The representative., 1896-09-23
A VOICE FROM OHIO.
Liberty or Slavery. Whichq

Editor Representative
l deem the Representative the best
OF the various Populist papers receive.
Keep up the battle against monopoly and
oppression. The Peoples Party cannot
afford to lose one of it's most advanced
thinkers at this critical period. Move
right along in "the middle of the road"
Free silver is not the only reform of the
age, but 1t Is pathway that leads to a
better. This is not so much a battle of
silver against gold as of the poor against
the rich; OF the farmers and worklngmen
against the bankers and monopolists.
The bankers and millionaires, with
scarcely an exception, are for the gold
standard. What is good for them, farm
ers and workingmen, is not good for us.
This Grover Cleveland, John Sherman,
Mark Hanna crowd are not so fond of
the working classes as they pretend to
be. Their attitude during the great
strikes gives the lie to their affectations.
They are not SO fond Of the dear work.
ingman" whom the anarchist silver
ties would pay in 50-cent dollars" ex-
cept during a political campaign. BY
the way, workers, they want to keep on
paying you in what they term "5O-cent
dollars" while we want to restore silver
to the place 1t occupied in our monetary
system prior to '73, when the bullion In
a silver dollar was worth dollar, and
pay you this in 100 cent dollars.
Ask a Republican if these gold stand
ard hard times suit him, and he imme-
diately begins to blame the hard times
on Cleveland and the Wilson bill. Ask
him If the Homestead strike occurred
when the Wilson bill was In operation?
Was it not on account of hard times and
a desire for better, that led to the re-
election of Grover? Did the panic of
~ and '73 occur under Democratic ad-
ministration? Reader, probably you
have observed that the two great panics
of this country occurred at times when
1t was contemplated by money specula-
tors to reduce the volume of our circula-
ting medium. They withdraw this
money from circulation, forced the panic
of '73 and '93, and compelled legislation
favorable to their designs.
The philosophy of the money question
is simply this: The smaller the amount
OF money in circulation the more easily
can it be controlled by the money power.
They created the panic of August, '93;
purchased property at One-half price in
the general smash up, and realized for
tunes thereby. They succeeded in secur-
ing the abrogation of the purchasing
clause of the Sherman bill. They deem
ed that in opportune time, as the hard
times would be blamed on Cleveland and
free trade.
Perhaps they will attempt the identi-
cal game again If Bryan is elected. But
it will open the eyes of our leaders, show
them that metallic currency is not suf-
ficient to perform the business of this
country, and, God grant, an irredeemable
paper currency may be adopted. A pa
per money does not fluctuate in value,
and cannot be controlled by the few.
They who control the money of coun-
A white slavery, a wage slavery, such as
exist in our great cities, is more than
chattell slavery.
In the coming election the people shall
decide the question: Liberty or slavery,
which? A vote for Mark Hanna and Nc
Kinley is a vote for the gold standard,
high tariff and hard JImes. A vote for
Bryan electors is a stroke at plutocracy.
The Republican party is the slave party
of today. 1t wants white slavery and
negro slavery, but not chattel slavery.
Chattell slaves must be fed. If wage
slaves get sick they can die for all their
wage masters care.
If Abe Lincoln should return to earth
he would not be found associating with
Mark Hanna. Yours for liberty,
Andy Nesbit.
Bellaire, Ohio.