The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1895-08-28
AN OPEN LETTER
TO THE MINNEAPOLIS TRIBUNE
"Silver Crankism"-A Cure De-
manded.

IN this land OF equality, If my friend
Capt. Judson N. Cross, can write an "Open
Letter." directed to the President of one
of the redoubtable Republics of the earth,
what objection can there be to my dictat-
Ing such AN epistle to our Minneapolis
Tribune, which, in some respects is a
bigger man" than the President of lot
of sans-culottes inhabiting the Sandwich
Islands in the waste of waters which wash
our western shores?
Being pronounced bimetallist, and
the Tribune designating all such as "sil-
yer cranks,'' am one of them. The term
is intended as one of contumely,--of re-
prOach,-Of contempt sort Of a lep-
er, cheat,-a distressingly diseased per-
son; not physically perhaps, but tending
in that drection,-as a diseased mind
sooner or later disorders the liver and d.
gestion, and leads up, often, to sudden
death and the judgment.
Now In friendly way, 1 want to say
few words to the Tribune on this sub
ject respecting "cranks." I do not pur-
pose to submit word regarding it's dag
nosis of this universally prevalent all
ment,-I assume that it is scientifically
correct; and as the Tribune had terrible
attack Of "crankism" in 1875, and long
run until it must have become chronic,
desire its Experience" in wrestling with
it--a lesson from that dear school in
which IT said fools alone can learn.
In this Connection, too, it must not be
forgotten that but a few moons since, Sec
rotary Of the Treasury Carlisle had ter
rible attack of "silver crankism, ''-Hoke
Smith, Secretary of the Interior, was an
other of it's victims,-Hoke' case was dis
tressingly severe, 50 bad that he wanted
government warehouses built all over the
country where farmers could deposit a
buShel of Navy beans, worth, say, dol
lar, and taking certificate therefor, go
to some government sub-treasury and
borrow fifty cents on it with interest at
one per cent per annum, and pay off his
ten per cent mortgage. Josef Medill, Of
the great Chicago Tribune, had the
"crank" disease,-and our own little Trib-
une, Chats you) was confined for weeks
and months with the malady, giving it to
lots of people who COMPOUNDED it with the
". IL,
went down to his grave a boss "silver
crank" With this fell disease upon
him, you remember how he was whooped
up here in Minneapolis in 1892. How the
cry of James G.. Blaine-IIes all Right, -
repeated again and again, vexed the air
of Minnesota's metropolis, until the spar
rows even took fright, and winged it
away. Alas! alas!! now this Tribune
haunts us who have innocently exposed
ourselves by this contact with the Maine
statesman as Blaine silver cranks," dem
onstrating 1--WE do not say extensively, but
remindatorially-tO coin a wOrdO that a
live jackass can safely kick a dead lion
Yes, if this disease is not checked, the
army of iconoclasts will go to kicking
too, and idols will be smashed right and
left.
am indicative I know,-but it is a
phase of my diease. 1t would cause me to
gnash my teeth to see John G.. Carlisle
Hoke Smith, John Sherman Ia terrible
"silver crank" in 1890, for what there was
in it, and you, Mr. Tribune and josef
walking the golden streets of the New
Jerusalem, throwing nuggets of gold at
each other, and Grover egging you on
while l, immured in silver. and birthstone
looked on from afar,-and more particu-
while 1, immured in silver and brim-
stone, looked on from afar,-and more
particularly so after expressing my
desire to take your crank cure. come
now to the purpose of this "open letter"
want to know how you became cured of
the "silver crankism" malady. You are
a public instruction. guardian of the
public weal-herald of a new gospel of
national health, and owe much to your
large and respectable class of pupils. Your
boastful materia medica has undertaken
to prescribe for all maladies. and to amel-
iorate, if not cure, all their manifestations
and your curriculum 20 declares. 1t is as
broad in its physical potency as repen-
lance is in the means of saving grace For
every disease there is a remedy, we are
told; for every a.lment. for every malady,
there is balm in Gilead. Old DR.. Jacob
Townsend, years ago. entered the arena
Of cure with decoctiOn of sarsaparilia
suited to cure all the Ills flesh is heir to;
the head of Galen is handed down from
early painters, accompanies the modern
master of medicine whose sands of life"
are about run out of the hopper, who
offers us the elixir vitae for which the
wcrld had been secured IN vain before he
arcse;;' Sanford With Ewes tempter
grasped beneath its deadly fangs, with
stewed hazel WITCH American pine, Cana
da fir, marigold and clover blossoms, in