People's party paper. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1891-1898, 1897-03-05
Editorial Comments.


Populists are being beguiled into the
belief that tariff imposed upon Egypt
ian cotton will increase the market
price of their own staple. We know
that the farmers of Georgia are being
banxrupted by the low prices of their
products and it is quite natural for
drowning men to grasp at straws, and
that is just what Georgia farmers are
doing when they ask congress to put a
protective tariff upon the importation
of Egyption cotton. That Democratic
farmers should sign such a petition is
natural. 1t is not expected that they
would know any better, but for Popu-
lists, who are presumed to be better
informed, who ought to understand
evitable result of shrinking currency
and the demonstration of silver, who
ought to know that as long as the
Egyptian cotton meets their own pro-
duct in free competition in every mar
ket of Europe, that the price of both
products will be fixed in Europe and
not in New York;-that these men
should be so misled and deceived sur
prises us. In signing this petition they
are not only seeking futile remedy,
but they are practically disavowing the
basic principle of their party doctrine,
which decrares against any and all
special or class legislation.
When this government and others
shall discharge their duty to the people
by increasing the quantity of legal ten
der money to such an extent as to
furnish steady employment at liviag
wages to the millions of unemployed,
thereby increasing the capacity of the
people to buy and consume, then and
not till then will the price of their cot
ton be increased. So long as the per
capita of money in circulation decreases
the price of Sea Island cotton will KEEP
pace with it, regardless of whether
Egyptian cotton is allowed to enter
our ports free of duty or has tax Of
one cent pound or ten cents a pound
imposed upon it. The time of Georgia
Populists will be better employed il
beating these truths into the heads OIL
their Democratic and Republican neigh,
bors than in helping them set up peti
tions for a protective tariff.
X
A leading Democratic daily in an.
nouncing that Col. S. II. Lancey ha6
been appointed by Gene raj Horace
Porter one of his aids for the inaugu
raj parade at Washington on the 4th o.
March, speaks of it as great and high
honor conferred. There is a no more
distressing sign of the times in this
great American republic than the grow.
ing disposition on inducting a
governor or president into Office
to ape the pomp and splendor displayed
by monarchial governments in the
browning of a new king or emperor.
While the theory of our government is
that the president is the servant of the
people the effect of these displays is tc
teach the people that a new master
is being placed in power. 1t doubtless
pleases the great army of Office hunters
to he rarmitted to snce,-rsv. nnrsric,1
Gus position in the inaugural parade,
Men devoid alike Of genuine American
ism and political principle-whose con
trolling motive is greed for Office, may
be we'll pleased at such an appoint
ment, but Jefferson nor Jackson woulC
have considered it any great honor
to ride at the head of such process
sion. The parade will please two
classes of people-one being composed
of the unthinking rabble and the. other
of the long headed plutocrats who
hope some day to see a president tram
pie the constitution under foot and es
tablish an oligarchy of wealth upon the
ruins of dead republic.
|
Four years ago last November the
| tympamm of our ears was made to ache
while on the streets with the words
sung upon every key of the gamut:-
"Grover, Grover, four more years of Grover
"Then We'll be i'll CLOVER"
In the midst of our anguish we prayed
the Good Lord to forgive the idiots who
knew not what they did. Now this
4th of March, 1897, we observe as day
of thanksgiving instead of the day sci
apart by the president and governor
last November
That day we did not observe, accord
ing to proclamations, for the reason
that the retrospect of the recent past
revealed more cause for grief and hui
initiation than for jor joy and gladness
We are not thankful to day for any
clover that ourselves or the great mass