Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1898-08-25
Why Does the Courier Favor
Repubiicanism.

AS one of our esteemed friends re-
Gently remarked that the editor of the
Courier favored republicanism just be-
cause Mark Hanna said it was just the
thing, he will proceed to enumerate the
reason why he is not a popnlist.
The writer was born of poor parents
In a distant land. He was brought up
among people of the so-called low stage
of society and had not the opportunity to
acquire a good education. His social en-
vironments were small and meagre. Most
of his fellow citizens were not possessed
of the means of maintaining a comfort
able or luxurious subsistence; but they
were a contented lot of people, neverthe-
less. The struggle Of the poor for exist
ence was generally hard; the earning Of
a livelihood, as a rule, required more
toll and hard work than is the case in
this country, and the chances for an am
bilious young man of small means ta
made some Roadway were exceedingly
| slim.
Owing to these facts and TO the many
glowing accounts and descriptions Of
America which he had incidentally
heard or read, he resolved to leave home
and go to the New World to rush into
the arms of fate. He considered America
a far better country than that in which
he was born. He thought that America
was the best country upon earth, the
land of the free, country where all
had an equal chaiice &c forge ahead to
success, a country with a good govern
ment and a happy lot of good citizens.
From what he had read of American
politics In the newspapers, he had
formed the opinion that the democratic
party was right. He thought a good
deal of Grover Cleveland and was really
prejudiced against the republican party.
He could not understand why the Ameri-
cans should put a protective tariff on
articles made in foreign lands and why
they should restrict immigration and
foreign labor. But it must be remem-
bered that he then looked upon these
matters from a foreign standpoint. He
had not yet learned to view them from
the American side.
During the last years when he stayed
at home he favored, with all the fire and
enthusiasm of youth, the principles of
the liberal party, the party which was
the progressive one and which among
other reforms advocated the right of the
poor man TO have accession to the ballot
box and a voice In the matters pertain
ing to governwental affairs. Thus, when
the writer arrived In this country, he
was more inclined to be radical than
aristocratic.
As already stated, when he arrived In
the New World he had a pretty good
opinion of this country; but as soon as
he acquired sufficient knowledge Of
English, he found out through the col
umns of populist papers or through oral
arguments of adherents of the same DO.
litical faith that he had been badly mis-
taken regarding his idea Of the United
States. The populists taught, and teach
yet, that this country was on the verge
Of ruin, the government was corfspt, the
country was fast going to a place hotter
than Klondike id Janurry, the poor
people were s~laves, trust and monopolies
controlled legislation ard were running
the government and were depressing
the people, the poor were getting poorer
and the rich were getting richer, this re-
public would soon share the fate of the
great republic of Rome unless the popu-
lists could carry some of their pet
schemes through, the poor people
couldn't make a honest living any more,
England owned this country, England
was running this country, the wealth of
this country was in the hands of a few
and the people owned nothing, etc, etc.
But all these evils, they taught, could