Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1898-09-29
MY POPULIST FRIEND
a FARMERS WIFE TEACHES a
LESSON IN CONSISTENCY.
Her husbands Pride in Ownership
of the War Bonds of "a Country
Brought to the Verge of Moral, Po-
!itiCal and Material Ruin.o

friend, as he came Dl1tnely up the
gravel walk that leads to the front
porch of his cozy country home.
Ills wife did not look up.
Il tell YOU" he continued, 'it does
me as much good this time, to sub
scribe my mite to the government loan
as it did to go to the front myself,
thirty odd years ago.
Still no response from the little wom-
an. rocking on the porch.
What n glorious war this has beenw
and he grew enthusiastic. What Il
real nation we are! What grand old
man Uncle Sam is, anyhow. Think of
it, Think of it, l say" he fairly shrek
ed to the unrulfied lady in the chair
when Spain was trying to borrow q
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
Kinlcy got gun factories going, powder
factories going, men and boys going
here and there, camping, drilling, NOV
ing to the front. Dewey at Manila,
whzz. Onc-third of the Spanish navy
mt the bottom of the sea; Sampson and
Schley at Santiago, whoop! The pride
Of SPANS navy full of holes and burn
ing on the beach; the boys in Cuba,
twenty thousand Spanish fighters
surrender to them. Porto Rico cap
turcd without struggle It's great
1T makes me feel like celebrating. More
money wanted; did we have to go to
Europe for it?'
He paused for Il reply, which did not
come, and then he proceeded:
NO, we didn't, not a bit of it; we
didn't have to go 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 Struttcd 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 tAc past year? Aren't we
somebody, thought"
Then her lips moved. She spoke, her
voice rs deep and as solemn as She
could make it; her eyclashes not lifted;
her features eXpressionless. He lis
tened to the words:
1--WE meet in the midst of nation
brought to the verge of moral, political
and material ruin
Like y voice from the tomb it sound
ed to him.
At first my Populist friend seemed
stunned: then he was angry. His arms
flew in the air, his jaw moved, and his
whiskers beat the wind; but so en-
ragged was he that he could utter not
word. Finally, in despair, he sat
down upon the porch steps and buried
his face in bis hands.
Cruel, | 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-
tton of your great Popuiist party. That
was the cornerstone on which you
hullded; it was the belief in those con
ditions that brought your party into
existence Think of it, what libel on
great and good people! What are
You going to do with that declaration
of ruin. anyhow? Why not frame 1t,
and send it to Spain? l don't know of
any one else who could get any salts
faction out of it; 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"
plaintiycly pleaded my Populist friend.
"But YOU are still following the trail
onto which that infamous declaration
led YOU; and that is what hurts me,
she answered, impatiently. "Think of
it yourself; think Of 1t. Can great
and growing nation make Il 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
war 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
50 protect a nation that was on the
Verge Of moral ruin? Would a wicked
and depravcd people wage such war
TOR humanity rs ours has waged!
'Financial ruin, too. Think of that.
All those millions Of dollars are being
loaned to the government by the neo-
pie, plain, Woodworking, economical
people such as you. And yet You say
in your great national platform that we
are Oh 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 ruinr Yes, the difference
III our trade with nations of the world
was more than six hundred million