The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1897-11-10
EXPERTS IN FINANCE.

On our first page will be found some
exceedingly interesting articles setting
forth the views of such eminent financi-
ers as ]. J. Hill John C. Bullitt and e. O.
Leech, on those financial questions now
being considered at Washington by a
national commission.
AS the reading of these articles re-
veals to the POpulist mind what may
appear to be scheme, all good Popu
lists will restrain any impulse they may
have to say cuss words. Cuss words
would be wholly inadequate to express
Populists sentiments and powerless
to check the contamination of the deep
ly laid plans Of plutocracy.
The forces are being gathered for a
final assault upon the peoples money,
the greenbacks, and the industries Of
the country, the very lives and liberties
of it's subjects are to be turned over to
the tender mercies of the national banks.
Such is the gist of the advice given ii
these articles The national election of
1896, If it expressed anything, expressed
the will Of over six million American
voters against the entire proposition
put forward by these men. The cam
paign of '96 was waged not alone OF.
the question of free silver. 1t was
declaration of six million voters, against
currency contraction, against extension
of national bank privileges, against the
single gold standard, and in favor of
greenbacks. 1t was declaration agains.
all those views and measures advocated
by these men. With an honest election
and honest count, this declaration would
have been a majority declaration and
In the face OF this fact we see a none
tary commission appointed known to be
opposed to the views of these six mil
lion voters. Their mission is to obtain
all information possible on financial
systems and make recommendations to
congress. How do they proceed with
this work? 1t is plain that the sensi-
bic, the logical and the fair way to
reach right conclusions and results
would be to hear both sides of all the
questions at issue, as in any case at
law or equity. Any commission with
the interests Of the people in view would
do this. On the contrary this commits
sion is suggested by national banks of
New York. appointed by their tool,
President Mckinley, and in star cham
Der session listens to the ex parte tes-
timony of such men only as are sug-
gested and produced by the money
loaning lords of the nation, and in these
articles we see the inevitable results.
What right have these men to testify
as financial experts?
Experts are supposed to be men who
have given special study to the identical
questions at issue. What special study
have any of these men ever given to
the question of what money system
would best serve the people? Their
study has been directed to the question
of how best they might skin the peo-
pie, and on this question no one would
question their qualifications as experts.
In the interests of truth such disin-
terested patriots and scholars in poll
teal economy as Prof. Andrews, Prof.
Bemis, Prof. Ely, Senators Jones and
Henry M. Teller, would have been con-
suited. These men have spent years
studying financial systems, while the
| men being now consulted by this COM
]
mission were studying how they could
best reach the peoples pockets Think
of farmer employing professional
horse thief to guard his horses at night.
Imagine bank employing an all-around
crook to adjust the safe locks and watch
the bank vaults. E.. A. T.