The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1895-08-28
4 BAD BREAK.
WHAT is THE MATTER WITH SENATOR
PEEEER2

PETER?
We have always had great respect
and regard for Senator PETER, but we
fear he is losing the just eQuipoise OF
his mental faculties. The other day
he stated that "the free silver craze
was dying OUT to the great delight
OF the gold-bugs, when the truth was
the sentiment in favor of open
ing the minis for the coinage OF
silver and gold at 16 to is increasing
at an unprece denied rate. And now,
with great head lines, the daily press
print the following:
Emporia, Kan. Aug. Ex-senator PETER
has written letter to j. D. Holden of
this city, in which he comes out strongly
in favor of currency based upon land val
ues alone. He has discarded silver and
the subtreasury plan and writes that he
believes the chief trouble with the coun-
try is interest and it's twin evil, rent He
calls attention to the fact that the aver
age rate Of interest is Z per cent, and
states that the net average savings. of
the people for the past 40 years has not
been over 3 per cent.
1--WE are he continues, paying more
than twice as much for the use of money
we have been compelled to borrow as we
have been able to save from our labor.
Rents are governed by prevailing rates
for the use of money. 1 have come to the
| conclusion that giving all proper consid-
GRAFTON to every plan which has been
suggested, the people cannot recover
from their oppressive burdens Ut oeDt ex-
cept through the abolition OF interest, Or
at least by reducing the rate to a level
below that Of the permanent savings OF
the people. 70 abolish interest will re-
Quire that the people themselves acting
through their ptoperly-constituted agent,
the government, shall take charge or
their own monetary affairs, preparing, is
suing and controlling their own money,
through their own instrumentalities, as
may be best adapted to the purpose.
can see no way out Of our troubles in tho
direction l have spoken Of that will be
safe, so just SO easy of accomplishment
and so eff10ent as to coin our land, issue
| money based upon our wealth and abol-
ish the business of issuing money by cor
porations."
In an interview in Empor1a, Mr.. PETER
said that he was glad to see the land
| money idea progressing in the face Of
what he called "rabid metallism." He
| has declared against free coinage and is
against the entire silver movement. He
will take the stump against 1t this fall
All this is in direct conflict with the
Omaha platform, which declares in
favor of gold. silver and greenbacks,
and knows nothing about "a currency
based on land values alone"
Mr.. Lincoln said there was no sense
| in trying "to swap horses crossing a
stream" The horse offered you might
be better than your own, but you were
likely to be drowned making the
transfer. The public will ask:-"What,
in the name Of common sense, is a
| currency based on land-values
alone?'" And it would take us until
1897 to explain it to them, and before
that time the election will be over
| and Plutocracy will have the country
by the throat. And what does the
Senator mean by ''coining our land?"
Will every farmer be permitted to is
sue paper money to the value of his
farm? If so, who will take it?
II the Peoples Party does not pro-
pose to make holy show of itself it
must cling to the Omaha platform and
to reasonable and practicable PROPOSE
tions. The talk of 'coining land" and
issueing "land money" will scatter our
forces to the winds. If we had not the
| highest respect for Senator PETER we
should think the Money-power had
| bought him up to advocate measures
| that would leave them in undiSputed
possession of the nation.
And right here, close at home, right
in this city Of Minneapolis, we have 6
paper called ''The Progressive Age
edited by a gentleman we have beer
proud to call our friend, and he sup
plements the nonsense of the Kansas
Senator as follows:
Senator PETER is quoted as saying
the silver craze is dying. We do moi
think it is yet in the throes of death
but by the time the next campaign i.
here it will not be very lively corpse
The silver question is not, nor can it
ever be, fundamental question ir
the present strength of humanity. 1t
is not radical question. 1t is super.
fetal. The agitation is carried on now
| SOAJ Wy OuOoO WIN WCIC
interested in the coming Of silver into
money. They are paying the bills. II
is matter of investment to them
Free silver will not have large fol
lowing in the national conventions OF
the two old parties. 1t will not be sc
enthusiastically received by the Popu
lists, and the Prohibitionists will not
make it cardinal in their platform
When we speak of the money question
a large and very vital question is sug-
geSted. We look upon the money az
one Of the very first things to be set
tied. The silver question is not the
money question.
If silver is not the money question il
is surely one-half Of it-for gold and
silver are the primary coin metals Of
the civilized world.
| What is the matter with these gen.
tlemen? Surely they can not belong
to the Peoples Party and thus fly in
the face Of it's platform, which de-
clares for the free coinage of silver
and gold at the ratio of 16 to 1.
The Peoples Party believe, and be-
lieve correctly, that the demonetiza'
tion of silver was the deadliest blow
ever struck at the producing classes OF
this country; that it broke down all
values and Frustrated the debtor class
at the feet of the money-lenders. And
now, just as we are marshalling our