The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1896-04-29
TOWNE AND FREE-SILTER.

IOTNE AND F'REE-SILTEH.
Mr.. Bennett, OF the firm Of Calhoun
and Bennett, OF st. Cloud. writes 4
private letter to our Business Man
ager in which he says:
P. j. SEBnRGER ESQ,
Dear Frisnd:-I article written
by M. .Donneliy, on Towne. in This
weeks REPRESENTATIvE is Ill adj
vised and unwarranted and will GO
THE REPRESENTATIVE much harm
should il continue in that line.
Mr.. Donnelly has been lied about hy
others for SO many years, one wOuid
naturally think that he would be the
last man in the world to lie about an
other. This is not onlya slanderou, lie
but lit is cruel. There is no more honest
and fearless advocate Of silver than is
Mr. Towne. Yours. etc,
We willingly insert Mr.. Benefits
letter in defense Of his friend, and
should it turn out that Mr.. Towne
thinks more Of the interests Of the
people than he does Of the interests OF
the Republican party, no man will he
more prompt than ourself to give him
the highest praise and do him the
ampest justice. But We regard it as
very suspicious fact that Mr.. Towne
offered, in the House OF Representa-
tilcs, resolution in favor OF the re-
monetiZation Of silver by the United
States ,psoriled the European governments
usscuie.l thereto! We all know that the
money power dominates the old world
utterly; and as long as their govern
mcnt:; can get our wheat for fifty
cents and our cotton fer seven cents,
it is absurd to suppose that they will
consent to change that will compel
them to pay one dollar a bushel for
wheat and fifteen cents for cotton. 1t
is not human nature. We would not
do it under like circums tances.
Hence to say we are in favor OF free
silver il the old country will permit us,
is simply to say we are not in favor Of
free silver at all.
Moreover we nave seen no declara-
tion, on the part of Mr.. Towne. that
he would bolt his party if it adopted a
gold-bug platform, in national con-
vention; but, on the contrary, the Re
publican papers, OF our state, have
been claiming that he would submit
and eat humble pie, like good Begin
such a contingency.
Now while we are grateful to Mr..
Towne for every good word he has
said for free silver, we cannot remain
quiet and see him, under the banner
Of Is to l, lead thousands of honest
men in to the hell-hOle of Plutocracy,
on condition that he sent back to Con-
two years.
This is a serious business. It is not
a question Of admiration for nice
young man. Intellect is the cheapest
thing in the world to-day. and most Of
it is owned by the enemies of man
kind. A man,
"Who steals the livery of heaven
To serve the devil in
is ten times worse than the devil him
self. For the devil is an honest
beast. He puts on no airs of virtue.
He wears no furbelows. He does not
cover the stink of the sulphur with
the rose-water of hypocrisy. Hence
we have a thousand times more re-
spect for the man who comes out
boldly, and says,-''I am in favor of
the gold standard and the ruin of the
people," than we have for the man
who talks in favor of free silver and
works in the interest of monometal-
lism, and ensures the ruin of the peo-
pie.
The world is in a dreadful condi-
tion. If that condition continues
four years longer the great bulk of
mankind will be ruined, pauperized,
beggared. The man who, by false
pretences, under the guise of SYM
| pathy with the suffering multitude,
| will render their destruction more
certain, ought to be blown up with
dynamite. He has no right to life in
a world he would cheat and
slaughter.
We do not propose to be humbugged
by any "smart Aleck' of the prevail
ing type of humbuggers;-nor do we
propose chat our readers shall be.
BIT if we have done Mr.. Towne an
| injustice: if he is less of a Republican
and more Of man than We have sup
| posed him to be, then we humbly
| apologize for our error. If he is
ready to burn the bridge behind him,
and come over to 'the help of the
Lord against the mighty" we will
meet him with open arms, and be
ready to see him accorded the highest
seat in the synagogue.
! 1t.all rests with Mr.. TOwne. The
Peoples Party has progressed too fal
| to be fooled by pretty talk into givina
up all that their good sense and self
sacrifice have achieved.
| Let us hear what MIR. TOwne pro-
| poses to do. Will lie fish or cut bait
or go ashore? This is a time for sin.
cerity and plain dealing. l. D.
| AMUSING.