The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1896-07-22
SOUTHERN POPULISTS
THEY ARE OPPOSED TO BRYAN
Do Not Believe the Professions OF
the Democrats.

Special to the Representative.
The Democratic politicians have met In
National Convention, made more promises,
and asked for another chance" They
have declared for free silver in express
terms for the first time since the war; but
they have deliberately and purposeIy put
party above country, and their acton may
fool enough voters to fatally divide the re-
form forces for this campaign.
The Democratic politicians have, by a
long train OF brazen deception, forfeited the
confidence OF the people, and now refuse to
take the only course that would be guar
antoe that their last promises are made in
good faith. Their endorsement of a cor
rect principle only tends to d.scredit it and
make victory doubtful
I What has been the record Of these poll
tic.ans since the war? Most of them, who
were in Chicago this week. bowling SO
loudly for free silver and trying to steal the
platform Of the Peoples party, have figured
in every Democratic National Convention
for the last twenty years. And let it be
remembered that free silver, and the money
question, has been Just as great an issue,
and just as important question, as far as
the welfare and prosperity Of the people
are concerned, ever since 1873, as it is now
Yet. during all Of this time, every man that
they have before nominated for the presi-
dency has been gold-bug and monopo-
list.
Every Democratic candidate for the pres
indency, who has been defeated. would
have done just what the Republican presi-
dents have done. They were the candi-
dates of monopoly and the money power.
These same so-called free silver Demo-
cratic politicians (who have Just been max
ing such loud professions Of patriotism at
Chicago) have been in these conventions
and helped to nominate all of the gold
bug candidates. In fact, every one of these
candidates in the past have been from New
York. and were selected by Wall ST., before
the conventions met. These so-called free
silver democratic politicians from the South
and West have, for twenty odd years, with
out protest, but with great gusto, met, and
ratified the selection Of Wall St. Have
these Southern and Western politicians
been ignorant Of the blight:ng and ruinous
eftects OF the rule of monopolies and the
gold trust upon the farmers, laborers, and
every producing interest of the Nation? or
have they Willingly and knowingly be-
trayed the people and sacrificed their coun-
try to British rule? Have they knowingly
sold their country for gold in order that
they might, IL their gold candidate should
win, get the spo;ls Of Office for themselves
and their henchmen, and in order that they
might in any event handle the big cam
paign corruption funds, furnished by the
combined New York and English plutoc-
racy? In short, they have either been ig-
norant Of the crimes they were committing,
or else they have done it knowingly and
corruptly. In the language of the late
Senator Vance of North Carolina, they
must have been either "knaves or fools"
In either event, how can any man trust or
follow them?
What has worked such wonderful and
sudden change in these politicians? Why
are they now denounc:ng Wall St., and
seemingly defying the men whom they
have so meekly followed and from whom
they have SO gladly accepted favors in the
past? The reason is very plain to every
Informed and observant man. Their game
of sudden self-righteousnes is not only
understood by the people OF the South and
West, but even their former gold-bug allies
and leaders see the selfish motives that now
move them. Governor Flower, of New
York, after having visited a number of the
delegations OF the Southern States at Chi
cago, came away with great disgust, and is
reported as having said: 'These fellows
don't care any more for silver now than
they have in the past, but there are new
conditions in the South that force them to
take this position for self preservation.
They are in danger of losing the voters who
have followed them so long. II they do not
howl loud for silver, the Peoples party will
carry their states, and they will lose con-
troll
This is the whole story in nut she'll.
These politicians were willing to dicker
and trade with the gold men and monopo-
lies OF the North and East as long as they
could fool the masses of the voters in the
South and West into supporting their
tra:torous leadership They can no longer
fool the people, so now they flop over and
cry for free silver in order to try to hold
the voters in the party traces and secure
their reelection to the offices and fat jobs.
VIII the game of these bosses succeed?
Will they fool the voters again? No. They
will fool only those who want to be fooled
The people are at last aroused, and deeply
in earnest. They know that these same
party bosses have defeated eleven free coin
age bills in Congress while the party had
the power to pass them. They know that
these same party bosses charged all Of the
evil in the country against the Republican
party, and promised to give the people re-
lief just as soon as they could get one
chance. These party bosses got every
branch OF the government-House Senate,
and President; but they not only did not
repeal single Republican law, but they
did even worse than John Sherman and
the Republicans had done. They failed to
keep single pledge made in the campaign,
and deceived and betrayed the people from
beginning to end.
Thus divided and discredited party
makes desperate effort to hide it's record
OF "perfidity and dishonor" in the past by
making fairer promises this year than ever
before. For the first time since the war
thesepoliticians have got frightened enough
not only to declare for silver, but to de-
clare also against National Banks Of Issue
They also denounced bond issues; but it IS
noticeable that they made no effort to stop
Cleveland from issuing them while Congress
was in session. No Democrat ever took
any action in Congress to stop bond issues
until Popul.st introduced bill and press
ed it to a vote. They also declare N their
platform for controlling railroads by the
Government. and preventing the abuses
that arise from railroad pools and combina-
tons. II the people were today aroused on
the transportation question as they are on
the financial question, this great promis-
ing party would have stolen another plank
from the Peoples party platform, and bold
ly declared for the government ownership
of railroads. They are SO frightened at
their own record, and so alarmed at the
rapid growth of the Peoples party, that
thew would declare fer qY1vth:rv whofhor