The San Francisco call., 1896-06-20
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE.
REJOICING POPULIsTS.

REPUBLICAN LOYALTY TO GOLD WILL HELP
STRENGTHEN THE PoPULIsTs.
To the Editor Of the San Francisco CatE-SIR:
1t is no assumption to say that the stand taken
by the National Republican Convention in St.
Louis in favor of preserving the existing gold
standard and in opposing the free coinage of
silver except by international agreement with
the leading nations of the world will greatly
strengthen the Populists and help build up
the new party, for the Populists, by per-
sistent fight against oblCquy, misrepresenta-
ton and the formidable bulwark of ignorance
encountered in well-orgsnized and discj plined
parties containing a large majority of the
voters gradually emerging from such
seemingly hopeless obscurity into the open
day, and their principles, as they state them,
are beginning to be better understood.
1t is true, and must be admitted, that there
are intelligent and fair-minded men who are
still under the baneful influence of early mis-
apprehension of the principles enunciated by
the Populists, and they honestly believe that
Popullsts stand for Government ownership of
every public means of conveyance and trans
portation," involving 'tne immediate purchase
OF all public highways OF travel and shipping
by the Government, which would obllge the
creation of new public debt of over $11 000,-
100000 TO pay for the railways alone" while
in TACT their platform simply demands" that
"the Government should own and operate the
railroads in the interest Of the people," ana
their financial system provides for the pur-
chase OF railroads without the creation of
debt of any amount, and at actual value OF
the property, and not the inflated value on
which the people now pay big interest and
dividends, in which case the railroads are
worth ali that is to be paid for them, and will
soon pay for themselves and ever after be the
source OF revenue TO the Government.
1t is likewise true that honest men are still
misled, and really believe that Populists favor
''the wiping out of all banking institutions
and the unlimited issue of paper money by
the Government" when in fact their platform
on these two points distinctly says: ''We de-
mand National curreney-safe, sound and
fexible-iSsued by the General Government
only, full legal tender for all debts, public
and private; and ''We demand that the Cir
culating medium be speedily increased TO not
less than $50 per capita, including of course
the gold and silver now in circulation as q
part of the $50 per capita, less amount than
was in circulation at the close of the wal, when
Secretary Window in his report of the Treas
ury Department stated that ".he people were
almost entirely out of debt" and that the busi-
ness OF the country was on cash basis, almost
exclusively and not as now almost exclusively
on confidence" in very shaky financial sys-
TEN.
Similar misapprehensions no doubt prevail
to some extent with reference to other planks
in the Populist platform, but will soon all be
corrected and large numbers OF people, no
longer blinded by prejudice or Ignorance, or
misled by false statements or deferred by OBJ
loquy, will find much to their surprise that
they do not need to become Popullsts, for the
simple reason that they are already Populists
but did not know it. Present conditions
throughout the country stimulate good deal
OF independent thinking and serious invest-
CATION, producing as a natural result the inde-
pendent voter, who becomes deaf to appeals to
stay with the party another four years and try
TO secure reform within the party. These in
dependent voters will not only be numerous
this year, but they will be extremely inclined
to vote for change as the most effective way
TO bring the party" to clear understanding
OF what the country needs in 1896 not in 1900.
Senator Teller will have a following which
may become more numerous than Mckinley
sound money Republicans car at present be-
Heye possible. 1t is certainly q fair statement
which was made in ST. Louis two days since by
one or the ablest living Republicans, John j.
lngalls, that "the Republican party is in
nsition period"; that "the issues on which
II came into power have gone into history;
and that these issues have passed from plat
forms into precedent and are written in
statutes and constitutional amen dments." In
Word, new issues are before the country in
when the plain people feel that they have a
Vial interest. Ii the vote on the adoption of
the platform to-day at ST. Louis-S1212 for it
aud ll013 against it-may be taken as fair
INDICATION OF the free silver minority in
the Republican party that is, about one silver
man to eight gold men, the possible loss of one
vote out OF nine in several OF the doubtful
states VIII be apt to have cooling effect upon
the ardor OF many Mckinley man. 1t needs
no array OF figures TO disclose the stubborn
tact that there is very likely to be a shortage
OF the votes necessary to elect Major Nc
Kinley.
far more genuine and heartfelt satisfaction
over the adoption of the Republican platform
among the Populfsts than among the Republi-
cans. 10 the one 1T is certain promise OF a
large increase In numbers and to the other
loss OF numbers which can possibly be made
good by the detection of gold Democrats and
sun sun ieave the elec toral college knotty prob
lem. No one need be surprised if some inn
portant political developments are made
JosEpH AsBuRY JOHNSON.