The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1896-12-09
POPULISTS ORGANIZE
Initiative and Referendum Clubs.
Not Democratic Silver Clubs.
The Democratic Platform Advocates ''Intrinsic
Value" Dollars.
rReferendum. Shoals. Tnd.)

IReferendum Shoals, Ind)
In order to hold Populists the Demo-
Gratis are proposing to keep up the Or
ganization of their free silver clubs"
for four years.
How awfully enthusiastic! Silver has
been demonetized twenty-three years
and not until the Populist party had put
the coal of fire on the Democratic turtles
back could she be made to crawl toward
free silver. Not then except for the rea-
son that the Republicans had at ST.
Louis made the first, strongest and most
acceptable bid for plutocratic support
with a much better show of delivering
the majority of the deluded votes to plu-
tocracy than democracy could muster.
Why should a Populist now train with
Democracy in free silver clubs for four
years? Are not all Populists from all
parts of the United States free silver
men? Is free silver the end-all, be-all,
and cure-all of our national troubles?
Let lis analyze Democratic consistency
from the standpoint of their own plat
form. 1t will be easily seen that Pop
ulist training with Democrats for free
silver for four years will be much like
big stout man playing marbles with a
boy that long The new Democratic
platform declares:
I'VE therefore, denounce the issuance
of notes as money for national banks as
in derogation of the constitution, and
we demand that all paper which is made
legal tender for public and private debts,
or which is receivable for dues to the
United States, shall be redeemable in
coin."
The fact that they demand all paper
money to be "redeemable in coin" even
though it is also receivable for dues to
the United States, makes the Democratic
party an advocate of the intrinsic value"
dollar and forces them to defend the doc
trine that the value of a dollar is in the
metal it contains.
This doctrine all true Populists and
political economists deny, and Demo-
Gratis themselves are forced to abandon it
when they attempt to defend their plat
form which also declares: 1--WE demand
the free and unlimited coinage of both
silver and gold at the present legal ra-
ito of 16 to without waiting for the aid
or consent of any other nation"
Now. if a paper dollar must be re-
deemable in metal dollar, because the
paper is fiat, and the value demanded is
in the metal, see what ridiculous pro-
position our Democratic friends have
made. The value of the bullion in the
present silver dollar is SO cents They
would coin silver dollars worth So cents,
bullion value, to redeem 100 cents worth
of fiat money. In short, they would re-
deem paper fiat money with 47-cent fiat
and 53-cent metal value. Why redeem
fiat dollars with fiat dollars? Aye, why
redeem one mans dollar with another's
at ALL Again no more paper dollars
could be issued than could readily be re-
deemed in coin (gold and silver), how
ever scarce these metals may become in
proportion to other property and the in
creasing population of the nation de-
manding money for use in business. The
paper dollars can be gathered up and
redemption demanded in both scarce
metals forcing the government to Issue
bonds to keep large stock of them on
hand for that purpose.
Free silver Democrats by their plat
form declarations are far from being
Populists. Beware of their free silver
clubs till they declare the true princi-
pies of money. They have not been will
ing to push the fight against national
had a national banker on their ticket for
vice president, and because the politici-
ans are afraid to tackle this gigantic
money trust for fear they might lose
their support in this campaign and lose
a chance to bid for their Doodle in future
campaigns.
Politicians are "policy" fellows They
are afraid of getting "too much" in their
platforms. They will tell you-"just
free silver is all you can have.-If you
can't get whole loaf take half loaf"
Listening to such policy twaddle you
have not got crumb.
Our advice to Populists is to let free
silver Democratic clubs alone and or
ganize "Populist Initiative and Referen-
dunn Clubs" When the people again
get hold of their government they can
have what they want. Free silver is
only a patch. Show your Democratic
friends the Populist platform. The rank
and file want what you want.