The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1896-04-16
SANGUINE.


Congressman Tom Johnson of Cleve-
land is democrat. He is free trader.
He believes in calling a spade spade.
During the debate over the Democratic
tariff bill no honester or more vigorous
voice was raised for pure Democracy.
He had no patience with the nondescript
makeshift which was finally enacted.
At the Jeffersonian dinner given in
Brooklyn, N. Y, lie takes occasion to
express his honest views otthe condition
into which Democracy has brought itself
by its insincerity. Listen to him:
Democratic duty in 1896 is not to
say one thing and mean another. To
make a platform that looks two ways
en- disputed questions, asking "a little OF
both and not much OF either This is
no time to straddle. Let us have facts.
In 1896 we are likely to be beaten.
Straddling certainly cannot save us.
1t can only add disgrace to defeat. Ev-
en- if without evasion or equivocatIon
or mental reservation we proclaim the
1effersonIan principles-we may still be
beaten. But we shall save honor, gain
courage, and in present defeat make
future victory sure.
Bitter experiences shall teach us.
In 1892 we won victory as great as
Jefferson won in 1900. In 1896 the
Democratic party is broken, discredited.
degraded. The reasons plain. In 1892
we asked for power that we might kill
protection, abolish trusts, rednce taxa
ton. We were given the power. Now
Ii is 1896. What protected ring has
been even weakened; what burden re-
moved? In the hands of Democratic
administration the money power that
Jefferson feared has been strengthened
at every point: in time OF peace the
monstrous expenses OF government are
being paid by issuing bonds, and wages |
are lower and times harder than in |
1892. If these are fruits OF Democracy,
what wonder that the people turn the |
other way. Wise men care nothing !
what parties call themselves, but what |!
they do. By their fruits shall We know /
Them
Our victory of 1892 was popular
verdict against Nc Kinleyism; yet Nc
Kinley himself seems certain to be the |
Republican nominee this year, and to be
triumphantly elected. The strength of
the Republican machine and Democrat
&c m1Sruie. The moment our Democrat |
ic administration got in power, the pro-
tected rings captured it and through it
imposed little worse than the Nc Kin
ley bill on the country under the name
OF Democratic reforms, and the same
wave of Jeffersonian sentiment that gave
us the victory OF 80 is rising to over
whelm us in 90.
The silver fanatics are dis wide of the
truth as The gold worshipers, and re-
gard bimetallism as an impossible eva
sion. But the real strength OF tine de
mand for free silver in the west and |
South is protest against the prostitu-
ton of the national government to the
service of banks and stock gamblers;
against such corrupting jobbery as we
have seen in the selling of bonds to
favored syndicate tor millions less than
they we're worth in the open market.
The true basis of a national currency is
that OF the national credit. 1t is not the |
proper function OF government to go in
to the banking business or to loan its |
credit to banks. Tits not the proper func- |
tion OF government to issue money. |
This is sound sense and Ieffersonian doc |
trine.
"Yet the money question, important |
as tits, is trivial compared to the ques-
ton of taxation. If the democratic |
party would escape defeat it must de- |
clare for the Jeffersonian principle of free |
trade. 1t must strike protect1onism |
" here it lives. and demand not tariff for |
revenue only, but the abolition OF all |
tariffs. A tariff for revenue only IS mere |
ly somewhat milder robbery than a |
tariff for protection. Any tariff for rev.
enue must tax the poor more than the |
rich-must engender corruption and fos-
ter rings. 1t is time to raise the Demo
cratic standard for the only practicable |
Tree trade-no tariff at all: This will |
make the Democratic party single tax |
party. The moment the Democratic |
party frankly adopts this and fearlessly |
declares it, it will have a principle and a
future"