The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1895-05-08
SHOULD ALL ELEMENTS UNITE
TO FIGHT THE COMMON
ENEMY.
Views Pf DR.. Christian Johnson, OF
Kandiyohi County.
Let All Sides Be Heard and Then
Decide.
THE Wilmar Tribune.l

by the gold monometallists, is spreading
with fearful rapidity both East and
West, and bids fair to sweep this coun-
try with tidal wave in 1895. Populists
and silverites of the old parties may we'll
feel proud of their agitation for free sill
yer during the last couple of years Less
than twelve months ago they were
laughed at and sneered at by the gold
bugs. But the business of their cause
and the terrible earnestness of their adj
vocacy, especially during the last CAM
paign, opened the eyes of the people,
compelled the people so to speak to In
vestigate the question. Yes, the Popu-
list campaign last summer is alreay
bearing fruit beyond expectation. Let
no Populist begrudge the time and eff
fort he spent during last campaign for
his party, for he will have the honor OF
having belonged to the party of progress
when nothing but principle could actu-
ate him to do so, and having led, in
stead of followed, in bringing about the
greatest reform of modern times, not
the abolition of African slavery except
ed.
THE SILVER QUESTION WILL LEAD
TO THE MONEY QUESTION.
Some Populists claim that the silver
question is of secondary Importance. In
one sense this is true. It is only sub
division of the money question. But at
present the whole money question is in
yoled in the silver question. The silver
question at present means more than
simply free coinage of silver 16 to /.
1t involves several other fundamental
issues belonging to the money question,
such as: Shall the government issue
money, or farm out this function to pri
vate parties? Is a debtor equally with
a creditor entitled to a governmental
protection, or is this government simply
organized for the protection of credit
ors? This is why the money power is
getting scared, and the President has
been called upon to exert his influence
in favor of gold monometallism. This
is why President Cleveland and his Bit
terest political enemies In the Republic
an ranks are now combining for an ag
gressive fight against silver. Conven
tions are now called South, West and
East, of Cleveland Democrats and John
.Gherman Republicans, to form the COM
ing gold party. The money power has,
10 fro< inn ito NH or y1evf h
on the silver issue. The Peoples party
and those who agree with them on the
silver question, must do the same thing.
The battle between organized capital
on the one hand and humanity on the
other will be fought in 1896 on the silver
question. If free silver is defeated,
then we shall have revolution and blood
shed. If 1t wins, common people will
experience such relief and industry take
such start that time will be given the
people to solve the whole money and
other questions. So that while the sill
yer question may be simply side issue.
yet at present it is the battle ground
for the whole issue between labor and
capital. To illustrate, four days before
the battle of Gettysburg, Cemetery
Ridge was of no particular Importance
in preference to other ridges to estab-
lish position for an army. But two
days after, as the armies approached
each other and it was seen that deci-
sive battle must be fought in the vicin-
ity, the taking and holding of this ridge
involved the fate of nation and the
liberty of the slave. The concentration
of one army at that point compelled of
lAcessity the concentrating of the other
at the same place.
So the concentration of the money
power o. its forces on the silver ques-
ton likewise compels the Peoples party
and those who agree with them on the
silver question to mass their forces at
that point. We believe in the Omaha
platform, all of it mind you, but as
events have shaped themselves of late
the silver question is the key to the Oma-
ha platform. The people are not ready
yet to vote on the Omaha platform as a
whole. They are ready, or getting
ready, to vote on the silver question,
and we believe it is the duty of Popu-
lists to concentrate their energies on
that question. We also believe in Mr..
Owens antimonopoly platform. But
can we get people TO enthuse over, and
comprehend such principle? We must
take people as We find them, not as we
would like to have them. The senti-
ment for free coinage of silver seems to
be in the air. The peoples party has
mainly treated this. Now let the party
reap the honor of it's labor by concentra-
ting on this point and lead in the battle,
and not scatter all over the other issues
of reform, and let somebody else reap
what we have sown. We believe in one
thing at time. We believe in using or
binary common sense in politics IS we'll
as In other affairs of life. Hence we
should be willing to leave in the back
ground for the time being other issues,
and push to the front for the coming
campaign the silver question. AS we
have said before, we are convinced that
free coinage Of silver is the only present
ly obtained reform of any immediate
consequence. The free coinage of silver
would revive industry at once. What
little revival in business there is now
is mainly due to the fact that the peo-
lie Is beginning to believe that fres
coinage is coming. Just as SION as frss
coinage becomes certainty in the near
future business will at once revive
"Why?" some willfully ignorant gold
bug will ask with an air of assumed;
establishment. Simply because with a
regular supply of money, be it silver o,
eay other kind of money, prices will
DC sustained. Under the present gold
regime no sane man wants to buy any.
thing, nor invest in anything, because
with constantly falling prices he car
never realize his money back agaiA