The Republican journal., 1896-02-20
Catching Birds with Chaff.
No. /.


''To surround anything, however mon
strous or ridiculous, with an air of mys-
| terry, is to invest it with a secret charm
and power of attraction which to the
crowd is irresistible
Every new theory that is sprung upon
the world has more or less mystery about
it. And the manner in which anything
partly told, or half explained, spreads
and is taken up by the crowd, fully justi-
tes Dickens assertion with which | open
this series of papers, in which l shall
Peoples Party are being accepted by a
certain class of citizens, only because
they are monstrously and ridiculously
mysterious.
In my brief criticisms of some of the
/ Populist demands and promises, L shall
write as an independent citizen and not as
member OF any political party. Politi-
cal ideas of my own or of any party will
not be advocated in this connection l
/ oAItti' oAiiiPiS o1iON W iliy lCduCiS lldG lllC
Populists are trying to catch birds with
chaff There may be, and is. some good
seed in all this chaff, but the proportion
of grain is so small that it is not worth
/ TIE winnowing.
The Omaha platform says first "We
demand a national currency, safe, sound
and flexible" SO far this sounds well.
and because it sounds well men approve
and applaud it. Do you know what it
! means? When did you ever meet Peoples
| party man that could tell you what it
means? Or, if they have told you its
meaning. do any two of them agree?
Safe, sound and flexible.' 1t may we'll
be questioned how monetary system
can be flexible and at the same time safe
and sound.
From a mechanical point of view, any
thing may be truthfully described as being
safe, sound and capable of being adapted
to different needs or conditions But a
national currency. (which would be at all
!
adapted, must be founded upon basis
which would be as flexible as the cur
rency itself. Such a basis does not exist
if it did exist it would be neither safe MOI
sound. A flexible standard could never
be safe one, changing foundation is
not sure one to build upon. 1t is thus
shown that the opening demand of the
| Populist is one which can not be met by
any system known to the world This is
the first load of chatf which the people
are asked to take for good wheat.
They further demand that this currency
shall be distributed to the people accord
ing to the Farmers Alliance plan or some
better system. (The italics are mine).
PopuIist writer's and speakers, as well as
their party platform, practically demand
that the government go out of the bank
ing business. Yet the sub-treasury plan
of the Alliance is a demand upon the gov
| eminent to organize itself into a great
| loan and banking association with the
| provso that it shall loan its funds at two
| per cent. per annum. Consistency is
| rare" but here it does not exist at all.
| This demand of the Populists is either
the outcome of rank hypocrisy or mex
cusable ignorance. They want this or
some better plan. More mystery here.
What do they mean by some better plan?
Do they agree as to what would be bet
ter plan? They do not. In fact they
have no other we'll defined plan that they
offer to the people. They would tear
down the house that shelters, even before
they get the material together for build
ing better one. Any fool can destroy,
but it takes an able man to create
1t is not the part of wisdom to volun-
tarily leave good home and dwell in the
open air for the sake of saving rent money
with which to build better one some
day. 1t is not the part of good citizen
ship to forsake currency system that
has done our country good service, unless
there is certainty of lettering ourselves.
Once in power, something BETTER
might mean to them a single gold stan
dard. or ii might mean no money at all
They don't know. If they did, they
would tell us what they mean by ''some-
thing better" True, gold standard
would not be consistent with their plat
form, but party which cannot formu-
late the first plank in its platform with
out making it ridiculous, could not be
expected to pay much attention to their
pre-official statements.
In their demand for distribution direct
to the people, they have simply dumped
another load of chaff, which when scratch
over reveals no wheat. ''Also by pay
ments in discharge of its obligations for
public improvements This is the clos
ing clanse of the first plank in the Oma-
ha platform. It is mysterious statement
and, hence, is applauded by that class of
citizens who help make up the crowd, i. 3. ,
the unthinking and easily led part of
humanity.
Is not the government in the habit of
paying for it's public improvements? As