Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1896-09-10

Stock il issued 70 represent this ficti-
| tious value, often four times the
actual cost Then othersbranches, or
competing reads, are bought up, and
in. the operation of aconsolid ation''
millions Of watsred stock is issued,
! and, lastly, on this mass of knavery
and fraud freight and passenger she
dulles are made to pay attractive di-
vidends that can only come from the
sweat and toll Of poor farmers whose
fertile acres invite thegreed Of these
railroad operators and wreckers.
And thus it is that while these farm
ers receive butte cents . bushel for
oats, 10 cents q bushel for corn, 80
cents bushel for wheat, and cents
or nothing for potatoes, which when
transported to market afe sold by the
Operators" on the produce exchanges
for 40 cents, SO cents, 10 cents, and
40 cents respectively for the pro-
ducts named, and other products =
meat, eggs, butter, cheese, and hay
in the same proportion, the million
aire in the city pockets the differ
ence in rsilroat earnings" clips his
coupons from his bonds, and runs
over to Europe, and wonders what
the devil those miserable Populists
are making SO much noise about.
Mr.. Editor, I am not a Populist:
I am Democrat, and I believe the
democratic party can and should find
a Semedy for the evils which have
brought this populist partylnto life.
1t is the party of the people, and
should carry into practice its prin-
ciples, "equal and exactjustice to all,
protect the masses against the classes,
and special privileges to none" and
thus fill the measure Of its faith in
securing the greatest good to the
greatest number. Had this been done
by those in power there would be no
popullst party nor any need for one.
When the farmer comes to his
country store, as the writer has seen
them in the South and exchanges
one dozen eggs for two postage
stamps, trades his butter for Is cents
a pound for tea, coffee, sugar, and
calico; his bacon at 8 cents, and beef
for to cents a pound, it shows
that money is scarce, and therefore
dear, and that commodities are yer =
cheap. And shows too, that the
farmer is SO poor, as a direct conse-
quence, that he is little better than a
serf or slave. Is it strange that he
should demand more money and
higher prices for his produce? Is it
strange he should demand the re-
storation Of silver to it's former con-
stitutienal status as money Of re-
demption? The laboring classes
everywhere are. in nearly as bad
condition as the farmers, and their
united cry for relief has gone up be-
fore every national convention that
has been called during the past
twelve years, and 1t has been heard
and answered at lastin the democra-
tic platform lately adopted at Chi
Ecago. mistake the temper Of these
people greatly if they do not vote as
they pray next November, regard
less Of what their conventions may
; do. Jeers, scofing, caricatures will
not deter them; threats ofpan1c will
E not brighten them, nor can money
buy them; they will garner the
sbeaves of victory Of which the Chi
cago platform is the emblem and the
bow of promise, and before the ma.
jesty Of their power the greedy mil.
lionaire and Shylocks Of Wall street
must bow in submission.-B. F.
Clayton in Washington Post.
: A TEST OF FAITH.