Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1900-08-30

only suspected, that opposition should
De greater now since no one can long
,er doubt the purpose of the repub
lican party to substitute hank notes
for grcenbncks.
Agree Ia Essentials.
sit is true that the popuiists believe
in an irrcdermable grcenbaclS, while
the democrats believe in n grcenback
rcdeemable in coin, but the vital ques
ton Mt this time, so far as papc,
money is concerned is whether the
government or banks shalt issue it
There will be time enough to discuss
the rcueemability of the greenbacls
when the greenbacll itself is saved
from the humiliation which now
threatens it. The republican party is
now committed to currency system
which neccssitates perpetual debt
agreement with the democrats who
believe in paying off the national debt
as rapidly as possible.
IF belief in nn income tax justified
a populist In acting With the demo
cratic party i'll 1896, what excuse car
he find for aiding the republican par
ty now when even the cNigencics OF
war have not been sufficient to bring
that party to the support of the in
come tax principle?
"Populists believe i'm arbitration
now as much as they did in 1896, nnt
are as much opposed to government
by injunction and the blacklist as
they were then, and upon these sub
iccts they have as much reason TO,
cooperation with the democratic par
ty today as they had four years ago.
Democrats and populists alike favoot
that principle of direct legislation. Ii
any differences exist az to the extent to
which the principle should be applied
pertinent.
Democrats aud populists agree that
be excluded from the United States.
Democrats and populists desire to sc
enlarge the scope OF the Interstate com
merce act as to enable the commission
to protect both persons and places from
discrimination, and the public at large
The populists approve the demand set
forth In the democratic platform for. Il
labor bureau with cabinet officer at Its
mlnistraticn in close touch with the wnge
earning portion OF the population, and go
far toward securing such remedial legis-
latton as the tollctS need
I'm 1856 the ropulists united with the
democrats In opposing the trusts. al
though the question at that time ap-
peared like {. cloud scarcely larger than n
.overspreads the Industrial sky. The farm
er does not participate lin the profits of
any trust, b,.t he sorely feels the burden
OF them all. He is dependent upon the
his crop he knows not whether 1t viii be
blessed with ralnor blighted with drouth:
be knows not whether wind Will blow 1t
down, or hail destroy 1t, or insects deVour
tain the quantity. lf Il private monop-
oily can suspend production and fix the
price of raw material as well as the price
OF .ne n,sheu prouue1 te .arm m Row
plundcred when he purchases Can any
farmer hesitate to throw the influence of
his ballot upon the side of those who de-
sire to protect the public at large from
monopolies?
The fact that the trusts support the
republican party ought to be sufficient
1t. The republican party cannot be relied
upon to eAtinguish the trusts 80 long MS
it draws Its campaign contributions from
their OVERLOOKING vaults.
The Prosperity Arshmcnt.
The PROSPERITY argument which the
republicans bring to answer all COM
plants against the administration will
EOI deceive lne FARMER. RE Knows ITaC
two factors enter into his income:
First. the size of his crop, and. second.
the price which he receives for the same.
He does not return thanks to the party
bountlful harvest, and he knows that the
republican party has no policy which In
sures Il permanent increase In aSricul-
tural prices. Since he sells his surplus
in Il foreign market he is not a bene-
iiciary OF the tariff, and since he produces
merchandise and not money, he does not
profit by the appreciation of the dollar.
Hc knows that the much Wanted pros
rerity, of which ne has never had his
share, is on the wane in spite of the un-
usual and unnatural stimulation which 1t
has received during the last three Years.
He knows that each month Of 1900 shows
n larger number of failures than the corr
responding month of 1899 and that There
is already marked tendency toward Il
He knows also that discoveries of gold.
famine abroad and war on three CONT
nents have been able to. raise the price
of farm products rs rapidly as trusts and
things which the farmer buys
"Our opponents have tried to make 1t
appear that we arc. inconsistent when we
desire general rise in prices and vet
oppose an arbitrary rise In protected
manufactures or trust-mndc goods. There
is no conflict whatever between these two
propositions. If q general rise In pr'ces
In the volume of money. ali things ad-
just themselves to the new lever, and If
the volume of money then increases in
proportion to the demand for money. the
price lever remains the same and bust
ness can be done with fairness to all. If,
however, the rise Is arbitrary, and only
affects a part of the products of labor.
in the rise suffer because the purchasing
power of their income Is decreased. If Il
bad monetary system drags down the
price OF the farmers product, while mo-
he burns the candle at both ends and
must expect to suffer in parison with
thoye who belong to the classes moro ia
vored by legislation.
Necessity of Fusion.
"1t Is sometimes urged by partisan pop
ultsts that four years more of republican
misrule would so aggravate economic
one can afford to aid in making matters
worse in the hope of being able to make
them better afterwards. for in so doing
he assumes responsibilities which he may
not be able to remedy. No populst, how
ever sanguine, believes 1t possible to elect
populist president at this time. but the
populist party may be able to determine
whether a democrat or a republican will
be elected Mr.. Chairman, the populist
convention, which your committee repre-
sents thought ii better to share with the
of the reforms desired by our party, than
to bear the odium of remaining neutral
in this great crisis, or of giving open or
secret aid to the republican party. which
opposes all the reforms for which the
populists contend.
Reforms Come Slowly.
Those who labor to improve the con-
ditions which surround their fellowmen
are apt to become impatient, but they
must remember that it takes time to
work out great reforms. Let me illus
trate by calling your attention to the
slow growth of public opinion in sup
port OF proposition to which there has
been practically no opposition. President
Johnson, In 1StS. recommended consti-
tntional amendment providing for the
election of United states senators by a