The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1896-05-20
MAKING MILLIONAIRES.
We have received the following let


We have received the following let
ter:
Editor Representative:
Having been Ia this country only
three years, this fall will be the first
time l will vote on national cleo
tion; and by exercising my right,
which l was denied in my native land,
(F.uSsia), l wish it used to take the
best advantage my conscience teaches
me. So tind the Peoples Party the
best to affiliate with, but as one Of
the principles of this party is the
Iree-coinage Of silver. / would like to
nave you, the highest authority as /
regard you. set me right on this Ques-
ton: Is it not contradictory for a
party that breaches reform, to, at the
same time, teach doctrine that will
create millionaircs at tile expense of
the poor people? Or course what
profit will it be TO the farmer or the Ia
boring man, when his mortgage will
change hands from a gold-bug banker
to millionaire silver mine owner?
Can there not be any other legislation
enacted that would benefit the people
directly, without creating many more
lords, and thereby giving them means
to grasp more OF the public prosper
ity. When you set me right on this
you will have one more soul gained to
the holy cause. E. kANER.
Duluth, Mays.
We would say, in reply to our CORE
spondent, that it was originally the
intention Of our government to re-
serve, from sale to individuals, all de-
posits Of the precious metals" such
as gold and silver; the theory being
that the government itself should
own and work the mines. as some OF
the European governments do to this
day. But there arose a strong feel
ing, when the California p!acers were
discovered, that government like
ours was not fitted to carry on such
vast works,-hiring and paying hordes
Ofla borer:, etc.,-and that the land
better be thrown open to the people,
under conditions that gave the poor
man as good chance as the rich one.
Hence first come first served" be-
came the rule; and many men Of little
means happened upon rich deposits
that made them millionaires. For
instance, some of the greatest mine
owners in California and Nevada like
Flood. O'Brien. ETC., were originally
poor Irish immigrants, keeping
saloons or pursuing other humble
avocations. But for every one who
became a millionaire thousands re-
NAMED in poverty. 1t was a kind of
gambling.
Now our friend will see that it
would be very foolish for the people of
the United States to refuse to sustain
a policy which will improve their con-
dition, because, here and there. the
wealth Of mine-owner might be in-
creased. It is like a man who refuses
to eat his dinner because another
man is getting his belly full. 1t is
cutting off your nose to spite your
face. In Montana the repeal Of the
Sherman act deprived 100000 laboring
men-miners-of their daily bread,
and sent them swarming. as tramps.
over the East, to take the bread out
of the poor mems mouths. Now
would our friend refuse to restore
those 100000 men to their jobs, and to
prosperity, because few mine owners
would be enriched? And will the
workingmen of Duluth be any worse
off. because the pressure of competi.
tion of Montana's miners is with
drawn, by their going home to go to
work? And where is the farmer who,
If he can sell his wheat at dollar a
bushel, now worth fifty cents, would
complain because some mine-owEer
is also making money? II the farmer
pays off the mortgage on his land and
saves the home for wife and children,
what difference is it to him who else
gets rich by the rise in the price of
silver?
And it must not be forgotten that
the decentralization of silver has add
ed immensely to the value of the gold
mines; while contraction Of the cur
rency is making lots of millionaires in
Wall street and Lomba street.
We have no love for millionaires,
but, bad as they are, we would rather
have thousand millionaires than a
million paupers. Where all are pros
porous the extraordinary prosperity
of few can be overlooked. And
proper, graduated, income tax. will
help to do away with the evils of ex-
cessive wealth.
Our friend has been listening to the
siren voice Of the enemies of man
kind,-you must not get rich yourself
because some one else may get richer.
You must get down into the slush of
poverty, and wallow in it, in order to
hold some one else down in the mud
Be just to yourself by being liberal
to all others. Live and let live is a
golden maxim. I. D.
THE MISSOURI CONTENTION.