Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1896-02-14
incalculable, and resources practically
inexhaustible.

incalculable, and resources practically
inexhaustible.
More than hundred years ago when
our revolutionary fathers had gone sue
cessfully through an eight year baptism
of fire and blood to establish their right
to be free and sovereign nation, with
not three million of people, impoverish-
ed and financially exhaused to the last
degree, with neither commerce or credit
and not the one-thousandth part of our
present national wealth, our monetary
system was established then right in the
teeth of the opposition of British CAPT
tai and their paid agents, who then, as
now, sought to hold us in financial slav-
cry, and practically the same arguments
were used then as now to show that 1t
was to our best interest to permit Eng
land to regulate our financial affairs.
But those sturdy old patriots paid no
heed to them, but went ahead and estab-
lished a system that for eighty years
met all the demands of the most Won
derful national development recorded in
the history Of men.
To your second question answer
both yes and no. To the first part l
answer yes, am satisfied that at least
seven-tenths of the democratic party in
Texas and large majority of that par
ty in the United States is in favor of the
free coinage of silver at the old ratio Of
16 to /. This will apply more particu-
larly to the party in the south and west.
But in the north and east the demo-
cratic leaders being hand in glove
with the republican party on this and
other questions are almost unit for
the decentralization of silver. l do not
believe that the southern and western
democrats will be able to so overcome
the baleful influence of Cleveland,
Sherman and money power sufficiently
to get the honest expression of the ma
jority in the national platform, and
believe this gold standard wickedness
or straddle of the gu 3tion to catch
votes will be fastened Upon the party,
in the event of either of which 1 think
the honest democratic masses will be-
come so disguised they will no longer
act with the party.
do not think the present methods, prin-
ciples and practices of our president
and his comrades are in any way in ac-
cord with the time honored principles
of democracy" for numerous reasons, a
few of which I will mention. 1t is not
time-honored principle of the demo-
cratic party for the president to go into
the republican party and select for the
highest Office in his gift (secretary of
state) a man who boosted to the day of
his death that he had never voted the
democratic ticket. Surely among the
millions of democratic voters there
could have been found some one honest
and capable enough to fill the office.
If there was, then he was untrue to his
party and his principles. If it was true
there was not to be found among all
the democratic millions who could be
trusted with this important portfolio,
then the sooner the party is wiped out
of existence the better.
It is not in accord with democratic
usage or principle to issue in time of
profound peace the enormous amount
of $162, 900, 900 of bonds to supply de-
ficiency which is occasioned If not d.
rectly at least indirectly by destroying
the debt-paying power of one-half the
democratic and constitutional money Of
the country and to cover up as far as
possible that criminal and undemocrat-
ic blunder. 1t is not democratic for a
democratic president, who, when elect
ed and finding an unprecedented dem
ocratic majority in congress who are
opposed to the unconditional repeal of
the silver bill of 1890, or in other words,
who are opposed to the unconditional
destruction of all silver money, con-
ceives himself to be Infinitely wiser and
greater than the whole democratic par
ty that he joins with the republican mi
nority led by that enemy of democracy
and constitutional liberty, John Sher-
man, by invoking all the influence of
his great Office and lavishing false
promises, cause enough democratic
votes to join with his faithful republic
an following to carry the repeal, and
then when enough of the democratic
congress, conscious Of the great wrong
he had induced some Of them to COM
NIT, sought to partially atone for 1t and
asserted their manhood and principle
by passing the "seigniorage BILL" faith
full to his working republican minority
and the money kings Of Wall and Lom-
bard streets to prevent cheapening their
gold and vetoed it, knowing 1t could not
be passed over his veto by two-thirds
majority, by which act alone 10 caused