The Lamar register., 1898-09-28
MY POPUIIST FRIEND.
a LESSON IN CONSISTENCY
by A FARMERS WIFE.
Her Husbands Pride In the own.r.sip
OF the sonds Of "a Country Brous ht
to the Verge Of Moral. Political a.d
Material RAIN


HIS wife did not look up.
u tell you," he continued. lit does
me as much good this time to sup
scribe nay mite to the government
loan as It did to go to the front my
sen thirty-odd years ago"
sun no response from the little
woman, rocking on the porch.
What a glorious war this has
neen!' and he grew enthusiastic.
What great nation we are! What
grand old man Uncle Sam is. any
howl Think OF II, Think OF 1t, say"
he fairly shrieked TO the unrutied lady
in the chair. when Spain was trying
TO borrow a few millions to patch up
her diiapidated old navy, Uncle Sam
showed his hand down in his pocket,
pulled out fifty millions in cold cash.
handed IL over to Mckinley and said
Get ready Mckinley got Gun fac
tories going. powder factories going.
men and boys going here and there,
camping. drilling. moving 10 the front.
Dewey at Manila. whizz, one-third OF
the Spanish navy at the bottom of the
sea- Sampson and Schiey at Santiago,
Whoopl The pride Of Spain's navy full
OF holes and burning on the beach; the
noys in Cuba, twenty-five thousand
Spanish fighters surrender 10 them.
Porto Rico captured without strug-
gle. Its great II makes me feel like
celebrating. More money wanted; did
Ne have 10 so 10 Europe for III"
He paused for n reply. which did
not come, and then he proceeded:
No, We didn't. not bit OF Il; We
didn't have 10 go anywhere. The peo-
pie just said, Here it is, six times
over II you want IT, We set our share
OF the bonds. II makes me feel good"
and he strutted hack and forth in
front of the porch. seeming to Initiate
the walk OF the proud peacock not far
on; but the woman said nothing
But that isn't all. he said. Think
OF US commercially. What do you
think Of making Europe and other
lands fork over six hundred million
dollars In clean cash for the difference
due us in the deals of the past year2
Aren't we somebody, thought"
Then her lips moved. She spoke,
her voice as deep and as solemn as she
could make IL; her eyelRshes not lift
s1.. her features expressionless. He
listened TO the words;
I'VE meet in the mids, Of nation
brought 10 the verge OF moral. political
and material ruin"
Like voice from the tomb It sound
ed to him.
At Hrst my Populist friend seemed
stunned; then he was angry. His arms
few in the air. his jaw moved. and his
whiskers beat the wind: but SO enrag-
ed was he that he could not utter a
word. Finally. In despair. he sat down
upon the porch steps and buried his
face in his hands.
"Srcel ! know II T. cruel" said the
little woman in her softest. meekest
voice. hut that Is one OF the first
phrases in the FIRST national declara-
tion OF your great Populist party. That
was the cornerstone on which you
builded: It was the belief in those con-
ditions that brought your party into
existence Think OF ii. what libel on
n great and good peoplei What ara
you going to do with that declaration
OF ruin. anyhow? Why not frame it
and send It to Spain? don't know os
any one else who could get any satis-
faction out OF it; but, in the light OF
recent historic events, it would be a
dificEl, task to get even her to believe
it"
But that was six long years ago.
plaIntiveiy pleaded my Populist friend.
But you are still following the trail
onto which that Infamous declaration
led you; and that is what hurts me, :"
she answered. impatiently. Think of
It yourself: think OF 1t. Can a great
and growing nation make n complete
change in morals in six years? When
was there more evidence that Divine
Providence was guiding nation than
We have at this time? Think Of our
war for humanity; think of Dewey IND
Manila; think of Santiago; think of
Spain's navy practically ruined and
but one man of ours killed in doing 1t.
Would the hand Of Divine Providence
SO protect a nation that was on the
verge of moral ruin? Would wicked
and depraved people wage such war
for humanity as ours has waged?
Financial ruin, tool Think of that.
All those millions of dollars are being
loaned to the government by the peo-
ple-pIain, Woodworking, economical
people, such as you. And yet you say
in your great national platform that
we are on the verge of material ruin.
How dare Won look truth in the face