New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1896-02-19

yer question was disappointment to the
friends of honest bimetallism. While
they DID not expect he would pronounce
for free coinage they had ample assuran-
ces that he was friendly to the white
,1netal and that in this respect he would
be an improvement upon Senator Wash
burn who voiced the sentiments of Wall
street instead of Minnesota, and made
himself obnoxiously conspicuous as a
.cantankerous advocate of that Ubiquitous
piece of Legislative humbuggery and Jug
glery, known as the repeal of the Sher-
man act. To Mr.. Washburn, perhaps as
much as any other man in the country,
except the President, is due the dlscre-
dit of that last fatal blow to silver as re-
demption money. The caiamities of
that act that followed, as the night the
day, form some of the darkest pages In
the history of our country. Instead of the
promised relief it brought a fresh train
of ruin and disaster. How could it be
otherwise? The supply of money was
cut down at time when every indus
trial interest in our stricken land de-
manded an increase.
The influences and pressure brought
to bear upon Senator Nelson to yet him
to declare himself as he has and join the
ranks of the Cleveland republicans were
of the most insiduous and far-reaching
character, and, we regret to say, proved
overwhelming. The gold-bug crowd
were becoming desperate. The defec-
lions from their ranks had increased un-
til they had become mighty armies. And
especially was this true of the Scandina-
VANS. Whole counties had become a.
reused to the fact that our financial leg
islation had been dictated by the monied
classes, in their own selfish interests, and
that although the platforms of the polit-
ical parties had solemnly declared for
bimetallism we no longer had bimetal-
llsm, but instead, a single gold standard
with the country bankrupt and almost
hopelessly in the power of few merci-
less financial sharks who were not even
citizens of our country. These men rec.
ognized the potency of Mr.. Nelson's
voice. He was the first Scandinavian
ever elected to the United States Senate
A word from him at this time thew be.
lieved would stem the avalanche in the
direction of silver. The tremendous 20.
litical and official influences they brought
to bear upon Mr.. Nelson proved 1rresis.
tible and his maiden financial speech, the
weakest and lamest he ever delivered in
congress and lacking those elements OF
force and originality which usually char.
acterize his utterances, will be translated
and placed in the hands of tens of thou.
sands of his COUNT ymen residing in vari.
Gus states Of the Union. But twill not
have the desired effect. The people have
gotten the notion into their heads that
the so-called leaders have run the fnan-
cial machine long enough and they pro.
pose to do a little studying and thinking
and voting for themselves.
But this much can be said for Senator
Nelson: If he finds he is wrong ne has
the courage and manhood to fearlessly
assert his convictions. His intimate DO
litical and social affiliations with Banker
Merriam have had q tendency to warp hi
Judgment on this financial question
Down ct Washington lie will rub M q.
gainst an entirely different set OF men
Nearly all Of his western colleagues, Re.
'publicans az well IS demo rats, are hon.