The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1896-02-19

against hope, because their leaders have
long since been mortgaged body and soul
to the gold combine and to organized
monopoly. The campaign funds to run
those two great parties have come in
the past and must come in the future
from those very monoplies and class in
terests which are today sucking the life
blood of the nation.
Both OF these parties live on blood
money; they betray and help rob the
people and live on part of the spoils
wrung from the rank and file of their
members. There are hundreds of men
in congress today that know these facts,
yet they insist on their people staying
in the old parties until the next national
conventions are held.
Therefore it is absolutely necessary
for the silver forces to begin to organ
ize now, and for them and the Peoples
Party to form one great movement, so
big and strong that the people will have
some place to go, where victory is possi
BILE. In short, before the old party con-
ventions are held, it is absolutely neces-
sary to build up this great movement as
a neuclus around which those who will
renounce the actions of the next national
conventions of the two old parties can
rally
Let us do this, and then if the leaders
of the people from the south and the
west in the next national conventions do
not bolt and condemn the work of the
gold combine, then the people at home
will condemn their leaders and rally to
this movement with every other patriot
in the country. The hope for reform is
not in the politicians or the members
Of congress, but it is in the people.
When the people will not be fooled and
betrayed any longer then the politicians
will follow the people. The delegates
to the next national convention of both
OF the old parties will vote, no matter
what kind of a platform is adopted and
no matter who is nominated, except in
such states as the delegates know that
a majority of the voters will vote if they
do not. Delegates from states where
they think they can fool the people and
whip them into line will not vote, but go
home and try to explain why the people
should stand by their old parties just
once more
There are not enough gold bugs in
the United States to elect president
The gold bugs themselves are not the
greatest danger. 1t is the politicians
and the congressman who claims to be
friend of the people but who is will
ing to sacrifice the interest and the pros
perity, even the liberty of the people,
for Office and party success. Such men
are the worst enemies of the people and
the most valuable agents of the gold
trust. They do work for the gold men that
no one else can do. They have the con-
fidence and betray that confidence in the
name of party when they know that the
success of their party means the success
D,,:As IL Il
creased poverty of the people. Let the
people beware of such false friends.
Had it not been for such hypocrites, such
cratic party and the Republican party
would have repudiated both of these
gold parties before now, and would have
come together into one movement that
would have smashed the gold trust, and
prosperity would have returned to every
mans door.
do this in spite Of their leaders whom
they have followed so long and so dis
astrously.
Before concluding, I wish to call at
tention to one great vital and import
ant fact. | wish to call attention to it
and emphasize it now, for it must be and
W
cry in the coming struggle between the
people and the gold combine. 1t is this:
that the people can never get any relief
that not a single bad law on the statute
book can ever be repealed, that not
single good law can ever pass no mat
ter who constitutes congress, until the
people drive from the White House the
agents and tools of the gold combine and
organized monopoly (applause) and place
IN the stead of such aliens, tories and
traitors man who is an American pa
triot, a man with the patriotism, man
hood and courage of Andrew Jackson.
(Appplause)
| say that the people can never get re-
lief by merely electing congressman and
senator's, even though they are pledged
to stand for the right. In the first place,
the patronage and the power lodged in
the hands of the president is so great
that too often congressman are bullied,
persuaded, browbeaten, not to say
bribed by it. Have we not before us
the humiliating spectacle of the Fifty
third congress- Democratic congress
in both branches. elected by and pledged
to give the people free and unlimited
coinage of silver (for there was large
majority pledged by the people for this
measure), yet, did not the country wit
ness the humiliating spectacle of that
congress, Influenced by some subtle,
dangerous and damnable influence from
the White House, until that majority,
pledged to stand by the people. was
melted away and turned into a majority
for Shylock and his greedy mnions.
Yes, congressman and senators deserted
their people and bowed at the feet of the
mammoth gold bug in the White House
for policy and spoils, if not for bribes.
Every man in America knows that if
we had a patriot in the White House,
instead of the man who is there now,
that the last congress would have
stopped the issue of gold bonds, that the
last congress would have given the peo-
pie the free and unlimited coinage of
silver, and would have taken from the
banks the unconstitutional power which
they hold now and restore it to the peo-
pies government, where it belongs.
Besides. the president has the power
Of veto. No bill can become a law except
with his consent and sovereign will!
That is. it takes twO-th.rds majority in
beth houses of congress, at the same
time, to pass any law if the president
objects thereto, and every man on this
floor knows that it is next to impossible
to get two-thirds Of both branches of
congress at the same time to pass any
law against the interests of the gold