The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1895-05-30
people may enjoy the same benefi-

which are also monopolies per s<, a
1t does the mail system. and we has
an honest financial system ther,
would be more wealth in this coun
try, and yet there would not be /,
half dozen millionaires in our bord
ers. Of course We would hav,
some poor people as We have now
and some would be richer than 9th
ers; but there would not be q singl,
man Or woman in America who i,
able to work and willing to worl
awho could not make . living. W.
might say that there would not be q
single trust in America. Trusts are
only possible where the above evil:
exist. In short, trust is only the
product and result of allowing pri
vate corporations to have q com
plete monopoly of our money and
transportation.
l agree with you that the financial
question is now paramount and
should be made the one overshadow.
ing issue in the next campaign. Blu,
+. entirely disagree with you that
We should altogether drop the rail
road plank from our platform. The
correct solution of the railroad
question is almost of equal import
ance to our people as the correct So
luton of the financial question.
The great panic which We have pas
sed through and from which We are
still suffering, and the great scarcity
of money have forced the financial
question to the front and awakened
thousands Of people to the Importance
of change, who before had never
read our platform and did
not know that there was anything
the matter with our financial sys-
tenn. Thus the opportunity is ripe
for concentrating under one banner,
every patriot in America to over
throw the money changers who, for
thirty years, have been infesting
and corrupting the temple of our lib
critics.
When this victory is won, then 1
shall favor making war to the fin
ish on the greedy, grasping, private
monopolies, which to-day are using
and abusing the great functions Of
government that should be owned
by the people and used for the peo-
pie. If this is not done, even though
we get an honest financial system,
these great railroad kings and mo-
would continue to absorb
the wealth and substance of the
people until they would absolutely
own and run the government forever.
1t is true that it is not popular just
now to advocate the government
ownership of railroads, but it is never
popular to advocate any great re,
form, however righteous, until
enough of the people are awakened
to its necessity to frighten tho poll.
ticians, the time-servers and newspa-
per organs of the old parties, who
have been fostering the evil and fat.
ening on it, at the expense of the
people.
You doubtless remember that q
few years ago, when l was President
OF the State Alliance, my speech
es and editorials against the national
banking system, and in favor of Fl.
nancial reform, were sneered Al
and ridiculed by all of the old party
politicians and newspapers. They
called me a silver crank, and said
they were opposed to SO cent silver
dollars, and initiation of the currency
Every leading Democratic paper il
the State claimed that there wa.
more money in circulation than evel
before, and published long state
ments of figures doctored and hatch
ed up by the Secretary of the Treas
ury to prove their claim. Every
day their columns were filled Will
arguments to try to show that {
farmer could buy more with a dol
lar now than ever before. Thel
they we're asked to explain the caus'
of the hard times. One day the,
would say it was because the peopl'
were too lazy to work; the next da.
they would say the people had work
ed too much and made an overproduc
ton. You remember this very well
and SO do the people of this State
Yet now nearly every one of thes
papers and politicians have suddenl.
changed front and are loudly de
nouncing the same financial evil
that we denounced then, and ar
trying to holler louder for financia
reform than even the most arden
Populist. These men have no
cha 1ged their principles, for the
have mono. They are simply tryin
to fool the people in another way
By the time this financial question
settled tho increasing greed and OK
preston of these railroad monop(
lies will become SO apparant and il
tolerable to the people, that they wi
rise up and demand a just and ad.
quate reform of these abuses a
strongly as they are now demant
ing financial reform. When tbs
time comes the same newspaper
and politicians who have so suddenl
changed front on the financial que
ton will then, with equal dexterit,
change front as completely on IL
transportation question, and for tt
same reason. By that time, if N
before, the people will have becon
so thoroughly disgusted with the h,
pocrisy and perfdy of the two o
parties that they will have grown a
most en- naasse to the Peoples part
and then tho government will
saved and freedom and prosperi
will be restored.
IA few years ago." says the A
lanta Constitution, "Secretary Ca
Isle made a ringing speech in fav
of tho unlimited coinange of silve
in which he denounced with eloque
, indignation the shylocks and Il
r money grabbers, in whose intsre
silver was demonetized. A few yea
ago Secretary Smith, over his ov
: name, declared for the free coinaI
/ Of silver. Since that time these d
tinguished gentlemen have be-
l brought IN close contact with N
4 Cleveland and have seen . NJ
. light. They could not hold th'
= places in the Cabinet if they we