Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1898-11-05

ness, ignorance and tyranny OF another
district? Where should the democrats
stand upon such an issue when the
founders OF their party fought for this
basic principle of our government as
against the Capitalization of power in
the hands of the majority? | am amazed
to now and then hear that a democrat
is going to vote for the peoples party
with ouch plank in their platform, when
the effect of the enforcement thereof
would be to wipe out representative and
senatorial district lines, especially as the
preservation of these districts is the only
safeguard to our state constitution, in
asmuch as a majority OF the people can
amend the constitution while it takes
twO-thirds OF the representatives and
senator's OF the districts to propose an
amendment to the state constitution.
Has not the history of the democratic
party been that of a party holding our
constitutions as sacred?
But imagine that | hear a democrat
saying that the populists stand for free
silver. Must the democratic party swal-
low a pound of quinine to get a grain
of sugar? When We know that the single
takers believe and advocate that the
single tax is q cure for all ills, shall we
not regard the advocacy by them of the
doing away of the constitution as for
the purpose of securing this most iniqui-
tOus system Of taxation But this ma
iority rule system has another vice, and
that lies in the assumption that every
individual is born a natural law giver,
and that it does not take brains to
of hnV. Ill
law.
Again, especially would majority
rule be dangerous when considering that
we practically have no restraint against
foreign immigration, and that practical
ly there is no educational qualification
or a property qualification required Of
the American voter. Again, as most of
our laws are compromises between dis
trlcts, this initiative system, rendering
almost impossible amendments to pro-
posed measures is Impractical and a
farce. This proposed system of govern
ment, il in effect, would either terminate
in absolute failure or anarchy.
These are some of the reasons why
oppose the peoples party platform, for
| hope may always be found upholding a
constitutional form of government and
maintaining inviolate a representative
government by districts, and whatever
party stands for those principles of good
government shall have my hearty en-
dorsement and support, be the name
what it may. Did Joe Wheeler, Fitzhugh
Lee, Schley and Dewey, with other true
democrats in both rank and file, refuse
to fight under a republican administra-
ton for their cOuntrs? Did not the true
democrats in congress give their hearty
support to the republican administration
IN our war against Spain? But there
we're a few members, to which party they
belong is difficult to tell, who, instead of
realizing the many great difficulties of
such vast undertaking as war, and es-
pecially when hurriedly entered into,
and noting and rejoicing in as patriotic
citizens the grand achievements and
victories won, conld do nothing but
crlticlse and show to the people nothing
put some OF the mistakes, notwithstand-
ing that they did all they could to push
the administration into that war with
| out adequate preparation, and notwith-
! standing the further fact that every
| enterprise when on great scale is iu-
separately connected with some mistakes.
As have previously stated. | am OPP
| posed to that plank of the peoples party
| platform favOring an irredeemabIe paper
currency "fOr the purpose OF restoring
and maintaining just level of prices of
labor and commodities" And the rea-
son why | oppose that plank lies in the
TACT that such currency has always had
and is sure to have just the opposite
effect Of that claimed for it in the above
quotation by the pOpulists. | am also
opposed TO our government attempting
to fix per capita circulation, for it is
pOWerless to do 80, for the volume OF our
circulation is always Influenced by the
volume OF trade with foreign countries.
suppose that our government at
tempted two years ago to fix a per
capita, would it not have been greatly
increased when by the immense volume
OF our foreign business the money cur
rent flowed this way? Can u democrat
support such plank when the history
OF his party is before him?
The platform under consideration il
silent as to the construction of the
Nicaragua canal, which if secured would
mean so much TO our wheat belt. The
republican party recognizes the import
ance OF such measure, for it is favored
in their platform.
About Those Figures.
AS nice array of figures are made BY
our pOpulist friends in the county tt
show their splendid financiering, / wisf
to call attention to the fact that it wa
a republican legislature of 1895 thai
passed the law reducing the salaries O
the county officers to the extent of abou
$500 annually, and to the further fac
that the taxpayers paid off the warran
Indebtedness of the county by payin,
last year their taxes for several year
past, and to the further fact that it wa
the liquidation of this indebtedness tina
removed the necessity for high levy
Figures mean nothing when separated
from the circumstances in connection
Herewith. E. NJ. WARNER.
ANOTHER IDEAL SHATTERED.
One by one the roses fade; one by on