The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1898-10-19
4 VOICE FROM THE PEOPLE.
The Real Condition of the People.

The Real Condition of the People.
The Corliss correspondent of the Fer
gus Falls Globe has very able article
in the last issue Of that paper.
Read it and see what the people are
thinking about Then ask yourself the
question whether it is worth while to
restore the Democratic party to power.
when everywhere it is turning its back
on free silver and other Populistic prin-
ciples? Ask yourself whether there is
any remedy but to build up the real
Peoples Party.
1--WE went to town Saturday with load
of wheat The price would make a saint
swear-53 cents for bushel Of the ''staff
publican dailies how the country is
booming and that prosperity is with us.
Prosperity is here with vengeance,
that kind which puts the farmer still
deeper in the mud hole of debt and mis-
cry No matter how honest a man desired
to be, he cannot support a family and
pay his honest debts, with wheat at 50
cents per bushel With Russia with no
wheat to export, but more likely will
have to import, with no great surplus
of wheat in sight in this country, there
must be cause for this low price of
wheat Wheat is about the only staple
crop that the farmers realize some cash
from, and hence wheat is raised by the
farmers to get cash with which to meet
their obligations. Now, where should we
look for the cause of the falling prices?
One great cause is the gold standard
Everything in the line Of produce is
measured by the value of gold; the scarcer
it can be kept the more produce does It
take to purchase dollar 1t is almost
impossible for the average farmer to
keep his head above water. The wealthy
desire the continuation of the present
state of affairs because the debtor can
not pay the principal debt, but must pay
interest as long as he lives. This is just
what plutocracy wants and this is what
we have. The G.. o. P. has had ample
farmers and mechanics, but have they
done it? We answer, no. Is this low
price of wheat of any benefit to the mer-
chants? We answer no. We saw col
lector who was around the lake some
time ago with stack of bills to collect
for the merchants. But he went back to
town without having collected a single
dollar. Another proof that merchants
also should vote the entire refrom ticket.
The present administration promised to
get international bimetallism. Did they
do it? We answer, no; but has served to
perpetuate the gold standard. 1t will take
the combined efforts of the American
citizens to throw off this yoke of bond
age. Money makes the mare go, and
the other fellows have it. Another il
lustration to show that the labOrers and
mechanics also should vote the reform
ticket is set forth in the following ex-
ample I'll take my own case. If wheat
was one dollar per bushel l could af-
ford to hire man for this fall and winter
say to the vaue of 500. This man then
had 500 to spend in town for clothes
and other necessities The merchants
could afford to take more goods which
again would give employment to the fac
tories, for there is no use of manufacture
ing goods that cannot be sold and there
can be no sales when the consumer has
no money with which to buy. My case is
only one in a thousand here in our own
country. Employ thousand men in
this county and none need be idle. The
same case is applicable all over the
United States. The scarcity of money
and the consequent low prices of produce
causes thousands to suffer from want and
lack of necessities of life. Vote the re-
form ticket and find employment, Or the
G. o. P. and find starvation wages, which
do you say, fellow citizens? Strike while
the iron is hot. We know a man who
bought piece-of wild land six years ago