The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1897-03-25
Trust Destruction of the People.

TruSt Destruction of the People.
In his speech in the House Of Representa-
tives on wednesday Mr.. McMilhn, the Dem
ocratic leader, begged his Republican OPP
ponents to remember that their victory
obtained last fall was obtained by such
an expenditure OF money, such an exer-
ton of bnlldozing and force. and such a
prostitution of elections as was never 1T
fore witnessed in this land. They must
not take such a verdict as the established
and irrevocable will Of the American PEG
ole. | leg them TO remember that a pur-
chased verdict cannot stand
True Democrats consider these facts
as furnishing the most imperative reason
for bitter, unrelenting war upon every
Republican policy and device intended to
perpetuate the power Of TINS monster po-
luicaI conspiracy against the property and
liberties Of the people. Weak-kneed Demo
Gratis, on the contrary, may be inclined TO
..oornpiacency'' in the face of such meas
ures like the Dingley bill, thinking that
the evils and suffering that such legislation
would enact, must swiftly bring their Jwn
relief and punishment at the succeeding
popular elections.
We wish to reiterate the conviction that
this .compiacency' attitude; this assist
anee Of evil that good may come OF it, is a
very dangerous experiment. One chief
reason why the Republican campaign Of
1896 was successful, was because the peo-
pie were impoverished. At time when
many strong man blew out his brains. be
cause he could not bear olive and see his
dear ones want for bread, not a few took
the thirty shillings'' of the mencpoiists,
and voted as they were ordered to, hating
themselves for the act, but committing
the crime with the deliberation OF despair.
because it meant food in the mouths of
wife and children. Thus several hundred
thousand voters succumbed TO the cam
raign Of education and several hundred
Thousand mere employed by railways and
trusts of one sort or another, were cuerced
into voting for their own and their conntry's
destruction, since loss Unemployment meant
starvation TO themselves and their families,
and would have inevitably followed lncir
conscientious use of the suffrage
Add TO these classes the foreign vote,
always a quantity of educational avail
ability, and the reasons why the DenG-
cratic party and the cause OF the people
sustained defeat become too plain for any
doubt or mistake about them.
Should the Dingley bill become law, the
! people viii lie poorer and the trusts and
monopolies richer, more powerful and in
solent than they were last summer. There
will be more money TO spend; there Will he
/ lust as many down-trodden operatives and
corporate servants to coerce; and there vii
be a somewhat larger foreign vote susccp
title Of education" Who shall say that
results would be different?
Democrats must remember that it is mol
the free, untrammeled sentiment and voice
of the American people that we have tC
count with; but an oppressed, disheart
ened constituency, writing and almos
starving under the lash of the task master
Are we to expect better things from The
hungry masses. after making their chain
heavier. and their necessities and suffer
ings greater?
Then fight is the word! Fight or ever.
rBei Fight for every inch Of advantag
or delayl