Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1896-07-01
THE OPPORTUNITY Is HERE.

There never was more opportune
time for the friends of labor to man.
ifest their power in debating national
affairs than the one now before the peo-
pie of this country. We have come to
the dividing of the ways; it is Wall
street and England against the people
of the United States. Tbs republican
party has already declared itself on the
side of capital in terms SO strong and
unequivOcal as to leave no shadow of a
doubt as to the attitude of that party
on the financial question. 1t is better
that they took this course, for now the
lines are clearly drawn and the voter
will not be perplexed in making a
choice.
AS we have often before asserted in
these columns, the monometallists of
the country are in the minority and the
only circumstance under which they
can win in the next falls election is a
division Of the silver forces. Hence we
say the opportunity of a lifetime is at
hand; the time is now here when those
who oppose the fiendish gold standard
system can wipe it out of existence if
they but stand together. So far there
is only one way clear, that is to unite
with the only party that has taken an
memorable stand for financial reform
the peoples party. This party was
born five years ago and has now accum-
ulated two million voters; its platform
is as sound as Holy Writ, a reiteration
of the Declaration of Independence and
until the principles embodied therein
are enacted into law there will be no
freedom for the human race. But some
cratic brother refuses to unite with us
because of the transportation and land
planks, although he heartily endorses
the financial plank. To such an one
we would say, be calm. The Peoples
party educated millions of people up to
the free and unlimited coinage of silver
at the ratio of 16 to l and since it has
proved itself right on the financial
question, people will read up the re-
naming portion of its platform and
when they once do this the result will
be that they will be just as heartily in
favor of transportation and land reform
as they now are in favor of financial
reform. Don't be afraid of the Peo-
Piles party. Like the republican party
of Fremont and Lincoln, it started
with few in number but it has re-
NAMED firm in its demand until it is
now regarded as one of the dominant
parties of the nation. 1t is not weak
and powerless, it is not a vacillating
creature, but it will command respect
in the campaign of 1896 just as the re-
publican party did in 1850.
The Peoples party today has better
prospect before it than the republican
party had at the time Abraham Lin
coin was first nominated for president.
Then the abolitionists were in the mi
nority and had the opposition remained
united Lincoln would not have been
elected. But the Peoples party of to-
day is more favorably situated: the
bimetallists are in the majority, the re-
publican party is divided, the solid
West and the solid South stand for f.
nancial reform and great many of the
eastern and northern states are ready
to extend helping hand. Why, then,
should we stand idle? Why not throw
off the partisan yoke and annihilate ty-
rannical rulers? Let us have a free
country in fact as we'll as In name.
Let us cease worshipping golden idols
and let the government be run in the
interest of the people instead of a royal
arlstocracy. This can only be done by
uniting against the republican party
the party of plutocrats. The Peoples
party, or rather, the principles of the
Peoples party 1--WE care nothing for a
name) will restore the rights of the
people, and the ballot box is the medi.
UNI through which it must be accom-
plished.