The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1895-11-20
A SPIRITED REPLY.

DOCTOR A. H. NOON, OF ARIZONA,
DISCUSSES TOM WATSON AND THE
TARIFF-WANTs NO SHAM BATTLE.
Editor Representative.
Brave, able and patriotic Tom Watson,
and one of our possible vice presidential
fault with the Omaha platform and sug-
costing return to the Ocala platform.
Now, with all due respect Difference,
and recognition of his answering patriot
ism and faithfulness, wish for one to ex-
press my dissent from much that is in his
letter, and am surprised at it's general
weakness. On the money issue the ques-
ton whether men or money shall rule,
and that the great fight is now on, wheth-
er this great nation shall control, own
and coin it's own money, gold, silver and
paper, or be delivered wholly over as
financial slaves to the banks and bond
holders, we are all agreed, and on that is
sue all true Americans and reformers en-
dorse our views; but leaving that all i'm
portant subject, after a brief reference,
Bro. Watson gives us a lot Of old chest
nut, tariff talk. Now what in the name
of heaven, does six bit per capita tariff
difference In year make to a man, who
who is paying sixty dollars per year inter-
est on a mortgage he cannot release or
who is selling his potatoes at ten cents
bushel, or corn or cotton at proportion
ate rates, because the people have no
money with which to pay debts to buy
food or cotton goods or productions of
any kind, whether of home or foreign pro-
ducton or who is idle, because no one has
money with which to hire him. or who
has been displaced by improved monopo-
Lied machinery: in none of the advan-
tages of which he is allowed to share.
Money monopoly the financial, not the
tariff issue, is the dread question of the
hour. which ballots, or if not bullets, will
yet settle either for the masses or the
classes.
Bro. Watson conveys the Idea that in
1891 the Ocala platform. because especial
ly including tariff plank gave us won
derful sweep Of success, but that in 1892,
the tariff plank being omitted and some of
the changes of wording being made put
us on the defensive everywhere, but this
is incorrect; our grand success there and
since, in both protectionist and free trade
communities is partly due to the fact
that we treated tariff" as the sham bat
tle." that 1t is. and did not quarrel among
ourselves over it.
The Democrats claim that their victor
les over the Republicans in 1892 were be-
cause the people wanted free trade. The
Republicans now claim that their victor
les in 1894 mean that the masses want
protection from European and Asiatic
cheap labor. What the people do want,
however. is relief from this terrible de-
pressed industrial condition, and the tar
if ct present has little or nothing to do
with that, and is only used by the old
parties to blind the people as to the true
causes. A tariff adjustment on the basis
of the best interests of the nation is of
course necessary, and when congress is
composed mostly of honest men. instead
of corporation hirelings, it will follow and
not before.
IT looks as If Bro. Watson had been
fed from his political babyhood so much
OH tariff that he thinks it impossible for
a political party to live unless still fed
on it; while the fact is it is a chestnut,
hOodoo and s'sham battle" as the
Omaha platform very truly calls it; which
as P0pulists, we should for the present at
least refuse to allow ourselves to be split
upon.
With regard to the wording Of the land
plank in the Omaha platform surely there
is nothing "too radical in that The Om-
aha platform is essentially "a New Dec
laration of Independence" a magnificent,
freedom inspired state paper, which how
ever changed hereafter to suit changing
conditions will live in history along with
the original thrilling Declaration of 1775
| and through the sub-treasury plan adopt
ed from the Ocala platform, is open to
| the just criticisms OF Mr.. Watson, the
! cor some better SYSTEM" and this perhaps
! best left out altogether and some othe.
slight changes made, and the initiative
and referendum principle incorporated a
our next national convention, until then.
| it is not necessary to throw wet blanket