People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1896-04-02
AGAINST THE GREENBACKS.
Peoples Money Threatened
by Gold Conspirators.
PRESIDENT GROVER CLEVELAND
In His Last rlessage, Shows He Is In
the Ring Which Is Sapping the
Life Blood of the Nation.


Life Blood of the Nation.
Have you read the gOld-bug message?
1t emits the dOleful sound of clouds
falling upon the coffin of freedom
Cleveland called an extraordinary
session of congress, which convened
August I, 1893, being the third
congress. The necessity was so grave
that congress must be convened in the
heat of summer in order to save the
country. In his proclamation he used
the following language:
"WHEAREAS, The distrust and
apprehension concerning the financial
situation which pervades all business
circles have already caused great loss
and damage to our people, and threat
ems to cripple our merchants, stop the
wheels of manufacture, and bring dis
tresS and privation to our farmers,
and withhold from our workmen the
wage oflabor; and,
WHEREAS, The present perllous
condition is largely the result of a f.
nancial policy which the executive
branch of the government finds en-
bodied in unwiSe laws which must be
executed until repealed by congress-"
This unwise law was the Sherman
bill, being IAN act directing the pur.
chase of silver bullion, and the issue
Of treasury notes thereon"
Our Buzzard Bay president of duck
hunting fame, soon discovered horrors
in the form of distrust, perilous con.
ditiOns, privatiOn of the farmers,
smOuldering Of the furnace fires, labor
starving and hard times, all on account
of the government issuing new, crisp
United States treasury notes and dis
tributing five million dollars per month
among the people under the provisions
of said act.
He declared these conditions would
continue and grow worse under the
operation Of this law, and in order tn
save the country hetcommanded the
senate and house to appear before him
and styled them "my congress-" and
before he sent them home he proved
to the world that he did own them.
for they did his bidding as he had
asked them to do. He ordered them
to repeal the Sherman bill, which
was furnishing the people money, and
when repealed good times would re-
turn, prosperity would spread over the
land, confidence would be restored, etc.
Sherman and 95 per cent OF his clan
shouted, "me too" and the purchasing
clause Of said act was repealed. Revelry
In Wall street ran wild; plutocracy re-
jOiced; the Rothschilds and their like
sent congratulations to our fisherman;
the bankers and money lenders held
banquetS-while congress melted
away.
What did the farmers and laborers
do? (Another scene.) Some shed tears
of dispair; thousands chose suicide;
many have been turned out Of their
homes, saw their earthly possessions
sold by the sheriff, were forced to say
goodby to friends and home. and areto-
day sutcasts in an unfriendly world:
Others were forced to sell their wheat
at from 30 to 40 cents per bushel, pay
ing the same rate Of interest, the
same taxes, the same lawyers and
doctors fees, the same freight and
railroad charges, while others Joined
the Coxey army.
In the place of prosperity following
the repeal Of the Sherman bill as
promised, times got worse; prices of
everything the farmer had to sell
went lower from day to day. The
great panic Of the age followed. and
swept from the face Of the earth
billions of dollars worth Of property
OF the farmers, business men and wage
"orkers-the very men the president
promised to protect through his pet
scheme.
The repeal of the Sherman act
demonetized silver as far as money of
tnal redemption is concerned, which
reduced the money of final REDEMPTION
one-half and established gold mono.
metalism. 1t stopped the coinage of
the silver dollar, renders the dollar
Of our daddies" token money, the
debt-paying power of which is sus-
tanned by the legal tender clause of
1878, and the present policy of re.
demption in a gold dollar, and still
there is law prohibiting the coinage
Of gold dollars.
A great many republicans seem to
take comfort from the fact that these
times of oppression, ruin and misery
the loss Of property and homes. were
all caused by and under a democratic
administration by "tlnkerinp with
the tariff" and all that is necessary