The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1896-03-11
THOUGHTS ON wAsHINGToN's BIRTHDAY.
BY an Old Soldier.

BY an Old Soldier.
Editor Representative:
On this, the birthday Of the Father OF
our country, is there one true American
heart but that swells not with pride at
the past history Of our Nation, and with
shame and sorrow at it's present deplora-
BILE condition?
Our Nation violated and departed from
WashingtOn's sage advice and formed po-
litcal parties arraying one section Of our
country against other sections, and five
hundred thousand citizens of our repub-
lie sleep the sleep of death, slain on battle
fields in the CHASTITY horrors Of civil war
And the tears of widows and helpless
orphans watered their graves and from
their grieved hearts signs and gloom fill
ed our once happy land.
And the financial laws which his wise
headed signers, the free coinage OF gold
and silver, has been by stealth, by bribed
traitors, repealed, in response to the lou!
demand of foreigners The wheels OF
commerce ceased to roll; national and indi-
vidual prosperity was destroyed, bank
ruptcy ensued, three millions Of once stall
wart laborerS go tramp1ng the Streets
furnishing, unemployed begging bread In
a land where granaries gorged to bursting
with cereals without a market. want OF
food compels woman's honor and virtue
to become merchandise and barter for
sale to the destroyer to save her fam
lily Of perishing little ones. Again, the
assassin whets his knife to plunge into the
heart of his unsuspecting victim, or his
victim dies in the spasms of poison, the
suicides brains, by pistol that are spat-
tered against the walls, in his den of dis
pondency, and from mangled throat the
life blood gushes in pulsing tide, or in
death drops fall from self infictng
wounds. A stricken, perishing Nations
prayer is unheded by the peoples agents
in congress assembled, for relief. They
refuse to place back upon the statute book
the free coinage of gold and silver law,
which the Father of our country signed
and whose repeal was the cause OF the M
tons distress
With Gods aid we must put back again
the financial laws that the Father of our
Country the martyred Lincoln signed.
Our Nations prosperity ana safety hes
| in the wisdom Of the acts taken at the
| conventions called to meet at st. Louis
| Julv % next Let Washington's farewell
| address be read in every home In our
broad land and especially by those who go
| as delegates to the conventions named
| Hol1 fast to all that is good in each par
| ties platform. Yet without party or party
| prejudice rise above the level of the usual
politician to the heights Of patriotic states
| men,
| Remember how the Father of our Coun-
| try aided by the God insplred-patrlots
| healed sectional party strife and Jealousy
| of the several colonies, caused to be
framed and adopted our written national
| constitution the bulWark OF the world
| oppressed For it is the Interpretation OF
| our national constitution by hired traitors
| that has caused the deplorable condition
Of our distressed country. Let us think
| if our national constitution could be IN
| terpretei by Washington, Jefferson, jack
| son or Lincoln, how much would need to
| be added by platforms at the next ma
| tional convention at st. Louis. Is it not
| men to interpret and enforce our national
| constitution that is the crying need of our
| country And who doubts but We will
have them if guided by the advice of the
Father of our Country the next conven-
| tons act at ST. Louis.
| God give us men. A time like this de-
| mands,
Great Hearts, strong minds, true faith and
| ready hands;
! Men whom the lust of office cannot kill;
| Men whom the brides of Office cannot buy
Men Of opinions: men who will not lie.
For while the rabble, with its thumb
worn creedS.
At large precautions and to little deeds
mingle in selfish strife
Lo freedom weeps. wrong rules the land
and waiting justice sleeps.
Trust the people; they will save the re
public. Alien q. sexton.
Annandale, Feb. 90.