Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1896-07-23
OPEN LETTER!
Mayor Sears Tells why He Left the Popu-
list Party.
Cannot Stand the Twin Heresies---Free
Trade and Free Silver.
Ananly Statement.

| argued and sustained, publicly and
privately, the old Democratic -Popu-
listic ideas, and have not given evil
dence to any man that there was
liable to come a change in my politi-
cal belief. We have, however, since
the passage of the Wilson German
law, which was a Democratic Popu-
listic measure-that is to say was
passed by Democratic and Populistic
yotes-had ample opportunity to
study its effect upon the country.
While men r sometimes blinded by
passion and prejudice and | am
forced to admit that this has been the
case with me-yet ] think we must
all agree, when in the possession of
our sober senses, that it is our duty
to uphold those principles which when
carried into execution as measures of
government, bring to the people the
greatest degree of prosperity and
happiness. The only means at u
command for supporting principles
is to support the men who represent
them and in whose fidelity and honor
we believe. Like hundreds and
thousands of young men who were
not old enough to experience the
effects of a~pproachable free trade
during the existence of the last low
tariff law previous to the passage of
the Wilson, German law, namely, the
Walker tariff, which ran from 1916
to the beginning of the war, | have
come to thoroughly believe that the
Democratic idea of the tariff called
by Mr.. Cleveland tariff reform" and
upon which be was elected president,
instead of being promotive to the
interests of the people, is a political
heresy unworthy of any honest mans
support. The experience which has
come to our people within the last
three years has taught US many things
which young men did not know be-
fore. 1t has forced us to see for our
selves hat the only possible road to
prosperity for the American people
lies in the employment of our own
labor for the development of u WI
resources, supplying ourselves SO far
as lies in u power with what we
need instead of sending money
abroad to pay for the labor performed
in other lands. Excessive importa-
tons, creating large trade balances
| against us, which must DE paid in
money, insufficient revenue to defray
the expenses of the government on
account of the low tariff rates which
have been levied, the sale of hundreds
of millions of dollars in bonds during
a time of perfect peace to supply the
demand for money thus created, may
well make every American citizen
pause and ask himself the question:
sis this Democratic policy right or
wrong?" | have solved the question
for myself as / believe millions of
young men have solved it for them
selves, and hereafter am a Republi-
can.
The question of money, too, has
come in for its full share of considera-
ton. The party to which l have
heretofore belonged is worse than
rent asunder over the question of the
free coinage of silver. | believe that
it is a cardinal principle which every
honest mar must admit that that
which we call money, whatever it
may be, depends for its value either
upon the material out of which it is
made, or the confidence of the people.
Primarily, all money rests upon
confidence, but if there is one kind
OF money recognized and of nearly
identical value throughout the civil.
lied world, it may be said to be
measured by the material out of
which it is made, or in other words
by the market price of the bullion
itself. The most superficial student
of history knows that wherever the
experiment has been made of using
cheap money. either from choice or
necessity, it has always resulted in
driving better money out Of circula-
ton. AT one time during the war
it required two dollars and eighty
hve cents OF paper money to buy u
dollar in gold or silver. Now,
through the operation of law, made
by Republicans to keep the faith of
the government, this paper money is