The Louisiana populist., 1897-02-12
TRIUMPH OF GOLD.
VERDICT WRONG. AND THERE
FORE HOT FINAL.
The Appreciation OF Gold and the Con-
centration of Wealth Undermining the
Manhood Of the Country.

submitted to the dictation of aliens and
those with alien interests as to our
financial policy; they have surren-
dered their claim to freedom from for
elgn subserviency and to independence
OF action; they have suffered the weld
ing around their necks of the yoke OF
gold that needs must grind them down
to poverty, stamp out of the spirit OF
enterprise and enehain them as the
slaves OF poverty to an oligarehy Of
wealth. That the submission of the
American people to the money cliQues
IS final, that the spirit of independence
will be 30 crushed out by poverty dur
ing the coming four years as to make
further resistance to the encroach
ments of the moneyed oligarchy mat is
now being built up on the impoverish-
ment OF our producing classes, out OF
the question, patriotism, love OF hu"
manity and implicit trust in the COED
ness of the infinite bid us deny.
We, therefore, cannot regard the re-
corded verdict OF the American people
as final. 1t is, at least, the duty OF all
those who see the encroachments OF
centralized capital, to strive to bring
about reversal of that verdict and
| make every possible sacrifice to defeat
the ultimate enslaving of our produc-
Ing classes to a moneyed oligarchy.
The possibility of success in those ef-
forts may be slim, the history of the
rise and fell of empires may hold out
little promise of victory, the position
of those who are striving to enslave the
toiling millions for their own enrich
ment may appear to be impregnable,
the emancipation Of our producing
classes from the thralldom Of indus
trial slavery that confronts them may
! seem impossible of attainment, but
where duty calls, men must follow
That the money cliques have been
more firmly entrenched than ever by
their victory we are bound to admit.
What the future has in store for our
people we cannot venture to predict.
But one point stands out clearly. 1t is
the manifest duty of all who believe
that the welfare OF our producing
classes, their very existence as
men Of independent thought and
action, and that the preservation
of individual liberty and our re-
public is imperiled by adherence
to the app:ec!ating gold stand
ard and general submission to the die
tates of rapidly growing nnofeyed
oligarchy, to strive strenuously, and
without thought of personal sacrifice,
to bring about a reversal of that re-
corded verdict which DEGREES the i'm
poverishment and ultimate enslave-
ment Of our producing classes to a
moneyed aristocracy.
Our republic rests upon the indie
pendence of the individual. Deprive
that individual of liberty of thought
and action, make that thought and ac-
tion subservient to another's will and
the republic falls. Reduce our produc-
ing classes by the path Of poverty to
subseryiency to a moneyed oligarchy
and the republic may for a time con-
| tinue to exist in form, but its existence
as a reality will have passed forever.
| And it Is along this highroad to the
destruction of olr grand republic that
our producing classes are rapidly pass
| ing. Welded by the success of Mr..
| Mckinley to a continued adherence to
| the policy Of gold monometallism
that needs must grind down to poverty
all those engaged in the production OF
wealth, our steps are directed for per-
haps four years to come toward the en-
slavement Of our producing classes, the
destruction Of individual liberty and
the overthrow of our republic. The
salvation Of the republic, aye, of west
ern civilization, depends upon the re-
tracing of those steps which we are
now consigned to take. To a retracing
Of those steps at the earliest possible
moment we must direct our energies.
Poverty causes the wage-earner to
lose independence of political action.
We have witnessed it in this campaign.
We have seen the wage-earner con-
strained by poverty to do the bidding
Of the employer beyond the walls of
the workshop as we'll as within, and
when the wage-earner becomes a mere
tool of centralized capital, even to the
extent Of voting an increased tribute
laid by such organized capital on labor,
the republic IS lost.
When industry yields remunerative
profits, the employer of labor finds in-
centive to enlarge production, he has
ever need of additional hands to extend
the output Of mill and factory, and the
wage-earner finds no difficulty in Sc
curing work With the knowledge
that If dismissed he can readily secure
work elsewhere, the wage-earner is his
own master; he will surrender neither
liberty Of thought or political action
at the dictation of his employer; he
will defend and preserve his freedom
and independence. But possessed with
the knowledge that dismissal means
enforced idleness,. such as must needs,
in Tho absence OF savings. bring him
face to face with privation and suffer-