The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1894-07-25
AN EMINENT DEMOCRAT OF DULUTH
Repudfates Democracy and Joins the
Peoples Party-Judge McGindley's

Repudiates Democracy and Joins the
Peoples Party-Judge McGindley's
Position.
To the Editor of the Duluth Common
wealth: The reference to my supposed poll
teal change which appeared in the News
Tribune in it's issue of the 5th inst, perhaps
demands a personal explanation on my
part. The Democratic party by it's plat
form adopted in Chicago in 1892, was I'M
equvocally pledged to the following meas
ures:
l. To reform the Mckinley tariff by elimi-
mating the protective features of the same,
and to transform it, as far practicable,
into a purely revenue measure.
2. Repeal the tax upon state bank issues
so as to enable states to issue state bank
money.
3 To coin both gold and silver and pre-
serve bimetallic money standard.
The national house of representatives. sub
stantially redeemed the tariff pledge
the senate bill, providing as it does for an
income tax and for the levy of sufficient
taxes to defray government expenses is
certainly vast Improvement upon the Nc
kinley bill.
The administration, however has teen
faithless to the principles and platform of
the party so far the money question is
concerned. 1t has openly opposed the re-
demption of the pledges of the party so far
as the repeal of the state bank tax is con-
cerned. and has successfully defeated every
measure looking to such a repeal.
The people of this country have suffered
from two great protracted financial panics,
both of which were caused almost wholly
by hostile legislation to silver Early in
1873 measure struggled through both
branches of congress and signed by the
president demonetiZing silver. That meas
ure followed in the fall of that year
by national panic which was unparalleled
in ruinous results and was protracted until
the restoration of silver money metal
by the passage of the Bland act in Feb
ruary, 1878.
The reconciliation of silver under the
provisions of that law restored the country
to prosperity, which progressed in an &C
cellera ted ratio until the repeal of the
Bland act in July 1890 That measure, re-
ducing as it did silver to a commodity,
checked that prosperity which had existed
to such phenomenal degree during the
preceding u years, and was followed by
the panic of 1890. from which the country
had not recovered, at the time of the re-
peal of the Sherman act, which repeal com
pleted the overthrow of silver in every
class of property have shrunk, with the
exception of mortgaged Indebtedness.
The most casual examination will dem
onstrate to the mind of the most superb
cial investigator the fact that the Il years
during which the Bland coinage law was
in existence was the most prosperous peri
cd in the history of our nation. This state
of affairs did not suit the plutocrats, hence
the hostile legislation to silver and the
deliberate purpose to force a European
| money standard upon this government
which must and will, if not thwarted. force
"a European wage standard and thereby
| reduce the laboring class of this country
| TO the position of the peasants and serfs
| of Europe.
1t was claimed at the time of the I'M
conditional repeal of the Sherman law that
its repeal would be followed by legiSla ton
friendly to silver. Time has shown that
the plutocrats of Europe and Wall street
never intended that such results should be
attained. evidenced by the veto of the
recent coinage act which was dictated by
Wall street 1t will be seen, according to
the memorable law, that the value of prop
erty and productions depreciate and shrink
in value in the same ratio that the pur
chasing power of money increases, and as
money has now practically increased in
purchasing power the full difference be
tween the value of the silver bullion and
the value of gold bullion, that the purchas-
ing power of money has increased during
the last year from 30 to 40 per cent which
has necessarily deprecated all property
and products in the same ratio. AS to
whether this depreciat ton is to continue
under the law above indicated unless egis-
lation friendly to silver is procured time
alone must determine 1t is, however
evident that unless this policy is speedily
checked wages must be reduced from 80
to 40 per cent.
The interests thus involved are above and
beyond all questions of party, party sue
cess or party fealty. If the Democratic
party fails to met the issue promptly and
effectually, it should be succeeded by a
party that will do so. The Eastern Re
publicans and Eastern Democrats seem
pledged to the policies of plutocracy, and
they aided and assisted by leading
dough-faces in the West who are cooper
ating with their Eastern brethren in at
tempting to keep up a sham battle on the
tariff question in order to conceal from the
people the enormity of the crimes perpe-
trated upon them through this financial
egiSa ton.
If the Peoples party boldly and manfuly
takes issue against this attempt to fasten
upon a European system of wages it
Will render itself justly entitled to the
support of the great patriotic element of
the country. The danger is grave and
imminent, and no half way policies will
meet the eXigencies of the case. All talk
of international bimetallism is a farce and
IL ltduu, anu Is only uSeu by the enemies OF
silver in order to deceive the public.
In addition to the unparalleled injuries
inflicted upon the country generally through
this anti-Silver legislation and sold stand
ard policy, all the territory of our country
which has heretofore furnished any of
the precious metals has become FRUSTRATED
and the prosperity of it's people has become
ruined for a series of years to come, and
much of that territory is naturally tribu-
tary to the city of Duluth. In my judg-
ment it is the plain duty of every Western
man who desires a renewed prosperity
among the masses to vote for that party
which unequivocaly demands the free COIN
age of silver and the overthrow of that
foreign unrepublican policy which has 50
checked the progress of the nation and
brought reproach upon democratic insti-
tutons. AUSTIN n. McGINDLEY
July 10, 1891.
RObbinE the People.
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