Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1898-10-07
MY POPULIST FRIEND.
A FARMERS WIFE TEACHES A
LESSON IN CONSISTENCY.
Her Hu.band,. Pride In Ownership
Of the War Bonds of ga Country
Brought to the Verge of Moral, po-
litical aud Material Ruin"

1--WE get them" said my Populist
friend, as he came blithely up the
gravel walk that leads to the front
porch Of his cozy country home.
His wife did not look up.
II tell you," he continued, "it does
me as much good this time, to sub
scribe my mite to the government loan
as 1t did to 60 to the front myself,
thirty odd years ago."
Still no response from the little WON
an, rocking on the porch.
"What q glorious war this has been"
and he grew enthusiastic. what q
real nation we are! What a grand old
man Uncle Sam is, anyhow! Think of
it! Think Of 1t, I say" he fairly Shrek
ed to the unrutfled lady in the chair.
when Spain vas trying to borrow a
few millions to patch up her dilapidated
old navy, Uncle Sam showed his hand
down in his pocket, pulled out fifty mil
lions in cold cash, handed it over to
Mckinley and said, Get ready Nc
Kinley got gun factories going, powder
factories going, men and boys going
here and there, camping, drilling, NOV
ing to the front. Dewey at Manila,
whizz! One-third of the Spanish navy
at the bottom of the sea; SampsonNand.
Schley ut Santiago, whoop! The pride
of Spain's navy full of holes and burn
ing on the beach; the boys in Cuba,
twenty-five thousand Spanish fighters
surrender to them. Porto Rico cap
tured without a struggle. It's great.
It makes me feel like celebrating. More
money wanted; did we have to go to
Europe for it,"
He paused for a reply, which did not
come, and then he proceeded:
mo, we didn't, not q bit of it; we
didn't have to so anywhere. The peo-
pie just said, Here it is, six times over
If you want it. We get our share Of
the bonds, it makes me feel good;" and
he strutted back and forth in front Of
the porch, seeming to initiate the walk
Of the proud peacock not far off, 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 year? Aren't we
somebody, though?"
Then her lips moved. She spoke, her
voice as deep and as solemn as she
could make it; her %eyelashes not lifted;
her features expressiOnless. He lis
tened to the words:
"sWe meet in the midst of a nation
brought to the verge of moral, political
and material ruin"
Like a voice from the tomb it sound
ed to him.
At first my Populist friend seemed
stunned; then he a angry. His arms
few in the air, his jaw moved, and his
whiskers beat the wind; but so en-
ragged was he that he could utter not a
word. Finally, in despair, he sat
down upon the porch steps and buried
his face in his hands.
"Cruel, I know it is cruel" said the
little woman in her softest, meekest
voice; "but that is one Of the first
phrases in the first national declara-
ton 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 a libel on
q great and good people! What are
you going to do with that declaration
Of ruin anyhow? Why not frame 1t,
and send 1t to Spain? I don't know Of
any one else who could get any salts
faction out Of 1t; but, in the light Of
recent historic events, It would be a
difficult task to get even her to believe
It."
But that was six long years ago."
plaintlvely pleaded my Populist friend.
"But you r still following the trail
onto which that infamous declaration
led you; and that is what hurts me-"
she answered, impatiently. "Think Of
1t yourself; think of it. Can a great
and growing nation make a complete
change in morals in six years? When
was there more evidence that Divine
Providence was guiding a nation than
we have at this time? Think of our
a for humanity; think Of Dewey and
Manila; think Of Santiago; think Of
spain's navy practically ruined and but
one man of ours killed in doing it.
Would the hand Of Divine Providence
20 protect a nation that was on the
verge Of moral ruin? Would a wicked
and depraved people wage such a war
for humanity as ours has waged?
Financial ruin, too! Think of that.
All those millions of dollars are being
loaned to the government by the peo-
pie; plain, Woodworking, economical
people. such as you. And yet you say
In your great national platform that we
r on the verge Of material ruin. How
dare you look Truth in the face and
follow the footsteps Of the party
which uttered that libel?
material ruin! Yes. the difference
In our trade with nations of the world
was more than six hundred million
dollars In u favor, but. great as 1t is,
tint to11S nnlv a small n0rf of thu o<ov,,