Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1896-06-25
SILVER MEN SPEAK
lhtl ISSUE AN ADDRESS TO THE
PEOPLE OF THE COUNTRY.
ihes review the Causes which Lea
10 Their Leaving the ubIi
rafss--senator Teller Is Decided
Upon As Their Choice for pr..,
"ent' and They Hope That He
Will BE Endorsed.

st. Louis, June Gothic bo,t,nc sr,ro.
mon to-day issued the foIlowIpy ,55ra,st
i the People OF the United Stoto..
ooeyihg the call OF duty. ana irsti6ad
| Ny the common citizenship OF this rennh-
~ We address this communication 10 the
people aud the forthcoming conventions
OF the United States. In doing so we
cIaiin no authority or right Of other kan
"nNh belongs 10 every man 10 express
personal conviction but we respectfully
solicit the cooperation OF all who believe
that the time has come for a return IN
the simpler and more direct method OF
nahlhS men for national service than has
obtained in recent years.
foitlcal party organization Is necessary
because without V the individual voter is
oumb; but The party is only the means.
not the END, II Is the voice aud hot the
sense. As the world advances I'm this won
derful epoch OF intellectual development
ana physical Improvement there is a con-
stant requirement for better things. The
h.ulVidual feels that requirement and needs
", or he falls Ia lifr'S endeavor. Parties
must also obey the same law. IL follows.
therefore. that the moment a party shall
choose 10 stand still or retrogress, it is no
longer efficient 10 achieve the end TO which
- - H'N oNbiha utNNiifu. ltltI1
Is no sanctity Ia mere party name.
and the mark OF decay Is set on individual
strength in a nation, when the absolute
rule OF political organization coerces man
from tho truth for the sake Of pxpediency
and establishes insincere submission TO
partisan rule for the sake OF power.
recognizing the value and the splendid
achievements Of political parties in this
country as elsewhere we are get constrained
20 believe that for more than twenty years
no one OF them has been entirely sufi-
cient for the needs of the people. The
great trend TO better things, resting in
the heart and purpose of all men. has
been stayed during the ;ntter part of this
generation by the failure of parties TO ex-
press in their achievements the highest
hope and aspirations Of the mass of the peo-
| pie who constitute the parties. And there
has been growing in this cOuntry-swell-
with each recurrence OF national
I eleCtion-a great mass Of Independent voters
| and thinkers which failing within itself
TO control. has gravitated between the tive
great parties. Since 1872 excepting posi-
| bly, the election of 1876 the pendulum has
swung from side to side with each four
| years. In 1872 the Republican party elected
the president; in 1876 the Democracy
| claimed the election: in 1850 the Repub-
| llcan party elected: in 1884 the Democrats
| elected; in lSg2 the Democrats elected:
in 1896 until within a few weeks II has
| been conceded that the Republicans would
| elect.
| What has been the cause OF this mighty
| oscillation Of a mass which this year has
probably obtained controlling proportions?
/ Every man can answer TO himself, IL he
has been an observer; If he has had inter
eSts that have been affected; If he has felt
q hope 10 see greater justice done and
has seen that hope blasted; X ne knows
that the general dissatisfaction has arisen
from the fact that party promises made
were broken TO the people by party per-
| Torrance. He knows that so soon as the
election was over and successful candidates
| Installed they became the servitors of the
| party and the advocates Of a narrow and
| uon-progrcssive policy within which alone
| there seemed 10 be IN assurance OF Selnsh
| safety and partisan approval.
Daring all Of this period We hay" lacked
a great constructive administration No
! new social truth has been put forward in
| an effective way. while in all the DEPART
! ments OF physical life thcre have been de
yeIopmcnts and achievements of ease and
| comfort 10 the favored of mankind; In the
f,lll greater and more Important domain OF
social reform we have stood still or retro
crossed.
II Is not that the people have not felt
the strings OF CrnIination, that his IN
| action has endured; but because OF the
rule Of the party which has largely con-
troIled men il and out Of Office. 1t 1aS
become a source of reprOach to any man
| mat he should dare to renOunce allegiance
10 organization Men have beel expected
To submit their views 10 the iictatioi 4
conventions. although IL is common knoWl-
edge that conventions have been sWayeu
10 views and declarations not the most ap-
| proved by the mass of the people nor pro-
| cresslve for their welfare.
we do not arrogate to ourselves one iota
more Of intelligence, patriotism or courage
| Than Is possessed by any Of our fellow citl-
zens But we feel that the time has come
for the performance Of a duty 10 the coun-
try. and for our part, though we shaIi
stand alone. we will make an endeaVor III
tho direction of that duty. Parties may
| outline their usefulness; the truth never
| becomes obsolete. Every generation OF Tree
men has the right to affirm the truths Oh
past knowledge and present requirement
| aud IL the enforcement OF these truths
shall make necessary a departure from
| Marty organization. the people have TINS
,lrbt and will exercise ii until other parties
shall return to the truth or new parties
shall be created TO effect 1t into law.
n the voices which have sounded to us
from every state In this Union are an indi-
| cation of the real feeling, this year Is the
| anpOinted time Tor the peopie W Soc
themselves through such mediums as may
Give hest promise OF the achievement OF
i%pstice. But whether we are mistaken or
not concerning the general sentiment In the
United States, we have not mistaken our
own dnty in Withdrawing from the Repuo-
| iicon convention, feeling 1t Is better to be
| EIGHT and with the minority In apparent ue-
feat than TO be wrong with the majority IN
| apparent triumph.
we hold that In the great work OF sociai
evolution In this country, monetary reform
stands as the first requisite. No policy
/ however promising Of good results can
take IFS place. Continuation during me
nsxt four years upon the present hnanciai
system will bring down upon the American
naonle that cloud OF impending evil TO avert
which should be the first thought OF staIes-
mon and the first prayer of patriots. our
yery institutions are at stake. Today Win
/ The rapjdly increasing population, win
widely swelling demands, the basis OF our
money is relatively contracting, ana tne
people are passing into a servltuue al tne
more dangerous because Ii Is not physicaii!
snnarent The nation itself, as TO the otner
u~ations. is losing the sturdy courage ~nich
nonIs make II defiant In the face OF MUS
| NC and internal wrong. From the FARMER
ard tradesman 10 the government inere
snnarent the shrinking from giving OF,
Tense, lest the vengeance OF some ohenueu
ANhbNN -AAVI Nina hn2l-