People's party paper. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1891-1898, 1896-07-24
The Cause of Discomfort.

World and published on Wednesday
Mr.. Bayard seeks for the cause and
origin of the popular discomfort
which eliminated in the free-silver
craze at Chicago.
He says truly that ga system Of
plumber by taxation has created
national distress for which repudis-
ton and ruin are supposed to be
remedies" He argues that the opera
tion through twenty years and more
of the system now known as Mo
Kinleyism produced widespread dis
tress among the farming classes,
with the inevitable result of breeding
a discomfort which now blindly turns
for relief to remedies that are, in
his well-chosen words, "radical, i'm
practicable, illusiory and dangerous !"
All this is true enough, but it is
only part OF the truth. If we are
to search out the genesis of this revo-
luton, for instruction and guidance,
we must seek not one but all the
causes and conditions that have
given it birth. Mr.. Bayard reminds
us that he said four years ago all
that he says now. There has been a
four years failure, then, to apply
remedies, to correct abuses, danger
by righting wrongs.
This is the lamentable fact. The
World also four years ago pointed
out the potent causes of the growing
discomfort, and it has not failed at
any point to warn the Administra-
ton, the legislative branch and the
money power of the disastrous con-
sequences of the blunders they were
making, and which, in spite of it's
warnings, they have made. The
lamentable event at Chicago, and the
d1sordered condition of the popular
mind out of which that event grew
as necessary consequence, are un
fortunately literal fulflments of The
Worlds oft-repeated prophecies
AS Mr.. Bayard must also know,
the existing Administration came into
being by virtue of great popular
uprising against long-endured mis-
government. 1t came into power
specially pledged to reforms that it
has strangely refused even to at
tempt. If any one doubts that this
failure has been one of the chief fac
tors of the disc ontent which finds 80
dangerous a manifesto ion in the
Chicago platform, he has only to
read that platform in order to satisfy
himself. He will fnd the greater
part of Its arraignments directed not
against-tha poltrScsl aEstagofi5idii;s1aT 1 p
Democracy, but against the slrsing
Administration Of the Democratic
party itself.
When this Administration began
sll the reins of power were in its
hands-the reins of government as
we'll as the reins of party direction.
Mr.. Cleveland was not only Presi-
dent: he was the enthusias tioalIy
chosen champion of his party, its
absolutely trusted head, it's Moses,
who had assumed the task of leading
the people out of the wilderness of
plutocraoy, "plunder by taxation"
class legislation, trust extortion and
government by corporate influence.
The people had given him Con-
gress Democratic in both branches
with which to carry out the reforms
promised by Democracy and by him.
self. How did he use his great OPP
portunities?
The Chicago platform of 1892
promised policy of bimetallism by
international agreement, and pledged
the President to seek such agreement
by every means in his power. Yet
even when Congress by resolution
called upon him to invite another con-
ference to that end he refused to
fulfil his own and his party's pledge,
or to grant the obvious desire of the
great body of the people. With
that extraordinary contempt for all
opinions but his own which has come
to be conspicuous feature of his
character since he fell under Wall
street influences, he calmly put aside
the Congressional demand without
so much as word of explanation.
A sincere effort en- his part to carry
out this pledge, such as Congress