Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1896-08-27
ON THE DOWN GRADE.
Western Farmers will Not Take ~
Epidemic Twice. '

Epidemic Twice. ef
Populism appears to some new out
break of the neither forces, unmcasured
and therefore to be feared. But
glance ut its history removes much I'M
certainty about its strength. 1t Is re-
hash of the Greenback party. which
picked up after the panic of 1873 the
Gus odds and ends of old parties which
had been dropped off during fifteen years.
and cast in 1876 for Peter Cooper for
President S1,737 votes, of which $1,000
were in Indiana, Michigan. Illinois. Iowa
and Kansas. In 1880. with Mr.. Weaver
of Iowa for candidate, 1t cast 3OS,5!S
votes, of which about half were in the
states just named and Missouri. Then
it faded out, casting only 1880 for
Butler in 1884, and after more or less
fusion with Cleveland men in 1883 and
consolidation with labor men under the
name Union Labor party, polled only
1912 votes. n Then succeeded the
Farmers alliance. polling considerable
vote in a few states, and next the Peo-
pies party gathered up the same pOlit-
ical driftwood with u large number of
vcntion in July, 1892, nominated Weav-
er, who had been the Greenback candi-
date in 1880, and proposed national
currency of $50 per capita distributed
directly to the people under sub-treas-
ury or some other plan. Government
control of railroads and telegraphs, and
government possession of land now held
by corporations. Through all the changes
for twenty years the same idea has pre-
vailed-unlimited paper imitation. But
in 1892, by means of various bargains
with the Democrats, the vote was raised
to 1.O42631, or $40 per cent. of the
total.
This party carried just enough states
to show what 1t would do il it could,
and to make itself utterly detested 10y a
large share of it's own supporters. LII
Kansas it elected, by the aid of Demo-
Gratis, Lewelling governor with 163,50i
votes in 1892, but could muster only
11S,329 votes for him in 1894. and made
no attempt to run candidate in 1880.
The disgraceful conduct of Lewelling iss
well known; In Colorado it elected
Democratic aid in 1892 with 800 plural
ity. but was defeated with him as can
didate in 1894 by 1S.60S plurality. In
Illinois Altgeld was elected as "A Demo-
crat by $4,000 plurality in 1892, but the
state gave 133,427 Republican plurality
in 1891. the Republican vote being $4,000
more than was cast for Harrison in 1892.
So experience in other states has taught
thousands of voters the lesson that loss
of confidence. prostration of business,
disgrace and misrule tending toward an.
archy. surely follow wherever the Popu-
lists get power, and it would be mar
vel If great proportion of the Repub-
leans, and of the Democrats also. who
once acted with this party had not
turned against it with intense feeling.
The uprising of farmers originated in
blind reliance upon dcmagogues of their
own, and the WORKOUT and discarded
demagcyues of other parties. to cure
evils which were solely felt, but which
no government could cure, and which
were largely caused by the unwisdom of
farmers themselves. 1t came in just
the states where the frantic land specl-
lation had caused a few years before
the craEiest advances in land. so that Il
great proportion of the property changed
hands a prices which made profits in or
binary agriculture impossible. The coup-
try was plastered over with mortgages
given when it was believed man could
double his money by buying farm.
The farmers then proceeded to attack
creditors by most unjust laws and de-
cisions regarding collections. and to de-
stroy the confidence and assail the credit
of corporations, preventing extension of
railways. and yet they were foolish
enough to imagine that increasing devel-
opment of their states and larger pros
perity would follow. When inevitable
reaction came il not only Frustrated null
titudcS who had taken too large VEN
lures. but thousands who had been guilty
of no imprudence. merely because they
lived in state cursed by Populsm.
Senator Cameron, when asked whether
he would support Bryan, CURLY an
swered: II am a silver man. but not a
fool" 1t would indct the common sense
of Western farmers to suppose that after
their experience of Populism and free
silver Democracy they would try it
again. That, is one of the epidemics
which men never take twice. The cleo
ton results prove that many thousands
who had the disease have recovered com
pletely. and the wild performances and
utterances of Democratic and Populist
conventions this year have been eminent
~ calculated to cure many morc.-New
York Tribune.