The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1895-06-26
1885 AND 1854 PARALLEL.
(The Philadelphia American.)


time to examine some of the causes which
led up to the French revolution. History
shows that the finances of France, before
and after 1880, were in state of hopeless
disorder; that the king had little knowl-
edge or appreciation of the exact condi-
ton of the country, the nobility surround
ing the king failed utterly to read the
signs Of the times and opposed measures
which would have brought relief to the
masses, and minister after minister was
called to office, content either to follow
the old course which was inevitably lead
ing to bankruptcy, or obliged to yield be-
fore the selfish opostionof the privileged
class. The condition of the country at
large naturally went from bad to worse
under such a system, and the suppressed
feelings and continued sufferings of
the people finally found vent in
the violence of the revolution in the
course Of which the king and nobility
were wiped out, amid scenes of blood,
from the contemplation of which every in
telligent man even now shrinks.
The condition of America today, unfor-
tunately bears a somewhat close resem-
blance to that of France prior to the rev.
olution. Charitably assuming that Grov-
er Cleveland has not willingly prostituted
the high office of president in the inter-
ests Of a. colossal bear" movement by the
gold standard plutocrats of Europe and
America, he apparently has no more ac
curate knowledge or true appreciation of
the condition and needs of the American
people than had Louis XVI. of the condi-
ton and needs Of the French people; but
the imbecility of Louis cost him his head.
Certainly the landed aristocrats who
surrounded Louis XVI, and for selfish
purposes supported him in his short-stght-
ed and unpatriotic repression and ignor-
ing the interests the rank and file of the
people, which ultimately involved both
the king and themselves in common de-
struction, have their modern counter
parts in the plutocrats of today, and the
goldites in the cabinet and congress.
There is also another point of curious
resemblance. The king, the landed aris-
tocrats and the privileged men of France
assumed exalted and exclusive knowl-
edge, and secuted the idea that any one
outside their own class was able to form
a sound judgment on national require
ments. In the same way today, the gold
standard plutocrats of America,
with President Cleveland and his
"cuckoos," assume to have superior and
exclusive judgment of the best financial
policy and that the wage-earn-
ing and producing masses and other out
siders cannot possibly know what is good
for them.
The imbicile policy of the French gov
eminent one hundred and ten years ago
depressed trade and agriculture, and filled
the country with restitution and suffer-
ing. The contraction of the currency fol-
lowing the demonstration of silver in
1873 and since, has lowered the price of
all commodities and products except gold !;
depressed trade and agriculture; filled
this country with restitution and suffer-
ing; recruited the great army of tramps
from the ranks Of Industrious but unem-
ployed workingmen: brought tens Of
thousands of the middle classes to poverty
or ruin; and the end is not yet.
Under ordinary conditions, one of the
greatest questions before us in
America is capital and labor, which
is being hastened and intensified
by the pernicious policy Of the
government on the currency question.
The persistent ignoring Of bimetallism
means continuous low prices for commodi-
ties, and that in turn, Notwithstanding la
Dor organizations, inevitably means lower
wages Are the wage earners and pro-
ducers of America today, in spite of the
tens of thousands of free public schools,
more ignorant or more patient than the
artisans and peasants of France one hun
dred and ten years ago? How long do the
gold standard plutocrats of today, and
their creatures in the cabinet and con-
gress, the apostles and disciples of Cleve-
landism, think that the toiling
and producing masses of Ameri-
ca can quietly stand the present
fearful strain Is there no note Of warn
ing in the Coxeyite movement of last
year, Notwithstanding it's absurd fea-
lures? Are all the Anarchists and Social
the present course of the president and his
supporters more calculated to swell the
ranks of the Anarchists and Socialists than
anything that could be done by the most
fanatical. leaders from Europe Of those
misguided factions? Is there no lesson
conveyed to the responsible lead
ers Of the two old political par
ties by the wonderful growth of
the Populist party during the last two
years. That party is merely the manifest
alton of the widespread discomfort of law
abiding and reputable citizens, and, un-
less something satisfactory is accomplish
ed in the meantime, the next election will
find the Populist party disencumbered of
much of it's Objectionable surplusage, I'M
der more conservative and creditable
leaders, probably under new name, but
its ranks will then be augmented by hun
dreds of thousands of voters from the
wage-earning class, and from what (be-
fore the final decentralization of silver
were the middle or fairly well-to-do class
es, but who are now becoming poorer with
each succeeding month. Men are being
alienated wholesale from the two old par
ties by the financial ruin entailed upon
them as individuals by the insane gold
basis craze, which has been, and is being,
foisted by interested or ill-informed pol:ti-
clans, by insiduous and specious methods,
on an increasingly suffering nation, in
the interests of the creditor and money
loaning classes of this and other coun-
tries.
SPARKS.
Doctor Visiting sick Kentucky colo
neD: His mind is likely to wander"
Sick Kentucky colonel Gan hour later