The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1894-08-22
five GOOD REASONS
WHY WE ARE REPUBLICANS
WITH SOME ANSWERS.


,na Editor ttr Tribune: Will you kindly give
you are Republican and greatly oblige,
W. H. LYON.
Why Mr.. Lyon should limit the
number of reasons desired to five it is
difficult to imagine, since five hundred
good reasons for being Republican,
IN preference to being a Democrat or
Populist, might be given. But we
will select from the many the first five
that occur to us in order to accOmmO-
| date our correspondent.
We are Republicans, then, first, be-
cause the Republican party is the par
ty OF loyalty and honor, which saved
the nation and lifted up the flag when
1t was trampled in the dust by trail
Minneapolis Tribune.
Very true: but that was thirty years
ago. We are going forward not back
ward. That was very good reason why
the American people should sustain
the Republican party during the war:
out 1T is no reason why they should
support it now. "The present eye
catches the present object"
Second, because it is the party of
law and order"
Yes, it so governed the country that
the people were reduced to such
depths of wretchedness that Demo-
cratic president had to violate the
constitution, to enforce that precious
''law and order" "Law and order"
indeed; when over a large part of the
United States no mans life or prop
erty was safe for weeks; and civil war
was only averted by guns and cannon.
'"Third, because it is the party of
honest money"
Yes, honest money, which obliges
the borrower to pay twice as much as
he received; which closes the mints and
the mines: shuts up the factories:
ruins the farmers and enriches Plutoc-
racy. Honest money! Honest Swim
die.
Fourth, because it is the party of
protection to American industry and
American labor"
Yes: it protects them by standing in
with Carnegie and Pullman; and with
the coal and iron mine-owners, who
imported vast hordes of Huns an6
Italians, to take the bread out of the
mouth of American labor. 1t protects
American labor by making million
aires of the bosses and paupers of the
workmen.
Fifth, because it is the party which
possesses the brains and sagacity and
business ability and experience to con-
duct the affairs of the country wisely
and prosperOusly."
Exactly. 1t had brains enough to
concentrate one-half of the wealth of
the country in 10000 families: to put
5000, 900 mortgages for two and half
billions of dollars upon the homes of
the people; to give three-one-hun-
dredths of one per cent of the people
one-fifth of all the property of the
country: to enable nine per cent of the
population to own seventy-one per
cent Of the wealth of the nation; and
leave ninety-one per cent of the people
to scramble for the remaining twenty
nine per cent of the property.
'BrainsH' 1t takes brains to do
that; but it isn't the kind of brains
that is prof table to the people.
Now let us give Mr. Lyons five real
reasons why he should be a Republi-
can.
l. The Republican party liberated
the black man and is now trying to en-
slave the white man.
,. Because it has made the East
rich at the expense of the West.
3. Because it has made the mine
owner and manufacturer rich at the
expense of the farmers.
4. Because it demonetized silver;
reduced the quantity of the worlds
currency .one-half; and corresponding
Iy reduced the value of all property: in
the interests of the capitalists of the
world.
5. Because it sides with the rich
against the poor: with the employer
against the employed: the lender
against the borrower; and the rings,
trusts and corporations against the
people. Id.