The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1895-09-18
Il THIMBLE-RIGG ER'E GAME.
"NOw YOU SEE 1T AND NOW YO1
DON'T SEE IT."


There is quite battle raging in
Duluth between the Towne and the
anti-Towne factions, over the proper
Interpretation of the Minnesota Re-
publican state platform upon the free
silver question; and the Tribune,
(Populist but friendly to Towne,
quotes the plank with italics as fol-
lows:
1t believes in bimetallism and that
the restoration of silver as ultimate
money to the currency Of the world is
absolutely necessary for business pros
perity, proper rates Of wages and the
welfare Of the people. Holding these
views, we believe it should be the policy
of the United States to do everything
in it's power to promote the restOra-
tion OF silver to the worlds currency.
Now to a supplemented, honest
man this would appear as the strong
est kind of a free-silver plank; but a
great deal depends on ,chere you throac
the emphasis. Let US italicise it SO as
to bring out the secret meaning of
the scamps who drew it:
ut believes in bime tallism and tina
the restoration of silver as ultimate
money to the currency OF THE WORLD is
absolutely necessary for business pros
perity. proper rates of wages and the
welfare of the people. Holding these
views we believe it should be the
policy of the United States to do
everything in its power to promote
the restoration of silver to the WORLD S
CURRENCY"
You see the point? The Republican
state convention met in Minnesota, to
formulate policies for the government
of the United States, and it proceeds to
declare What the auhole erorld should do!
What right had it to propose plat
form for England. France, Germany,
Russia, Italy, China, Japan and KAN
schatka? Do those countries legis-
late subject to the approval of the
United States? Not particle; they
legislate by themselves and for them
selves.
And so when you boil this fraud
down to it's primal elements and skim
off the scum it means:
Resolved, That we are in favor of
bime tallism, (no ratio stately if John
Bull and the Rothschilds want it. Ii
not we havn't any opinion on the sub
ject."
Now contrast all this cunning SUBJ
terfuge and double-dea1ing with the
plank Of the Peoples Party State Con-
venNon of Minnesota, on silver. adopt
ed in the same year and on the same day.
"We demand the free and unlimited
coinage of silver and gold at the pres
ent legal ratio Of 16 to L."
Nothing here about England,
France. Kamschatka and the Roth
schilds. Every word is full, explicit
and precise. You could not dig a
subterfuge out Of it with a spade.
In this battle of Towne and anti
Towne the sympathies of THE REPRE-
SENTATIVE are necessarily on the side
OF Mr.. Towne, because he is nearer
right; and they would be wholly so if
we could trust him. But our expert
ence of Republican leaders is that
when they perceive an excitement
among their followers, which is likely
to disintegrate the party, few of
them go off, with drums and trumpets
and Gym balls, and rally the disatfec ted
around their standard, aud then-aft-
er an awful hubbub and uproar-quietly
lead their forces back into the party
campW
1t is very pretty game but it has
been played too often to fool anybody
at this late day We expect to see the
National Republican convention next
year adopt a gold-bug, monometallic
platform; and then we expect to hear
Towne. Day. Jacobson, Vanderburgh
and the rest shouting:
''This way boys! All fall in line
and keep step together. You sec that
comma there! That means free-sil-
yer! Hurrah for Protection and down
with the Populists!'
"What fools these mortals be-" as
Puck says. Our only hope is that a