Mexico weekly ledger., 1895-06-13
SIMS ON SILVER.
The White Metal Move as Viewed
From a Populist Standpoint,
Correspondence of the Ledger.

Correspondence of this Ledger.
THOMPSON, Mo, June Ia wish to
say to you and through your paper tc
the people, and especially the voters,
the idea of a double standard or the
free and unlimited coinage of gold and
| silver at the ratio of Is to / is no new
thing to a Populist, There is not one
of us but that has been begging, plead
ing and praying in private converse
ton, with u pens and on the stump,
with Il fellow citizens 10 help us
avert the outrage that isnow upon us.
And don't, if you please, forget To
whom those pleadings were made.
Try and don't forget who it was that
abused us for advocating the very
principles that you are all so clamor-
Gus for now. Who was it hat said or
advised all they had any influence with
to give no attention to the empty
croakings of the crazy calamity howl
ers, but stick to the party, obey the
orders of the bosses and vote the
ticket straight. DO that and don't
read anything but that has been sane
toned by the men that control. That
was the advice given and followed I'M
til to-day thousands of good men are
tenants and soup house pensioners
and their families growing in ignor-
ance, vice and crime, all caused by
falling prices and that caused by
the contraction of the money of the
country What caused the c~ontrac-
ton? The legislation. Who gave
the legislation? The Republicans with
the help of the Democrats. You tell
us to join the silver wing of the Re-
publican or Democratic party and
help you to get what you, with CULVER
ing lips, streaming eyes and great
oaths, tell us we must have or we all
perish, and the next time we see you
you say just wait and let's have time
to consider what effect such a move or
the calling of a convention would have
on the party, for the men that control
say it is a little dangerous to give the
common herd an opportunity to say
what they want in the way of legisla-
ton. The people are too ignorant to
be trusted. They want an increase of
the currency and steady prices, but
that is wrong. 1t would displease the
millionaires and money sharks. No,
boys, we, the bosses, respectfully de-
cline to allow you to hold 81 state o
vention this year. You may play like
holding conventions in townships and
counties and when they hear this the
silver advocates are either
as dumb as blocks or advise the bows
wait and see what will happen. The
boys have waited and many have.
already seen and felt what has hap
pened. There is not a double standard
or Democrat but that is in
honor bound to apologize and ask par
don of the bosses for the abuse they
nave given them. We have very lit
lie confidence in the man or set of
men that only want the double stand
ard through their party and are ready
abuse any II that proposes to get
t any other way. There is a big per |
of egotism mixed up with a strong
iesire to get office undertaking the
advice of any that talk that way. We
nave seen the people of the United
States robbed of two-thirds of the
money by the legislation of the Re-
publican party and the Democrats
nave been long and loud in denouncing
hem and told the people that if they
would give them a chance they would
wear, by the memory OF ~Jefferson,
Jackson, Calhoun and all the grand
I'D fathers that have one that thew
would right the infamous wrongs they
complained of. The people gave them
he President, vice-President, both
louses of Congress, two-thirds of the
Governors and Legislatures; did not
cave a single obstruction in the way
o hinder them in giving the promised
elief. What did they So impa-
lent were they to fulfill their pledges
hey could not wait, but called
congress together in extra session,
nd now, please take notice, the
rst thing they did after they or
anlZed was to stop the mouth of al
lost every silver mine in the country,
arrow hundreds of thousands of hon
wage workers out of employment
nd hurl them back east to compete
18th an over supply of labor, thereby
educing the wages of both and to fill
p the ranks of Coxey armies and the
alance to fill the country with beg
ars and tramps. Then call out the j
.nited States troops-that, too, over !
protest of the Governors, and have I
EN- shoot down men, women and j
nildren, and that, too, at the behest of
soulless, heartless corporation. Then !
sue interest-bearing bonds, not
My giving a mortgage on this gener- I
but those yet unborn. No, sir, G
II. Republican or Democrat, as Pops {
e thank you; we don't care to take c
ny more of your remedies, and the t
My thing you do now that is in line 4
18th what you have done, is to ask O
le people to try another dose of your il
lady relief. Again, as a Pop, | 9
lank you; l don't wish any more of fl
kind of medicine; it don't seem to A
} the people any good. From now on o
3 prefer ours straight and not sweet n
led with parity, international COM a
or fair promises. There are G.
lly two parties in this country whose G
embers are solidly united on princi- il
es. They are as true to them as tbs Ic
'edle to the pole. They are the gold lc
Igs, or single standard gold basis, and
e Populists, Or double standard is to
men. Both have their principles u
defined and there is no straddle =,
misunderstanding of either. No ::
mpromise can be had between them. -
70 people, and you with the rest, can "
ke choice as to which you will afil- ~
e with. One side is dictatorial boss -
n on the part of the few and humble -
omission on the part of the many. "
70 other is in favor of equal rights to "
and special privileges to none, and "
we can do is to stand by the latter -
q insist on the help of our fellow -
zens in securing this, and if Won ~