The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1896-10-14
A KANSAS FARMER
On the Conservatism Of the Moneyed Interes,


conservative moneyed interest in home
affairs. For money is always conservative,
ard there is always a very large element of
people in every country who instinctively
worship money. and bow down to those who
possess it, And such, of course. take their
cue from the millionaire and follow implic-
lilly in his wake. England furnishes the
most conspicuous illustration of this princi-
pie of human nature. as the common labor
er and mechanic there are of no more con-
sequence than were our slaves before eman-
cipa ton, while all those who possess any
considerable means are the obsequious ad
mirers and imtators of the titled gentry
Of the nation, and are known in politics
conservatives. The result Is that Il few
hundred dukes. lords and barons ride the
country and the millions do these service
and honor. That the same element exists
with us is demonstrated by the readiness
with which our pseudo aristocracy rush to
the embrace Of foreign dignitaries, without
regard to their character OF services, the
moment they set foot on our shores. And
this element, whether in the old world or
among us, always exists and any and all
changes that look to the amelioration or
Improvement Of the condition of the masses
OF society. lest it should deprive it of some
of its unjust privileges and advantages, and
thus even up and equalize the condition of
the people. And / showed in former
number how this element of pessmists
and conservatives demeaned itself with re-
spect to the American revolution, and
also It's treatment of that great reformer
and friend Of man. MIR. Jefferson. Let us
now pursue the subject.
The next great era of anglo mona rchal
development In this country was in 1S32-40,
when President Jackson was engaged in
his conflict with Nicholas Biddle and the
old United States Bank. The report of i
congressional committee showed a large
proportion of the stock Of the bank owned
by British lords and other ruling gentry OF
England, and thus the conflict of the bank
to the American people, and readily secur-
cd their condemnation. 1t was conflict
of the creature with it's creator, and like Il
similar conflict in heaven was unnatural,
and therefore could not succeed. But while
1t ragged, as at present with us, all who
leaned In that direction and espoused it's
cause did valiant service in It's behalf
None but those who lived at that time can
soHSCiNc tHC NSIiCIil dtu NlOIcHCe eHSenOOF-
ed by the conflict on the part of those inter.
ested In the bank, and all who habitually
sympathise with money and capital 1t
was shown that the bank had squanuerel
$50, coo, Coo in substituting the public press and
buying up members of congress under the
pretense of loans never intended to be paid
and which never were paid, and thus was
laid the foundation for the wreck which
afterwards followed. ard involved the ruin
of widows and orphans by the thousands.
and the big metropolitan press of the coun-
try responded with the most incendlary at
tacks upon the president and even counsel
ed violence and an organization to march
TO Washington and depose the executive
from his Office. Such Is the conserva tism
of money when It's illegitimate gains are
Invaded and It becomes worked up to fever
heat. as at present with us. And we al
ready begin to hear similar suggestions
from the recesses of Wall street Of extreme
measures to be adopted in case of the cleo
ton of Bryan. The recent letter of Dr.
Miller. Of Al West Ninety-sixth street New
York city Oct him be duly advertisedD, de-
clares that Bryan may never be duly inau-
gurated even If elected, smacl1s of the
Jacksonian era, and also Of the dangers
threatening Lincoln on his approach to
the capital In February, 1861, for the same
purpose. And will only say in reply that
IL Wall street and its denizens want to be
wiped from the map Of the earth, they have
only TO try the experiment TO which they
hint, and their ambition may be duly sat
lsfed. The American people have stood a
great deal from that den of tricksters and
shysters. thieves and marauders, manipula-
tors Of the lives and fortunes and very ex-
fstence of society, so that it only needs an
overt act Of violence to the SOVEREIGNTY of
seventy millions of people to bring down
upon their heads the punishment and retri-
button it so richly deserves.
Still another campaign In our history
when the anglican conservative spirit
among us became rampant was in 1860,
when the common people Of the country be-
came engaged in a conflict with the great
slave aristocracy. which over indulgence
created, and which demanded possession of
ell the public lands of the nation on which
TO place its accursed institution-thus de-
priving the white men of their inheritance,
and leaving where they now are, without
a place on which to lay their heads. But
this last came from the conduct of their
unfaitnful public servants at WASHINGTON.
who, by one fell swoop of congressional leg
ts!ation. swept all the public lands worth
holding into the hands of the great syndi.
Gates and corporations. from whom they
have descended to foreign owners to the
extent Of five or more states equal in area
TO the largest states in the Union, and this.
after the Republican party in it's infancy
end purity had pledged the land as home
steads for the people, and thereby gained
the benizen of good and faithful servants
for providing homes for the homeless, and
preferring man to mammon and fish and
blood to gold. j dwell upon this episode Of
the party with feeling, since it was that
which early forced me from its ranks as
evidencing the future trend OF the party.
and that it was about to turn its back to the
common people Of the country, In which 7
have not been disappointed.
But to return from this diversion, The
campaign OF 1860 was very similar to the
present. both as to the parties to It and
the mode and manner Of its conduct. The
gist and animating spirit of the two were
ana are Identical. 1t is and was the COM
mon people versus all aristocracy OF money
ami capital fighting for privilege. In the
first case the demand was for territory in
dispensible for Its purposes and its very ex-
istence. In our case it is a demand for
possession CT the government as an ingtru-
mentality to build up and promote its ends
at. the cost ana expense Of the whole peo-
pie And what are these ends and aims
at? They are sufficiently indicated by ref
erence to the past: how in providing nee