The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1894-09-14
Why He left tie Party and will Not
Come Back.

TO the Editor Of the Banner.
In the Banner Of a recent date i
notice this: "Our advice to our popu-
list friends Is TO go back into the demo-
cratic party where they belong"
Why did we leave it? left il because
II was ruled by corrupt rings and corr
porations. It's promises were never
kept, and its platforms were simply
stepping stones by which they might
step into Office. Two years ago the
democratic party admitted that there
were wrongs thatneeded to be righted;
that the people had been hardly dealt
with, but just give them another
chance and the millennium would be-
gin.
Well, the democratic party was CIV
en- control of the government, and
what have they done for the people?
Did the demonetizing of silver and
the contraction of the paper money
benefit the masses? Is the single gold
standard a panacea for the burdens
under which the people groan? Why,
If ! had all the gold in my possession
to-day that ever owned lido not sup
pose would have hundred dollars,
and is there a sane man who honestly
believes that silver will be given an
other chance, or that the volume of
the paper currency will be enlarged
while Cleveland is president? And
tariff reform, ah! that was the song
they sung; that was the great remedy
that was to roll back the burdens UNI
der wich the people toiled, and they
reformed IL; and the great reform
president would not sign it because the
Senate would not put all the taxes on
the masses and put his manufacturing
and corporation friends on the free
list. Well. am not tariff man. l
believe in free trade, but If | was GO
ing to make tariff to raise revenue to
run q government, would make a
just one. would place an advalorum
tax equally according to its value on
everything imported; that in my esti-
nation would be "equal rights to all
and special privileges to none," but it
Is not what ! would do, but what the
democratic party has done for the
people that want to find out. If
they have fulfilled their promises, if
they have fought the good fight, if
they have kept the faith, then
ought the people to trust them and re-
tain them In power. Let us see?
Who are these approaching the capt.
tol Of the nation famished with hunger
and clothed in rags? The government
over which our democratic friends rule
say they are mob; desperate, dan
gerous and ignorant, and yet these are
some Of the people, whom these same
congressman promised to give relief
through wise legislation, who now
turn upon them in their poverty with
SCOTS aud jeers and impris IN.
ment, and yet these are the
men that cultivate your fields, who
build and equip your railroads, who
mine your coal and metallic ores, who
dig your canals, who man your navy
and recruit your army; and when
some Of these people of the west at
tempt to assert their rights as citizens
against the railroad corporations and
ask for an arbitration of their grew
ances how are they met by this demo-
cratic president? He says: 81 will
call out the military and shoot you
first, and then we will arbitrate the
NATTER" And how soon this demo-
cratic congress endorses the course of
the President by a vote of approval,
and still we are advised to come back
to this party.
Well, the populist party may never
be entrusted with the government, it
may never amount to much, know
they are poor and despised, but so long
a. Il makes an honest effort TO redress
the wrongs inflicted on the people, l
am popullst. NJ. II. RoU.