The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1896-08-19
OLD REPUBLICANS OPINION.
FINANCIAL QUESTION OVER
SHADOWS ALL OTHER
ISSUES.
Financial Independence as Import
ant as Political Independence-
The People Greater Than
MOney.Bags.

Editor Representative:
In this trying time for our country,
afflicted as never before in its history,
but once, by hard, grinding times. it
is not matter of wonder that party
ties sit very loosely. Parties have be-
come divided, and everywhere in our
broad country citizens are re-aligning
themselves upon new issues-issues
vital to the welfare of our country.
In the contest now before US, the
one issue paramount to all Others is
the financial question, for 1t involves
our independence as nation. Our
financial independence is as impor-
tant as our political independence.
Both OF the great political parties of
our country have long been controlled
by elements alien to American inter-
ests and American honor.
A large membership in each of
those PARTIES have long protested
against the policy which the foreign
and domestic bondholders have forced
upon the country. With party plat
forms skillfully worded to mean one
thing for one set of men and directly
its opposite to other men, the people
have been deceived until the whole In
dustrial and commercial in terests Of
the country have been paralyzed, and
bankruptcy and crime are the leading
characteristics Of this era, which
should be, and would be, one Of unex-
1nA nj Z h,1f fnr ho nj In
islation which foisted the gold stand
ard upon the country. Both parties
have heretofore professed devotion to
the use Of gold and silver as money
metals, but in administering the gov
ernment both have yielded to the de-
mands of Wall street and have public
ly dishonored the money Of our coun-
try by discrediting one of its compo-
nent parts-silver.
BY law, our silver and gold coinage
is Of equal dignity and power. All Of
the puDlic obligations of the United
States are in coin. The law has been
disregarded and American interests
sacrificed by permitting the creditor
to select gold.
To keep up the supply of gold. the
public debt has been largely increased,
and in the scramble for gold its value
has greatly increased, which increase
is felt in the general decline of all the
products Of labor, until production in
every field Of effort has ceased to be
profitable. and the hardest Of hard
times is everywhere felt.
This has aroused the people from
direct issue, and the avoidance of
straddling platforms, and a division
of the people upon the direct issue.
The Republican party, against the
protests Of some of its ablest leaders,
has boldly declared itself the cham
pion Of the existing gold standard
the standard of oppression and of
ruin. This "existing gold Standard"
as they choose to call it, is not the
standard Of law, but is such by the
misconstruction OF law by sworn OFF,
GERS OF the government.
In France the government will not
permit the hishonor OF the paper, sill
yer or gold money of the nation, by
relinQuishing its right to pay in eth
er form all obligations, as it honors
ceiving for all dues either form OF it's
money. Our government has not been
bold enough to refuse to receive it's
paper and silver money for all taxes,
for the law is obeyed. Yet, the viola
tiOn of national interests, as we'll as
of law, In openly inviting the dishonor
of It's paper and silver issues by pay
ing out gold in exchange, the looting
OF our treasury has gone on, and the
legal-tender paper which the law says,
when received into the treasury
shall be again re-issued," has been fla
grantly disregarded by the present ad.
mfnistratfon, and in this pinch of
hard times, when dimes seem like dol
lars, the people are deprived of the
money which is unlawfully locked up
In the Treasury!
President Cleyeland, dividing and
wrecking his own party by his policy
of ruin, has found his chief support in
the ranks Of the Republican party,
which has now openly declared for the
very policy denounced by the masses
of the American people and forced the
political revolution which is now
spreading through the country.
Started by a new declaration of inde-
/. pendence at the National Democratic
convention in Chicago, and the NOM
ination of leader of the Jacksonian
type, who is for the people and of the
people; whose noble and eloquent
words in defense OF popular rights and
III uCu OnNA0VAOA Va viz WAOukS xVECOU
upon long suffering and patient peo-
pie, has aroused such feeling of en-
thusiastic approval as will triumph
antly carry him into the presidency.
The writer of this, Republican
since the days of Fremont, revolts at
the base surrender to plutocratic
power, foreshadowed since 1894 by the
controlling elements of that party,
and with q very large section OF it we
glory in the new departure of re-
formed and genuine Democracy which
defies the power which vainlY boasts
that it can by its concentrated wealth
block all the wheels OF industry by
locking up the peoples money. Fore
warned is forearmed. The American
people are greater than all the money
bags, and they do not propose to per
NIT the exercise Of any such power.
This same power once confronted
General Jackson and audaciously