Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1898-02-04
A Hayseed's Stand.

stand taken by the stockholders of the
FARMERS LEADER Co at their last
annual meeting, the editorial in the
issue of the LEADER following the
meeting upon fusion appears good
deal antago nistic
While the LEADER is paper that
will not close its columns to a reason
able ventilation of the different sides of
any question of general public con-
cern, it must follow, as matter Of
course, that when a program has been
adopted, the paper must editorially
follow that program.
AS editorials upon any leading ques-
tion will be considered as the papers
standpoint upon such question, we here
got into house that appears to stand
in opposition to itself 1t may be that
Immediate pecuniary considerations
would suggest that paper take, what
from some quarters il made to appear
the popular side of this usion question.
but usion is not the popular side.
Fusion is hot headed expedient by
which the manipulators would try to
carry the slow moving body of the peo-
pie along tangled up in net, and the
great probability is that such large
per entage would break ont of the net
that the expedient would prove dis
asrerous. Fusi N can only be defended
on the ground of war measure by
which TO outmanoeuvre the enemy
The LEADER is a Peoples party paper
and the Peoples party plan Of war is
not drawn upon this basis
The Peoples party is a party of re.
form based upon education, therefore
the Peoples party is also for education.
Inasmuch as the central hub of this
fusion matter seems to be the free coin
age of silver, that is a vital question in
which the whole people are materially
concerned. and question the signi6-
canoe of which at least majority of
the people should be able to grasp. To
force this question in an obscure state
of development, as it yet seems to stand
in the minds of many, would be very
little better than the intrigues by which
silver was struck down in '73. When
the people understand the scope of the
matter they will unite and reinstate
silver We will then have an honor
4ble union that will stand, in place Of
this despicable fusion that might be
the source of a reaction
In the shape our statutes now stand
with respect to loanability of money,
bank regulations and the sources from
which the larger part of our currency
flows, free coinage Of silver would be
far from carrying with il to the in
dustrial part of the people the full
benefits of the measure A reconstruc-
ton of our whole currency system and
a full restorage to the government of
the sources of issue is necessary to
carry the full benefits of that measure.
Is it likely that fusion element would
present the ability and the harmony to
carry out such work?
1t is not difficult to see what would
he the outcome to the industrial part of
the people from the free coinage of
silver under our present situation
Even though the tremendous bank
influences would exert their strong
power to make the government a fail.
ure, we hope the backing of the honest
people is stronger than the banks, and
with firm stand on the part of the
government the two metals-gold and
silver would gradually proceed towards
their more natural proportions of par
ity. This would raise prices and
business enterprise and specu
lation, and the people would plunge
into borrowing money at advancing
rates of interest So while the present
deb or might have a chance to get out
and be mighty careful not to get in
again, 8, rely pressed by experience, a
younger generation would dive in and
be enshackled in the chains of the
money power by new crop Of bonds
and mortgages even more CALLING than
at present. -....
Therefore, free coinage alone will
only shift matters about and rather
increase the difficulty.
Besides flee coinage there is more
difficult task to be performed and thi,
task we would do we'll not to trust to
f ,,sionists nor bankers. The latter are
steering our ship of finance now, and
they Are steering MS into more danger
Gus brakers all the time. Whenever
t lere is made change or propositlC n
for change it always points in the
8 sme direction, to the establishment of
two classes, one Of masters and one of
slaves. Secretary Cages last propo-
sition is fair specimen.
J. E. HOTTER.