extended the time of paying the whisky
| tax to eight years. This is worth millions
| to the whisky trust Now they are trying
| to extend favors to the sugar trust worth
| tens of millions of dollars to it, which, of
| course, comes off the people. With this
| kind of a record, pa. how Gan you vote the
| Democratic ticket this fall?
| The Republicans are 5ust'as bad.
Yes, l will admit that, but there Is a
| party that is not.
What! Do you think I'll vote with the
cranky Populsts?
When we left the Pullman service we
owed the company $4,000 for rent. I have
seen men at work who were so weak from
Lack of food that they could scarcely go
on with their work, and have men
cry at the bank when they received the
| money for their checks after drawing 80
| or 40 cents. the rent having been first de-
| Quoted. This was all they had to keep their
families on for the next twp weeks.
The above is the testimony of Mr.. Heath
COTE one of the Pullman strikers. Men at