The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1899-10-26

THEY HAVE CHANGED THEIR TUNE
That able paper, the Joliet GILL
News, J. H. Ferris, editor, contains in
its last issue the following article:
Looking back over the last campaign
makes one feel that he has. been stood upon
his head. Then the great lights of the gold
dollar, like the Chicago Tribune Times
Herald, Prof Laughlin and Mckinley told
us to increase prices would rob the creditor
and the statement was always in company
with sermon upon the depravity and dis
honesty of free silver an increase of the
currency. - .1..
Lo and behold, they have increased the
currency! More silver has been coined by
them, and they have issued silver certif-
Gates! They have not retired the green
back as they threatened, but, on the con-
trary, they have smothered the pitiful cred
1tor, the weeping widow and the funded or
phan in an avalanche of high prices.
What they said they would do they have
not done, and what they promised not to do
has been done.
!, Prices were not only raised healthily by
the expansion of the currency, the balance
OF trade and the purchases of the war de-
partment, but additionally, unhealthy and
arbitrarily, by the trusts
We Populists told them it would he a
good thing to coin more silver and increase
the volume OF currency. 'But no, they must
nave worlds dollar and it must be wholly
of gold.
We told them to increase the volume of
currency would increase prices of merchan-
disc and labor, would furnish employment
for the people, and was desirable. No.
they said. an increase of prices would be
the most undesirable thing possible. To
increase prices robbed the creditor. That
is, II the prices Of grain and labor were in
creased the creditor could not get as manv
Dusnels or grain or as many hours labor
Tor MS dollar as at the time the obligations
were incurred. Hence they said 1t would
be robbery, and the debtor would be a rob
Der, and Pcpulist was the most destesta-
BILE of all robbers.
Besides, they claimed high prices were
not desirable for the workingman. He
could not buy as much for his dollar, his
expenses would be higher, but his wages
would be the same. The arguments were
advanced during the Cleveland panic. when
labor was getting practically no work at
all and couldn't buy dollars worth of
anything, but that made no difference with
these Tribune politicians fastening forward
to break the neck of their political ECONOMY.
How all this changed! What a different
song they sing! The 5o-cent dollar is for.
gotten; expansion, high prices and pros
perfty are the themes on every goldbug's
tongue They have done very nearly what
the Populists asked for, and are Claiming
all the credit for themselves
We presume that is the new style of op-
position coming in with this era of trusts.
They have control of the purse strings
every great fnancier and monopolist of
money Is In their party-and when thew arc
disappointed politically they will contract
the currency and withdraw loans, and when
they are pleased in the government they
will renew their loans, open the minis and
make their subjects happy
The moral seems to be, watch their pleasure
md displeasure. and shape our investments
md direct our ships accordingly. AS Pom
1lists, We shall be most happy to point out