Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1896-10-29
THE PLUTOCRATS.
THEY ARE THE WEALTHY o NNERo
OF SILVER MINES.

THEY ARE THE WEALTHY OWNERS
OF SILVER MINES.
They Are Endeavoring to Entrap the Pee
pie to Adopt Vicious Financial System
That Will Benefit Nobody but Themselves
Evil Example.
The Populists, including their nation
al leader. Mr.. Bryan. are full Of denun-
citation Of the plutocrats Of this coun-
try. who, 80 they say, are endeavorins
to enthrall the people by means Of q
vicious financial system. In one sense
this is true. There Is class Of men
who can well be styled plutocrats, be-
cause they are the owners Of fabulous
wealth, for a great portion of which
they are indebted to favorable legisla-
ton which they have received from
congress-. These plutocrats are endeav-
oring, by false pretenses. to entrap the
people into the adoption Of a vicious
financial system which will benefit no.
body but the plutocrats. and that ben
eft will be secured at the expense OF
the wage-earners of the country and
the thrifty and provident Of all classes
These plutocrats are the multi-mill-
ionaire owners of the silver mines.
They are the richest single group Of
men In the United States. Twenty sill
yer mine owners could be picked out
In the United States whose combined
wealth is greater than that of any
group Of like number to be selected
from among the bank presidents, the
railroad presidents or the great manu-
facturers Of the country. These men,
either by person or by their personal
representatives. have been represented
In both houses Of congress, particular.
w in the senate. for years. Through
the medium of laws which they have
procured to be passed In their interest,
they have unloaded upon the govern
ment Of the United States nearly the
whole product OF their mines for years;
and this at a price which al the pres
ent market quotations OF silver bullion,
has caused the government q loss Of
Sl5O,OOO,OOO, every dollar OF which has
gone Al enhanced profits directly In the
rockets of those plutocrats themselves.
The only newspaper in New York
CITY OF any Importance which Is adyo-
eating the free coinage Of silver Is
owned by VIII r. Hearst. the only son
of a silver mine owner who left at his
death a fortune of upwards of 100000
900, largely invested in silver mines,
That inherited wealth is being put to
use In endeayoring to secure the adop-
ton of financial policy which will
largely increase It. The same young
man owns the leading free silver pa |
per on the Pacific coast, and 1t Is said
he PROPOSES to establish another like
organ In Chicago.
Yet Mr.. Bryan, who has, gratuItously |
he says been working in the interests |
OF these plutocrats for years, advocat-
Ing their cause and endeavoring to Gre
ate sentiment in their favor all over
the country, would have the people be- |
lieve that these plutocrats are actu- |
ated by purely phllanthroplcal motives. |
and their sole desire Is to improve the |
conditions of the laboring man and the |
farmer.
We have no desire to follow the evil
example set by Mr.. Bryan, and endeav-
or to foment il-feeling between the |
employers of labor and the men whose
labor Is their only capital but we can
not refrain from asking where and In
what form has this alleged phllan-
thropical spirit OF the silver mine own
ers developed itself? Was II In Lead
vile, Col, where for the last two
months and half a strike has been
In progress, owing to the fact that the
silver mine owners desired to Increase
their profits by cutting down the rate
Of wages paid for labor? The fact that
10 ,arnas. ,,,nos IL, ooa,,,I,o have mi
.,.o,a ~, =, ,o,,. =, 49, ia ,voros
,ne,,u .sa. ia ar"nasoa ~. IL, wanas
,,,a. oa,,no,v Wv , ru and 10,
w., ""s e" ,,,ns nnne. ~ ,uor,,nn tho
~, W." s WI. ill.,
T., ,n s,,,,,a 80 an,, vharo o,sa hos ,ha
,,,,,,ona,ro Wy s,,var nina owrer over
n"a".a"'a .s s" an,, ,..anos. Il, .sa
.',,' ,sa.a,., ou ondoo,,orod On ho,,ar
~, "aes ..s a1.' it, ~, ,o,,,n.a.,,,,
, .nem sn,', ~" n,,a ,ouos nharo
..oa,'. W" ao.a,,. ~ anu a,sor
pao"'s w. ~ va, , , ,I Odds , s u,
. .s 80 ~, ~, ,''' ,,,ou,,,nn,a, ~, ,ha
.'e ws'' VIA, y, Wv mv' m rs,San =, I
l,s..o. '''''e '"'e'' ''''e' ''''
o'v.e o,oas 49,. ..o l.,
az mus. y. 's'' '',..,.l ..,. 'na s Wv ~
u"s"s VI ~, "s' m ~. 49,
rled on win borrowed capitai, Is 'he
one industry the product OF which re-
mains IN value practically unahected
by panics or business expressions un-
the nroducts n tbe mines aood the