The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1896-04-01
A POWERFUL ARGUMENT.
A Ringing Appeal to the Voters.

A POWERFUL ARGUMENT.
Ringing Appeal to the Voters.
Editor Representative:
l have few questions to ask Minneso-
tans through your valuable paper.
Washington, the father of our coun-
try, signed the law that all the gold and
silver of a certain parity should be coined
free. A Republican congress passed and
Republican president signed the law
repeating the free coinage law in the year
1873, since which time congress has re-
fused thirteen times to place back on the
statute books the free coinage law
When the free-coinage law was repealed
silver was worth three per cent more
than gold.
Our lamented Lincoln signed the in
come tax law. When repealed by Re-
publican congress and signed by Re-
publican president it paid sixty-two mill
lions per year for the support of our gen.
eral government. Since that time per-
son with hundred million of dollars
need not pay more taxes to support our
national government than laboring
man.
What will the voters do about it at our
next election?
Abraham Lincoln signed laws by which
the general government put in circula-
tion nearly two billions of paper money,
over one billion of which drew no inter-
est. A Republican congress passed
law which was signed by Republican
president by which over billion of pa
per money which drew no interest, was
invested in bonds drawing interest and
the paper money by which the interest
bonds were purchased was burned!
What are we old ABE Lincoln Repub-
licans" and Union soldiers going to do
about it at our next election?
By the repeal of the free coinage law.
which the father of our country signed,
and the burning of over billion of pa
per money by which the Union soldiers
were paid, and issuing bonds, bearing in
tereSt, therefor, and the income tax law
which our lamented Lincoln signed and
with our English single gold standard,
our once happy and prosperous land at
the close of the rebellion, practically
without personal debts, has been deluged
in debt, and now owe over twenty bill
lions; and suffering and dependency
now overwhelm our great nation With
the free right to vote, and to adopt any
policy that may seem BEST we are made
to depend upon our old and inveterate
enemy, England, for money and credit;
and we are under control, by the aid of
the leaders Of the old parties, of her
grasping tyranny, as much so as if the
English flag f1Oated from our national
Capitol!
What are we men of Minnesota going
to do about it at our next election? Shall
the historian write: Here lies buried
once splendid republic, with the right of
franchise free for all, but folly and blind
partisan bigotry and bribery assassin
ated it,
Four millions of slaves in our republic
once asked for justice which was refused
them. A God of mercy to the downtrod-
den and destroyer of the oppressor,
heard their prayer and in flame and
smoke. bursting shell and plunging can
non shot, saber stroke, bayonet thrusts
and a CHASTITY death. the shackles fell
from their enslaved limbs and they stood
in Gods free sunlight, free men. and the
nation wept over the graves of five hun
dred thousand of the flower of the youth
of our country, slain in cruel civil war,
North and South Again the prayers of
millions of starving and once stalwart
II,
(whose political guardians we voters are)
go up to heaven, to the same God who
heard the prayer of the black man for de-
liverance. You believers and followers
of our blessed Savior do you not think
their prayers will be heard, and will you
vote with the uSurerS and money chang
ers whom Christ, our Savior, drove from
the temple or will you' vote to aid the
distressed ones, men and women and the
little children whom he blessed?
You tax payers of Minnesota who paw
thirteen millions of dollars per year of
money worth to you ten per cent, which
is loaned to the scrub banks for three
per cent, who again loan it back to the
tax payers at profit of from ten to four
teen per cent which is part of the re-
suits Of thirty-eight years of the entire
control of Minnesota by the Republican
party. what are you going to do? and
how about the eighteen or twenty million
dollars worth OF pine timber stolen from
the school fund that should go to the
education OF your children and all future
generations; and you merchants figure on
the profits you make on over twenty mill
lions of interest sent out of Minnesota to
Eastern money sharks and you farmers.
what has become of the money you sold
over three hundred millions of wheat for.
in the past five years. and how about
freight rates?
Ask yourselves what you gained by the
last great Republican victory in Mime
sofa or any other Republican victory, for
remember all the great blessings you
now enjoy of higher taxes. etc., have
come through thirty-eight years of Re-.
publican rule in Minnesota aided by
Democratic bosses. Now / ask, what