Graham guardian., 1897-07-02
THE GAUGE OF BATTLE.

I'N eSA''NA "'J't 90 % ~
line of battle between the friends
of labor and production against
the parasites, extortionists, and alb
sorbers of wealth is formed for
1898 and 1900. The candidate of
the people is already nominated by
unanimous consent, and his name
is William j. Bryan. The plat
form upon which the battle will be
fought was promulgated at Chicago
in the convention of 1896. The
advocates of the coinage of silver
and gold vt the ratio of l6 to ] by
the United States, independent of
all other countries, were compelled
in the last campaign to organize
the regenerated Democracy, the
Popullsts, and the free silver Re-
publicans, in the face of a we'll
organized army commanded by
veteran corruptionists and supplied
by the money of two continents.
The organization of the people
under such circumstances seemed
impossible. But they did organ
ize, and they gave battle in the
open field, while the enemy with
all its wealth and power was com
PEELED TO abandon legitimate poll
teal warfare and resort to bribery,
corruption, and intimidation.
The advantages of perfect or
ganization, Of unlimited money,
corruption and fraud, placed Will
liam Mckinley IN the White House
by majority which would have
been overcome by chance of 25,'
900 votes in the proper states. The
impoverished army of the people
polled about SIX and a half mil
lion of votes, which included vast
majority of the native born citi-
zens of the United States, and was
only overcome by the colored vote
and foreign vote congregated in
cities and controlled by capital.
The enemy promised prosperity,
with intent to deceive, because
every intelligent man knew that
nothing short Of more money by
the restoration Of SILVER could re-
lieve the country from the miseries
of gold standard contraction. The
Republican party promised pros
perity on the very day Mckinley
was elected. They said his cleo
ton would bring confidence and
confidence would bring prosperity.
Neither confidence nor prosperity
came. Both have been postponed
at the instance of the leaders Of
Republican party from time to
time, and still the day OF relIer Is
more remote than when the Repub.
licans gained power.
The intolerable miseries of the
people, the false promises. and the
utter inability of the Republican
party to give the country prosperi-
ty by anything that the gold syn
dictate of Wall and Lombard streets
will allow them to do, is causing
UNIVERSAL distress. The Republi-
can party is now sinking ship,
The assertions from 1T daily are
strikingly numerous. Recruits are
coming by the thousands to the
standard of the party of the peo-
pie. The Republican leaders see
the handwriting on the wall, but
their gold masters will not give
them permission to retreat. They
must march on against the people
and inhict new wounds, however
dangerous it may be. They see
that Bryan and the Chacago plat
form are sweeping the country;
that there is no division in the
ranks of the reform movement;
that the middle-of-the.road contin-
gent which Hanna or other Repub-
lican bosses can control is too trlf-
ing to mention and that the solid
phalanx ofAmerican voters is NOV
ing forward 70 victory, and they
are helpless to stay the tide. The
appointment Of Gage, Roberts, and
Jordan to the responsible posts in
the Treasury Department shows
the tight grasp in which the inner
circle of the money power of Wall
and Lombard streets hold the Re
publican party. The pretense
that the Republican ad-
ministration is in favor
of international bimetallism is re-