The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1896-07-17
Panic of the Gold Ring.

The Chicago convention was the Gull
minating point of new era in our pollt-
ical history. The organization which was
used to assemble the forces that gave the
movement all accelerated impulse was the
choice of accident Had the so-called
democratic convention met before the
republican convention, it is more than
probable that a straddle platform of the
money plank would have been adopted
and the New York goldring influence
which has so long dominated the party
would have shaped the platform and pro-
ceedings, named the candidate sand re-
manned in control of the party, which
has been nothing more than led horse
of the republican party for twenty years.
The two. old organizations would then
have gone into the presidential canvass
hammer and tongs on any question or
every question, for the purpose of keep
ing the people divided and electing
Mckinley, who is the man the goldring
had picked out for the next President.
But the republican party, having planned
their convention to be held first, the gold
ring showed its hand as the people had
never seen it before, and when the So
called democratic convention met the
people had become aroused. They had
elected delegates to meet and antgonize
the bold, defiant challenge thrown down
to them by the gold power, which spoke
through the republican party.
This protest of the people strongly
/ manifested itself when Teller and his
followers walked out of the republican
convention. That act struck the country
like the firing on Sumter. They knew
then the war had begun in earnest be-
tween an aristocratic, plutocratic, monop-
olistic system of government and pure,
popular government which should con-
stitute government of the people, by the
people and for the people, in place of for
specially law favored class.
Had the people not declared war on the
enemy to the human race, whose declara-
ton of purpose had been written in the
St. Louis platform, the Peoples party
stood ready to reafirm their pledge to
humanity when their convention met on
July 22d, and calling the down-trodden
population of the great agricultural States
of West and South, and the despoiled
laboring masses through the country, to
their banner, would have waged the fight
so successfully begun by them four years
ago. For the last six years the Popullsts
have sowed the country knee-deep with
their literature, pointing out to the peo-
pie the dangerous conspiracy against
their liberties and their property that was
being pushed to consummation under
disguise of the republican party, which
had been turned into sleeps clothing
concealing the gold wolf. The howl of
the wolf in the republican platform
startled the people of the entire nation,
and they have risen as one man to drive
the enemy from the fold.
The Populist leaders were the guiding
hand at the Chicago convention. They
suggested the platform and candidate,
and will place young Bryan at the head of
their ticket, who takes command of the
armies of freedom, as young Hannibal at
the age of "a took command of the Car
thagenian armies, to give battle to the
aggressive robber of the world. The old
grizzled warriors sneered at the Carthage
boy, but his transcendent genius soon
caused them to admire and follow him.
So will the genius of young Bryan
electrify and enthuse the down-trodden
people who groan under the iron heel of
the English gold power.
The Wall street conspirators are in a
state of panic and decentralization. Some
of the most alarmed and nervous among
them are talking of converting their
property into gold and hiding it away in
strong boxes, as king Croesus did. They
are absolutely crazy over gold. Almost
all the European nations have three to
six hundred millions of gold hidden away
in war chests, taken entirely out of cir
culation, waiting in condition of alarm
for war, like destroying angel, to break
out The 1unatics of Wall street and
Manhattan Island are in a similar condi-
ton of panic and about to begin hiding
gold. Thus do the guilty flee where no
man pursueth.