The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1897-05-12
BElSHAzzAR FEAST
American PlutOcrats Deriding the
People.
JUDASES AND ARNOLDS IN CONSUL
TATION.
The Rulers of America Dining the
Ex-kinE and Grooming Him
for a New Environment
Four Years Hence.

1OF n new AtHFOnmeAt
Four Years Hence.
Schilling's Advance: The annual din
ner of the Reform club was given last
Saturday night in New York city at the
Hotel Waldorf. Representative men
from all parts of the United States who
played prominent part in the recent
campaign of the gold Democrats were
present. 1t was the first occasion on
which exPresident Cleveland has deliv-
cred a public speech since his retire
ment from Office.
When the list of invited guest was
made public, it was generally UNDER
stood that the speeches delivered would,
in large measure, indicate the policy
of the gold wing of the Democratic
party in the next presidential campaign.
John Dewitt Warner presided. At
his right sat ex-Presiednt Cleveland,
| and on his left was ex-Postmaster Gen.
eral William L. Wilson Mr.. Cleveland
was the central figure in the dining hall
and his speech was the chief feature of
the occasion and was most generally
considered a bid for the next presiden-
tial nomination. He started in like this:
1--WE are gathered here tonight as pa
triotic citizens, anxious to do something
toward reinstating the prosperity of our
fellow countrymen apd protecting the
fair fame of our nation against shame
and scandal. On every side we are con-
fronted with popular depression and
complaint"
No doubt the hard times started while
Harrison was president, but what did
Cleveland do to make times better? This
is how he tried to lie out of it:
"These are largely do to causes of ma
tural and certain recurrence, as the in
evitable accompaniment of all human
endeavor, and perhaps they are largely
due to agitators and demagogues who
have busily sowed the seeds of discon-
tent in order that in the harvest. they
may reap personal advantage Distress
ing ills, real Or imaginary, have been so
constantly and luridly presented to the
MINDS OF honest men, that they are
tempted to accept without taking coun-
sci or reason or judgment, any nostrum
cunningly offered as remedy for their
low condition. But even so promising a.
HELD as this has not satisfied the designs
OF ruthless agitators. While scattering
the seeds of discomfort, they have also
cultivated a growth OF sectional and
| class suspicion and distrust which
threatens to choke or destroy that fra
ternal feeling which leads to a consider
ate counsel in the day of common mis-
fortune, and which is absolutely essen
tial to the success of our plan of gov
ernment.
destroy that fraternal feeling which
is absolutely essential to our plan Of
government"
Who did that, Grover Cleveland?
You and your colleagues who be-
trayed your country for British gold.
You and your co-conspirators who have
stultified their own record, and whose
speeches in the past convict them Of
being deliberate prevaricators, to use
mild term.
You, Grover Cleveland, who in pub
lie speech denounced the entire western
part OF our country and charged the
people with being dishonest and ignor-
ant as you are now doing when you
call them demagogues and agitators
You, Grover Cleveland, who robbed
and betrayed your country by entering
the presidential chair poor man and
coming out a manifest millionaire.
You, Grover Cleveland, who placed
your tools in Office and openly violated
the constitution in bulldozing the legis-
lative branch and buying it's members
with offices.
Could any one but a scoundrel and
traitor use such words as these:
These forces and conditions have for
years, with greater or less Distinctive
ness, lowered about our national life
lacking effective organization and con-
centration, neglected by those who de-
precated their existence, and unheeded
even by those who partially appreciated
their dangerous tendency. In the mean
time, there has laid in wait behind
them all an impatient power ready to
marshal them in effective activity when
depression, misfortune, neglect and pas
sion had done their work. This power,
born Of sordid greed, and maintained
by selfish interest and partisan ambi-
ton, has at last assumed command, and
has largely recruited it's waiting forces
by infiaming those inclined to be patient
with tales of an ancient crime against
their rights to be avenged, by enccurag-
ing the restless and turbulent with
hints Of greater license and by Offering
| to the poor as a smooth road to wealth,
and to those in debt as plan for easy
| payment, and to those who from any
cause are unfortunate and discouraged.
as remedy for all their ills the free