The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1895-05-29
A DEFENSE.

A DEFENSE.
THE PoPULIsTs DO NOT PROPOSE
TO INACCURATE CIVIL WAR, BUT
THEY THINK, WITH PATRICK HEN
RY, THAT DEATH IS PREFERABLE
TO SLAVERY.
To the Editor: ".'~ s~t.
In your issue of May Sth Mr.. Dye
severely criticises my article on the
venal vote in our large cities. l have
neither time nor inclination to answer
his personal thrusts-and as I have no
fault to find with Socialism per Sc, /
fail to see why should enter into a
heated discussion concerning the rela-
tive merits of Socialism and Populism.
If you care to spare valuable space in
your paper, the accompanying clipping
from our home paper will be the best
answer 1 can make to my friend, Mr..
Dye, Of Denver, Col.
EDWIN D. cox.
Marquette, L. l., Mich.
CAS- Mr. Cox's letter to the Mining
Journal is not mere defense of him.
self, but discussion of questions of
worldwide interest, we take pleasure in
copying it. Ed. Rep)
Editor Mining Journal :-Notwith-
standing the fact that your paper is not
Populistic journal, in a spirit of fair
play | would ask that you permit me
to reply to The Iron Ore of Ishpeming
A copy of The Iron Ore, dated April q,
is at hand, in which Mr.. Newett criti-
cses an article published in THE Rep
resentative," of Minneapolis. / should
hQro hoon o1Qd NJ nnnnrfnnffyy RI
publish the article entire in The Iron
Ore. but that probably would not have
suited the editors partisan purpose so
we'll as to eliminate. portions of it, and
| thereby create a false impression con-
corning the motive of the "diatribe."
Mr.. Newett charges that l am self
| constituted leader" of the Peoples party.
| That is not true. I first received an
| appointment from state headquarters,
| which was subsequently confirmed by
| the Populists in regular meeting. The
| Iron Ore is also in error in saying that
| look upon the voters l have been
| laboring with as FOOLS" Only the man
| who sells his vote and delivers the goods
| is a fool. He is worse than fool he
| is a knave and traitor. For honest
men of. all parties who vote for their
| principles at the polls I have sincere
respect. The Iron Ore also charges that
l advocate murder and suggest blood
She'd In error again.. On that partic-
! ular point l shall try to be clearly I'M
derstood, so that my good friend Mr..
| Newett need not lay awake o'nights
thinking that the bloody Populists are
about to go on the war path after his
scalp. We have reason to believe that
the time is near at hand when the peo-
pie of the United States will be COM
| PEELED to choose between despotism and
liberty, and, like the fathers of the re-
public, Washington and his compeers,
(the ballot falling, we. will be COM
| PEELED to take up arms to uphold the
Declaration of independence, and the in
alienable right of the people to life, lib
erty and the pursuit of happiness. 1t
is thing not to be lightly done. and
the Peoples party is the only organi-
cation that offers any peaceful solution
of the question by going to the root OF
the evil system that is fast building up
,plutocratic oligarchy of despots A
monarchy might be endurable A gov
eminent of cultured gentlemen under q
wise king, under some circumstances
might be desirable; but a government
of corporations, by and for money bags
is worse than anarchy. Many Of our
ahlest thinkers say that we cannot bu
of antiquity if there is no power in the
ballot to save us from that degradation
If the toiling millions must always slave
for the pampered few, eating only the
husks, while their masters winnow the
corn, the people would do we'll to die
fighting rather than live as serfs chained
to the soil to do masters bidding for
| ever.
There is at the present time genera
feeling, among the people that courts
judges, the regular army and the milf
tia are at the beck rand call of the cor
porations. 1T may not be correct in 1t.
entirety; that each one must determine
for himself; but that the feeling widel.
exists no man can truthfully deny, l
that be advocating murder and sug
costing bloodshed'' make the most of it
Mr.. Newett charges that am "pre
tended .reformer." Pretended reformer
do not 20 down into their pockets To-
II the hard cash wherewith to promote
II principle II am simply. = free American
citizen exercising the right of FREE
speech and without pretense Ct being;
reformer. am seeking no once. asl
no for M ees. ! wear NJ