The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1896-12-16
ON A NEW TACK.
DESTROYING SELF GOVERN
MENT.
How the Money Power Proposes to
Gradually Deprive the People of
the Right to Make the Laws.

From the Philadelphia American.)
The dear-dollar men are on a new
tack. They have long since tired of Re-
publican institutions and methods. They
have built their system on monarchial
Ideas, and to have to work out and es-
tablish such system with Democratic
tools is sadly trying on their store of
patience. To get people to voluntarily
sell themselves into bondage is no easy
matter, and after they have once sold
themselves into bondage, illimitable tact
and eternal vigilance is needed to keep
them there
And this is just the task that has been
set before our dear-dollar men. To fas-
ten their system of an appreciating dol
lar on our people they have had to gain
the support of the very men, or at least
of the representatives of the very men
they have planned to despoil of the
fruits of their toll And to maintain
their system they have had to keep the.
support of the very men upon whom they
have laid an exacting tribute. Many are
the arts and great the expense they are
put to in getting the many to vote them
selves into poverty that the few may
gain. This aggrandisement Of the few
at the expense of the many, this despoil-
Ing of the producing classes that the
few may wax fat, is the foundation on
which is built up despotism and oligar-
chy. But in Democracy we do not ex-
pect to find such conditions. When the
people are entrusted with the making of
their own laws that they may protect
themselves against injustice, we do not
expect to find the many paying an un-
earned tribute to the few. Yet this is
Just what we do find in our country to-
day, this is just what we have brought
about by the establishment of the sys-
tenn of the appreciating dollar, which
subtly, but surely, takes from the indus
trious the fruits of their toll and gives
to the idle. The building up Of an
oligarchy of wealth, in effect if not in
name, is the result.
That Democratic principles should not
be imbedded in the natures of those who
profit from the establishment of such an
un-Democratic system is natural. That
they should fondlS dream of the over
throw of the Republic and the establish
ment of governmental system more in
accord with their cardinal tenet that the
many should be the hewers of wood and
the drawers of water for the few, is not
surprising. But such fond dream has
seemed to them to be an Utopian hope.
they have regretfully regarded the Re-
public as an evil to be endured, they have
striven to reconcile themselves to the
great periodical inroads that they are
obliged to make on the tribute exacted
frOYp
beguile such producers into voting a con-
tinuance of the payment of such, or an
even heavier tribute. So, democratic in
stitutions are very unsatisfactory to our
dear-dollar men, for the necessity of con-
trolling elections so as to enable them to
carry further and to completeness their
schemes of ACKNOWLEDGMENT, or so as
to at least guard against the overthrow
of the system so dear to them, subjects
them periodically to heavy tax. But as
unsatisfactory as our dear-dollar men
have found the tools Of democracy with
which to build up an oligarchy. thew
have felt obliged to put up with them.
Get rid of such tools they would if they
could. How to get rid of them has been
the unsolvable question.
But at last they have struck a brilliant
idea. BY gradual degrees they will cir
cumvent the difficulties they meet with
In Republican institutions and methods.
They will, step by step, get Democracy
out OF their way. They will take from
the people the power entrusted to them
to protect themselves. They will reduce
Democracy to the mere shadow of q
name, SO that the people shall have no
say in their own governing. They see
the means to accomplish this, at least
q possible means, and they will try it on
at once. And now how do they propose
to go about it? BY getting congress to
abdicate its legislative functions over
one matter after another. But abdicate
to who? To special commissions ap-
pointed by whom they do not much care.
only so the members are amenable to
their commands. And where would they
commence, from what sphere of action
do they ask congress to step aside for a
commission to step in? It is as to ques-
hons relating to matters of financial and
tarfn policy that they want congress to
declare Its 1ncompetency by stepping
aside and virtually surrendering to a
commission the power to legislate for it
pn such matters. In the future, congress
Is simply to ratify the findings and rec
pmmendations of commissions appointed
In fact, II not In name, by the moneyed
interests. Such is the dream of the dear
money men, such is the keynote sounded
by the sO-called monetary conference
held in Indianapolis this week. The
financial and tariff questions must, we
ire told, be taken out of the sphere of
politics. Questions of monetary and
lariff policy must not be left subject to
changes after every recurring election.
In short, If the people see fit to change
hther monetary or tariff policy estab-
hshed in the interests Of the growing
Dligarchy of wealth they shall not be
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