The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1896-08-19
THE OLD SOLDIER.
One of Them Writes a Brown Roast
to Their M1srepresentative
Journal.

Journal.
The following scorching letter, ad-
dressedto the editor Of the National Trib-
une, Washington, D. c.. has been received
by the Representative from the soldiers
post at Rock Rapids. Iowa. Its scathing
rebukes Of the oppressors and Its unan-
swerable arguments, together with Its In
tensely earnest loyal and patriotic spirit,
must be accepted as a satisfactory excuse
for its extreme length.
AN OPEN LETTER TO THE EDITOR
OF THE NATIONAL TRIBUNE.
WASHINGTON, d. c.
Mr.. Editor:-In your issue of July IA,
1895. you say editorially: 1T Is almost
impossible to say which feeling Is upper
most in considering the Chicago conven-
ticn, amazement, or humiliation. You are
intensely amazed that ever in 7O.OOO,OO0
free, educated and generally sensible peo-
pie, there should be such an array OF ma
ngnants, charlatans, and noisy notorious
incompetents. You say it Is amazing that
In the face OF the distress that the coun-
sells of these have already brought upon
the country they should have the impu-
dence to come again to the front. The
better part Of the Democratic party was
ignored, overrid den, insulted and finally
driven out where the platform is not
vamped and bombastic, 1t Is vicious. The
free silver doctrine is tissue Of vicious
falsehoods, and Misrepresentation.
THE supreme court is traduced and Its
doctrines denounced. The veterans of the
country receive a passing allusion which
Is more insulting than absolute silence
would have been. The nominee for presi-
dent is a cheap. noisy, young man who
never achieved success in any walk In
life that he has tried, and his constituents
rejected him by sweeping majority. You
say, having accumulated four hundred
million ci1xor do11o IN no IInito7 StafNN
treasury for which there is no demand,
the Rebel Democratic Populist purpose to
make the treasury bargain counter and
run them off at half price,"
Now, Mr.. Editor, we, the old soldiers in
Rock Rapids, Iowa, and vicinity are
amazed at the ignorance, stupidity, mar
rOw-minded and vicious reasoning, as set
forth in this issue. We were soldiers In
the late war. got our pay in the so-called
35-cent dollars, in the same money the
bondholders paid for their bonds. We
helped make the Republican party, and
we are proud Of the early record of the
Republican party. The most Of us voted
the party ticket straight for long years
until the Grand Army buttons came to be
regarded almost as a Republican badge.
We are Lincoln Republicans yet. although
our Grand Army badge don't stand for
Mckinley now.
Why Mr.. Editor, 1t would do your mar
row-minde1 little soul good to learn you
some good common sense If you could at
tend a Peoples Party convention and see
the Grand Army buttons thicker than
those in all the other parties. Only 1876
of these buttons showed up in the free
silver convention at st. Louis last week.
You appeal to the veterans prejudices,
telling him pensions will be cut in two,
paid in Soc dollars when you well know
that this reasoning is all nonsense and un-
true. We well know that your reasoning
is tissue of vicious falsehoods and mis-
representations.
You ought to come out West, Mr. Editor,
out of that musty office holding gold-bug
atmosphere; out among the people who
work for living; out among the people
who have labor and the pro 5ucts of labor
to sell, and there is no market for them.
And you would see the common people
arising in their might and power as they
did in 1861 and in monster meetings fill
Ing their protest against Mckinley, and
the British gold standard and wage slav-
cry. You assume that all the honesty in
politics reside in the gold standard wings
OF the Democratic and Republican parties,
and you hurl all the foul epithets at your
command against the party who simply
demand return to the constitutional
money of the nation, a gold and silver
standard. And you assume to be amazed
that, In view of the distress already
brought upon the country by these con-
spirators for the maintenance of the
money of the constitution, they do not
hide their heads in shame.
Just the same plea that the rebels made
in 1860 they said then: Stop this Internal
agitation AMI let our chattel slaves alone
Now the gold bugs say: Stop this sense
less agitation, and let our system of in
dustrial slavery continue. The bankers
money lenders, corporations, and trust
companies are all well satisfied with the
present gold standard.
But the people, the great army of work
men who have labor to sell when there
is no work. The farmer who is obliged to
sell the products Of his farm below the
cost OF production, wants and will have
gold and silver, the money of the consti-
tuition, to measure values Who are the
anarchists? The supreme court has been
traduced and its decisions denounced. You
are amazed again at the terrible crime, the
objectionable sin of these rebel Populists
and Democratic anarchists in denouncine
decision of our great supreme court.
When the Republican party, represented
by Lincoln, and composed of the common
people Of the nation, denounced empha II.
cally and in unmeasured terms the bred.
rivet the chains Of chattel slavery upor
our colored brother, and when this was
followed by the election of Mr.. Lincoln
and the uprising Of the people in 1861
which swept the judges that rendered the
Dred-Scott decision into eternal oblivion
oAIu uASei ace. we're you amazed then
Now when Republicans stand for indus.
trial slavery, corporations trusts, mo.
nopolies. John Cleveland and Grover Sher.
man, you are amazed at the intolera bic
insolence and audacity Of the common
people In presuming to criticise decision
of our supreme court
If Mckinley is elected we exect Won will
advocate law entoining and forever re-
straining any presumptious official from
ever denouncing q decision Of the supreme
court; the penalty to be six months q,
six years in Jail without trial by Jury.
In Buchanan's administration the adj
vocates of slavery were the suprem,
rulers Of the country, and the court which
rendered the Dred-Scott decision was tn,
servile tool Of its masters
Now the gold bug monopolist and corpo
rations the advocates Of wage slavery
are making desperate effort to faster
forever the chains of Industrial SLAYER,
upon the workmen Of the nation. Anl
the present supreme court is also the ser
vile tool Of its creator
And yet you say stop this agitation, ant
reverence the decision of the courts Yo,
and your gold bug friends go and dam u,
Niagara! Stop the cyclone In Its course
Command the sun to stand still! But yo,
cannot remove from the minds of the peo
pie their supreme contempt for such ,
court.
1.-The nominee Of the convention is ,
cheap, noisy young man, who neye
achieved success in any walk Of life he ha
tried
Mr.. Editor, you assume to be the mouth
piece for the old soldiers; you ought to b
truthful and stick to facts. Tell us. please
did Mckinley achieve success in business
at the polls? The millionaire, Mark Han
ma raised over 800 600 and noid McKi,,