Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1897-04-09
OUR CANDIDATE IN 1900
No So wan Street.

The web-footed democrats, that is
the decay ducks of the gold bug
democrats the assistant republicans
of the recent campaign have a new
scheme for re-instating the gold bug
element in power as the successor of
the present administration.
During the recent campaign they
made proffer of political plates free
to the rural press in advocacy of the
gold standard. The use of these plates
were offered the PLAIN DEALER seye-
raj times but always declined. Its
secretary, Mr.. Calvin Tompkins. now
offers two columns a week, free, to be
sent us from A. N. Kellogg, discus
sing the tariff, the real purpose being
to perpetuate the gold standard by
sidetracking the financial question,
which they fear to meet. Mr.. Henna's
bureau from Washington is very gen.
erously Offering like matter free to
the republican press. For the past
thirty years the democrats and re-
publican parties, as before them the
wing and democratic parties annual
" threshed over that pile of old straw
without procuring any good grain for
the wealth producers of the country,
deluding the people with the idea
that the misery they endure is solely
the result of the tariff schedule adop-
ted by the other party.
The offensive features of the Ding
ley bill the gold standard democrats
are industriously taking advantage
Of as an issue upon which TO harmon
ize the party, believing that if the
old ghost can be rejuvenated it will
keep the goldbugs of one or the other
of the old parties in the saddle.
These plans and purposes of the
gold standard advocates render it i'm
portant that the advocates of finan-
cial reform be active and on the alert.
High tariff and low tariff have been
tried and the prices of all staples
have steadily fallen under both, and
as q result, the farmer upon whom
all others depend. has been SO reduc-
ed that he cannot buy. His condit-
ion has destroyed the trade of the re-
tail merchants. The destruction of
the retail merchants business has de-
stroyed the business of the manufac-
turer and closed the mills. This loss
in business with the shrinkage in
property values has crippled the
banks of the west, paralyzed the rail-
roads, reduced the value of city and
farm property and brought the peo-
pie to the brink of financial ruin.
Will an advance in the price of goods
enable the farmer or the laboring
man to buy more unless there is an
increase in the prices of what labor
produces2 We must begin at the bot.
tom and build up, establishing q
money system on American instead
of English principles; increasing our
circulating medium uutil we lessen
the purchasing power of the dollar
enabling the producer and the laborel
to buy more money with their labor
or it's products, which being done an
era OF prosperity will set in which
will not only start the mills but will
keep them going. The Legitimate
purpose of tariff is to provide reve.
nue. for the support of the govern
ment, hence is more a matter Of
schedules than of principle, and
though it has been, and is made tc
promote trust Injurious to the genera
welfare, the overshadowing issue is
and must remain, the financial ques
ton.