The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1896-08-14
FOR LOAVES AND FISHES.
This is What Prompts rlany Promi-
nent Southern Democrats to
Support Free Silver.
"There are Others Beside Southern
Bourbons Who do it For Like
Reasons.

CHICAGO, ILL, Aug. oGn, 1890.
MR.. L. P. HUNT,
Editor of the Mankato FREE PRESS
At this period in the nations his
tory when the people of the United
States are entering upon political
campaign fraught with the deepest
interest, each day brings me to a
fuller realization than ever before of
the great need of education in polit-
ical affairs for the common people, and
the far more argent need of scourging
and holding up in their true light
those who advocate a fallacious theory
for the sake of personal aggrandize-
ment. Without entering into a dis
cussion of the money question, de-
sire to present, what, in my mind, is
the keynote of the silver craze as ap-
piled to that class who advocate it
knowing full we'll the disastrous re-
suits which would be entailed under
a free silver government.
sit was my privilege few days ago
to be entertained by highly cultured
gentleman of Chicago, who is by birth
Southern gentleman and lifelong
Democrat. He has filed numerous
offices of trust at home and abroad,
and his name is an honored one in
every part of the United States. Few
men are gifted with better knowl-
edge of the needs of the country, and
as the free silver movement began
spreading with such appalling swift
ness throughout the South and West
he cast about for some logical deduc-
tion. Among his Southern friends is
Georgia statesman and to him he
wrote asking why the movement
found such favor in the South. The
reply was revelation. The Georgia
gentlemen stated in vigorous English
that the South accepted free silver as
it's watchword, not because it meant
adherence to Democracy and the
cherished principles of party, but
simply because it offered means for
the South to join issues with the
Western silver states and thereby
ride into power and office. The Of
fees. he wrote, are what we want and
what we are after. The tariff served
us before, but we have worn that SUBJ
ject out and have lost, but the free
silver craze is better. He continued,
we cannot longer trust Tammany to
help us ride into power, for they sell
us out when convenient, and as the
electoral vote so largely outnumbers
US in the North, our only hope Of Sc
curing the offices is to join hands with
the silver states and thereby hope to
control the government. Office, that
word is the foundation upon which
the entire silver structure rests and
through which it secures such I'M
swerving allegiances. The unscrupu-
lous Southern demagogue and politi-
clan who in the past has controlled
thousands of votes, and the leader in
the outdistricts whose influence is
much less, each hope for some recog-
milton of their services.
"For the little postoffice which pays
a paltry few hundred year to the
one which means thousands, the
Southern aspirants are willing, nay,
eager, to barter patriotism, party
fealty, and trample upon the vital
tenents of every good and loyal citizen.
If further proof were needed that
greed and office is the alter upon which
the Southern silver men worship, it is
offered in the action of the true and
stalasort Democrats who have deserted
party and arrayed themselves against
the free silver element. Yet with I'M
bridled passions and an insatiate
greed, the South and West in every
city, village and hamlet have banded
together and under the insiduous
guise of laboring for the poor man,
the 'downtrodden' and the upbuilding
of the nation, they are laborlng with
might and main to place blot upon
the word Liberty extend friendly
hand to anarchy, undermine the
greatest country in the world, destroy
American institutions, smother pa
triotism and sacrifice faithful ad-
herents to Democracy. These are a
few of the things which go hand in
hand with free silver, and any man
who advocated the movement for the
sake of office, be it for hundreds or
thousands year is as much traitor
to his country as Benedict Arnold and
as little deserving of respect as an out
cast. Demagogues of this stamp are
certainly not worthy of the protection
of the flag under which we live.
GEO. I. LIDGERWOOD."