The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1899-08-10

people that the possibilities would permit
to free their country from the slavery OF
bonds. They realized that opening the
mints to silver would be an act which, ii
accomplished, would iafford some measure
of relief to the business of the country that
might more than compensate for the loss
of the silver to the manufactures and arts,
and then an incentive might thus be fur
nished old party adherents for considering
the claims of the Peoples party.
They, of course knew, as all intelligent
people now know, that there is nothing in
the proposition to coin, or the refusal to
coin either silver or gold that involves any
important economic, governmental or busi-
ness principle whatever, but they consider
ed that the loss Of the precious metals by
coinage was one that could not at once be
remedied, and must therefore be endured
until more enlightened conditions are
created.
1t is not intended here to affirm that the
waste of silver or gold by coming and
compelling them to bear the monetary i'm
preston would not be in contempt Of
economic and business principles provided
the world knew any better; nor to say that
the Populists, as party, would not SO con-
slider it; but to allege that there Is no act
in the practical application of an economic
principle, nor in any legitimate and moral
business transaction, wherein there is
necessity for the use OF coined metal, OF
The free coinage of silver as a political
issue is about the size and nature of the
issue that would be presented In case
large number of the farmers of the country
were laboring under the delusion that their
farming implements must be wooded with
mahogany and rosewood, and the specu-
lators in mahogany had conspired with the
more purchasable and demogogic portion OF
these philosophic agriculturists to discredit
rosewood and had succeeded in driving it
from the factories except for the manu-
facture of some of the smaller and less I'M
portant TOOLS such as gimblet handles and
the like The rosewood interests become
very Indignant at the outrage and determine
to seek re dress at the ballot box. The Re-
publican contingent OF this enterprslng
fraternity at first hesitate as to which OF
the contending industries they will favor,
but becoming convinced that the manogany
fellows are the greater source OF revenue,
they very naturally and spatriotically es-
pouse the cause Of the ma-hog- g-any, and de-
termine that rosewood and every other
wood shall be excluded from the manufact-
cries of the agricultural implements ex-
cept in so far as they may me manipulated
in the interests of themselves and their
friends. The Democratic wing" although
including some pretty FAIR -minded fellows,
are much divided and very much agitated
over this tremendous issue, ana scarcely
can tell how to grappae with 1t In way so
wise and statesmanlike as to afford solu-
ton satisfactory to the economic savans OF
their various schools, and upon the exhaus-
ton of their vast stores Of &C ,Eon.fc lore,
they &C me to tho momontOuB coEclus0li thal
agricultural Implements and macnlnery
shall! be freely manufactured from the two
choice woods and kept In reserve in guam
titles sufficient to redeem all implements
and machinery manufactured from other
kinds of timber.
The Populist farmers expostulate and try
TO reason with their deluded brethren OF
folly in devoting the rare and choice pro-
ductions of the forests to purposes for which
they are not by nature adapted is almost
equal 20 the folly and waste Of those who
take and use the precious products CT the
mines in such way as entirely to deprive
society Of the benefits Of their use for pur-
poses they are adapted by the Great and
An-Wise Creator to subserve. They point
out to them that neither the forests of
choice timber nor the mi4es of precious met
ais were reserved by government for public
use, which certainly should have been done
il there is any foundation fer their claims
of those who holdsth gold end silver are
the support of a sound and enduring cur
rency system. #e y
Our honest and reasoning Populists urge
upon the attention Of their neighb0rs, the
fact that both forests and mines have been
left a prey to greed and avarfce-their val
liable productions scattered throughout the
world, the portion inuring to honest toll
being scarcely SUFFICIENT to maintain the
outer main in working condition, and that
to- guage the operations of agriculture and
commerce by the amount OF gold, silver or
other material that can be wrung from
corporations and trusts after first giving
them notice that heir wares" are indis-
pensible and must be had at any cost 10