The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1897-11-25

iieve what they then said or we're tAey
ignorant and % blinded By prejodic<
that they did not know better!
Bat We let that pass. Let us come
back to their motive in making tbis
great confession at this time What IL
its It 10 evident that their purpsss 10 Z
try to get the Populist party to disbsnd
their organization and 20 back ,ote
the Democratic party, no they now I'd.
NIT that the Democratic party bad
oacksiided and that those Who repudi.
ated the party to form the People,
party were right and were reai true
Jeffefsonisn Democrats. but that the
Democratic party has now reformed
and thrown over its false leaders aud
gone back to ancient Democratic
principles now re-adopted and pro-
claimed in the Chicago platform" and
that therefore the Populists twho have
proven themselves the srues, and most
active supporters of Jefferson,an De-
mocracy) should now go back into the
ranks Of the old party which has so
long served the goldbuss and monopo-
lies, but which has just now reformed.
Now the important question Is,
should Populists accept this invita-
tionr Let US see. When the Jefferso-
nian Democrats In 1892 left the Trosti :
tuted party of Cleveland, they placed
themselves squarely on the great fun
damental principles Of good govern
menr as taught and practicsd by jeff
erson and Jackson. They began to
fight for these principles when no one
else stood for them or would fight for
them, and these are the principles
which make up the Peoples party plat
form to-day. The Peoples party did
not adopt part of the principles Of
Jefferson and Jackson; it adopted them
all, without lodging or equivocation,
and to-day it is the only party that
stands squarely for them.
The Democratic PARTY at Chicago
took long stride toward getting back
to those principles, but it orIy par
tally reformed. 1t accepted only q
part of 1.-The ancient principles of Dem
ocracy." Does it intend to continue
to reform, or will the tendency be to
backslide again to CleveIandism? That
is the important question. One thing
is certain, it has yet only partially re-
formed. Here is the proof of it. While
declaring in the Chicago platform
against monopolies in general terms,
yet it showed either ignorance or in
sincerity or want of courage by spe-
officially favoring that two of the great
est natural monopolles-two of the
three great instrument of commerce
should continue to remain in the
hands of private syndicates. How can
any one oppose monopolies while in
favor of allowing private individuals
and syndicates to own and control the
great and vital instruments of COM
MERGE which are themselves monopo-
lies, and hence whoever own them own
a monopoly over all the people and
over all business? The three great
natural monopOlies-theth three vital in
struments of commerce-are money.
transportation and the transmission
OF information. When We put these
natural monopolies in the hands Of
private syndicates, then we put into
their hands the control of the nations
destiny-the power to tear down some
and build up others, the power to kill
and to make alive. We put into their
hands the power to put every line of
business in the country into a trust at
will. Trusts can never be rooted out
until these three vital instruments of
commerce are used as public functions
for the public good. The Chicago
platform declared against trusts, it is
true, but it Gid not declare against the
causes that produce trusts. In fact,
the platform is opposed to removing
two of three causes that produce trusts.
How can any intelligent person hon.
estly oppose trusts while not in favor
Of removing the evils which are the
causes of trusts g?
1t is true that the platform declared
against the gold standard and for the
free and unlimited coinage of silver
at Is to l. This would remove, to a
certain extent, one of the causes that
produce trusts-it would cripple trusts
but alone it would not root them out.
The Chicago platform, to have readopt-
ed 1.-THE ancient principles of Democ-
racy" should have declared not only
for all money to be issued by the gov
eminent direct without the inter-
7ention of banks of issue), but for
every dollar to be full legal tender
md for a sufficient quantity of such
[ull legal tender money to meet the
increasing needs Of business and popu-
lation. 1t should also have declared
n favor OF taking the other two nat
lral moncpolies--the other two vital
Instruments of commerce--out of the
hands of private syndicates, and using
hem as public functions, without dis
elimination, in the interest of all the
people. This must be done if we are
% break the rule of monopolies and to |
DOT out that poisonous and deadly in.
lustrlal cancer on the body polite, |
called trusts.
The Peoples Party platform offers