Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1895-05-07
REFORM, REVOLUTION OR MILL
TARY DESPOTISM.

Bro. Crosby thinks we are way
Off in giving as our opinion that
il free silver fails to carry the day
in 1896 we shall have revolution
and blOOdshed.
''The Willmar Tribune says if
free silver is defeated in 1896
there will be revolution and
bloodshed. What rot! Who is
going into the blood-shedding
business anyway, and what are
they going to kill?:'
"Who is going into the blood
shedding business anyway?'
Why, Bro. Crosby the United
States army and the State mill
tia that are now being drilled,
armed and equipped all over the
country at millions OF dollars ex-
pense. Gatling guns and repeat
ing rifles in the hands of organ
lied bodies of hundreds OF thou
sands OF men, appears to us to
portend bloodshedding business.
If this beliefin the minds ofmany
of our most sagacious men that
an insurrection is probable in the
near future is all "rot,' why all
this anxiety in certain quarters
to increase our standing army
and to augment, drill, arm and
equip State militia everywhere?
There is no possible danger of
foreign invasion, nor is there any
possibility OF wars of conquest.
No, Bro. Crosby, however much
we all may wish that the talk Of
popular revolts is all Srot," it is
nevertheless not ''rot, nor ridi-
culous. Our money aristocracy
knows that hungry stomachs will
drive men into lawlessness, create
Coxeyites and mobs. They know
that we are fast becoming a ma
ton OF tenants, a people without
houses. They know that it is
only a question Of few years
under our present money stan-
dard, until a few bOndhOlders will
own this whole country, and they
know that when the people wake
up to realize this fact that there
is going to be trouble. This is
why, and the onl y possible rea-
son, they are so anxious about
having a large standing army
and militia in these times of peace.
The present condition OF millions
Of people suffering for the wants
OF the necessaries OF life, in sight
OF these very necessaries of life
clogging the wheels OF commerce
by their very abundance, cannot
last for any length OF time with
out popular uprising. History
for 5000 years back proves this
beyond question. We believe,
and men of all parties believe,
that before the year 1900 we
shall have one of three things,
either, LIST, political reform 50
that any honest and Industrious
man can make q decent living for
himself and family, or End, revo-
luton in some form, or, an army
powerful enough to keep the peo-
pie down like European countries
have. We make no threats. We
simply point out the danger
ahead, the inevitable outcome OF
the present system OF political
economy according to the un-
changeable law of nature as evil
denced by history in the past,
Almost every people on the
globe have had to fight for the
preservation or recovery of their
liberties and rights once or often
er in each century with the privi-
legged classes of their own
nationality. The American peo-
pie. had to do it in 1776. They
had to do it again thirty years
ago. Those who talked about
war; in the fifties, and even in
1861 were regarded as evil
prophets, and their " arnings were
denounced as ridiculous rot"
Even after the firing on Fort
Sumter $4,000 men were sup
posed to be able to put down the
Ielellio Bnt events proved