The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1898-03-15
LRT SILVER MIN uNIrR.

OS0G8S8SCS R0OA8GG40A
1t. 1have agreed in the main with it.
sometimes / do not. Where I differ, /
may be wrong, but am honest in it. /
think free coinage Of silver, retirement
OF greenbacks, opposition to National
banks Of issue, and interest-bearing
bonds and the income tax will all be
involved in the great fight of SO and
1900. In fact, our whole financial sys
tenn will depend on the result. If we
succeed, we enter the wedge that will
to a great extent give us success all
along the line of our other reforms.
It We are defeated, gold standard will
be more firmly fixed upon us, and to
retain indefinitely with all it's evils.
We will then be completely under the
control Of gold men and National
banks, it will, if possible, be a worse
class OF National banks than now, issu.
ing bills called money on all sorts of
bonds and Watered stocks.
What will be the condition of the
masses then9 What will the working
mans labor and his products of labor
be worth9 Large salaried officers,
bankers, ~bondholders, coupon clippers,
cOmmitants, trusts and combines will
flourish for a time. Even the State
and smaller salaried county officers
may stand it, but where will the ''for-
gotten man"-always forgotten when
benefits are bestoWed-the poor man
be9 It WI succeed in this fight we will
be able to raise the whole financial sys-
tenn and place it on the old constitu.
tional double standard of Washington,
Jefferson and the fathers Of our coun-
try, who l am still inclined to prefer
to Messrs. Fries, Edwards, Garner and
Laughlin, and other greater or lesser
lights who worship the golden calf set
up In Lombard street by the foreigners
who despise the silver of our " coun
try. 'Now is the nick Of time" 1t is
suicidal to hesitate. Let us set Jul
faces forward, put self and party be
hind and rally to the banner of true
patriotism and liberty, led by the com
bined hosts of free coinage and cur
rency reform. To divide is to be lost.
The gold men expect to divide US,
that is their main hope. Shall we do
what u enemy wants us todo9 Every
means that money and the hope of
preferment can do will be used by such
men as Hanna to effect division in u
ranks. If they divide US they will de.
feat us. If we stand together we can
beat them, and restore the hope Of a
renewed prosperity to our impover-
ished mass of toilers and wealth. pro
ducsrs, restore old fashioned, honest,
good government, with equal rights to
all, special privileges to none. Then
let US buckle on our armor, and let the
Cry be Lay on, McDuf." ''It is the
nick ct time" because this question has
been thoroughly discussed, it is better
understood than any other great CUES
ton of the Populist platform. It is
close to the people. They feel the op,
preston and see the effects of the single
gold standard. Our empty pockets,
our run down farms, tramps, our
strikes, hungry and half clad un
employed in some instances begging
for bread, are object lessons not to be
misunderstood. Hard times and debt
bids US good night when we lie down
and good morning when we get up. It
is going to be the single gold standard,
or the double standard, one or the
other. There is no middle ground to
occupy. The gauntlet has been openly
thrown down for the first time. There
is no mistake about it. Choose you
this day whom you will serve. If
gold, divide if silver and gold, unite.
Every Populist can vote with the
silverites of other parties on this ques-
tion without giving up any other Pop
ulist principle. Every Democrat and
silver Republican can do the same
ting. ALI are expected to hold on to
their other principles, whatever they
may be. But on this great National
question, where they all agree, it is
not only right to unite, but almost
criminal not to do 80. I was a strong
party man when I vas younger, and
I believe in necessary party organiza
ton yet, but I hope I am wiser as I
grow older, and I think principle,
patriotism, craftsmanship ought to be
paramount in this life and death strug
gle on which the destiny of Jul Dun
try hangs. In this fight let self and
party spirit be cruci1ed. Let country,
liberty and the happiness of our pos
terity be the great watch word.
GEO. WILCOX.