Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1897-11-05
With the gradual dying out of the

choose as the basis of future principles
upon which TO go before the country
and the voters of the United States
Not a little curiosity is manifested
as TO theexact status of the new polltlca
marty which is said to be in state OF
organization and which is denominated
the National Paper Money party, which
promises primarily to devote itself ex'
clusively to the currency question as the
greatest issue before the country
The tariff question is to be relegated &c
the rear and all the other issues whlch
have been the mainstay of the old Dem
ocratic party are to be side-tracked as
side issues of only minor Importance
tits well understood by close observers
and in fact by all intelligent readers OF
the newspapers, that the wing OF the
Democratic party which last year adopted
free silver as its cardinal principle mas
been gradually disintegrating owing W
the growing appropriately of the silver
cause. and that while some OF It's sup
porters still cling 20 the free-colnage
idea, large portion OF them are casting
about for another issue which Will be
more likely TO take with the people as
campaign issue in the fight of 1900. A
preliminary meeting of,the new Paper
Money party was recently held in Chi
cago and arrangements were made 10
enter the Congressional campaign OF
next year. 1t is claimed that the new
movement has made some Roadway III
Western States, and that clubs have
been organized in San Francisco, Kansas
City and other western cities. Pure
fatism, no metallic basis Of currency
and no redemption is announced as the
motto of the new movement. This re-
resolves itself into old time greenbackism
pure and simple, and will doubtless find
many supporters from the ranks of the
silverites who have always believed in
greenbackism and have tolerated silver
simply as a means TO the end. The new
party promises to devote itself to the
single plank of greenbackism, demand
ing Government paper, issued and con-
trolled entirely by Congress, legal ten
der for all debts and not redeemable.
Congress will be called upon to stop
issuing all gold, silver, and bank paper
money. and TO issue only national paper
money for the use of the people. The
money now in circulation in the country
will be recognized for lis face value,
but no more of the kind will be issued.
Ex-Governor Altgeld is said to be in
favor of the movement, but expresses
the doubt that the people of the country
are not ready TO accept the fiat scheme
in toto; in other words, that they are not
yet educated up TO it. Frequent declara-
tions were heard during the campaign
Of last year that free silver was but a
necessary stepping stone TO the true
money of the country, viz, paper cur
rency. 1t was frequently asserted dur
ing the last campaign that Altgeld was
more of a greenbacker than a free sill
verite, and the following words of the
Governor would seem to corrobOrate the
claim: Agitation in the paper money
direction is good and it may taxi only
a spark to cause the tide 20 turn, but l
think it will take a long time 60 educate
the people TO adopt the correct system
II is the purpose of the new party TO
commence the work of education imme-
diately, and the hope is that much of
the dismembered Democracy will be
united under the standard of true fiatism
and initiation.
What the new movements will result
in will be interesting to watch. That
dsintegratian is steadily going on in the
Democratic and silver parties is beyond
question, but what new phoenix will
arise from the ashes no one can at this
period tell The followers of Bryan,
under whatever name, still assert that
there has been no real revival of pros
perity in the country of improvement in
business Business men know that this
is not so, but there are great many
people who have no such personal exper
ltIltt W EulOt lutlll "a lilllAlOh VI lholb
laborers whose wages have been in
creased or who have found employment
after long idleness know that this is not
so, but there may be millions more who
have not had any such experience. But
the volume of business actually trans
acted as shown by the bank clearances
and business statements shows to the
business men that general and great
improvement is at hand
Considerable satisfactory comment is
occasioned by the appointment by the
President of Mr.. John A. Kasson as
Reciprocity Commissioner. The reel.
procity features of the Mckinley law
carried out by the State Department,
which occasioned much delay, owing to
the slow and tedious routine Of that
Department, and the need is now felt
for better and quicker transaction of