Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-08-26

| public at large from excessive railroad
rates.
THE Populists approve the demand
set forth in the Democratic platform
for Labor Bureau. with n Cabinet
officer at it's head. Such an official
would keep the Administration in close
touch with the wage-earning portion
or the population, and go far toward
securing such remedial legislation as
| the toiers need.
OPPOSITION TO TRUSTS.
I'm 1896 the Populists united with the
Democrats in opposing the trusts. al
though the question at that time ap-
peared like cloud scarcely larger
than mans hand. To-day that cloud
well nigh overspreads the industrial
sky. The farmer does not participate
in the profits of any trust, but he
sorely feels the burden of them all. He
= Is dependent upon the seasons for his
| income. When he plants his crop he
knows not whether it will be blessed
with rain or blighted with drought; he
knows not whether wind will blow ii
down. or hail destroy it. or insects de-
YOUR 1t. and the price of his crop is as
uncertain as the quantity If q private
monopoly can suspend production and
fix the price of raw material, as we'll
as the price of the finished products,
the farmer. powerless to protect him
ne purchases. Can any farmer hest
tate to throw the influence of his bal
lot upon the side of those who desire
10 protect the public at large from
monopolIeS?
THE fact that the trusts support the
Repuolican party ought to be sufficient
proof that they expect protection from
It. The Republican party cannot be
relied upon to eXtinguish the trusts so
long as 1T draws its campaign contri-
buttons from it's overlooking vaults.
THE PROSPERITY ARGUMENT.
The prosperity argument which the
Republicans bring forward to answer
all complaints against the Admins
tration Will not deceive the farmer
He knows that two factors come into
his income, first the size of his crop.
and second. the price which ne receives
Tor the same. He does not return
thanks to the party in power for favor
aple weather and n bountiful harvest,
and he knows that the Republican
party has no policy which insures
permanent increase in AGRICULTURAL
prices. Since he sells his surplus in a
| foreign market he is not n beneficiary
OF the tariff. and since he produces
merchandise and not money, he does
not profit by the appreciation of the
dollar. He knows that the much
Vaunted prosperity. of which he has
|
| spite of the unusual and unnatural
stimulation which 1t has received dur
| inE the last three years. He knows
that each month of 1900 shows a larger
number of failures than the CORE
sponaihg month Of 1882 and that there
| IS also marked tendency toward n
decrease in the output of the factories
re knows also that discoveries of gold
iaInlnes abroad and war on three CON
| tinehts nave not been able to raise the
| price or farm products as rapidly as
trusts and combinations have raised
| buys. ''e iai iiier
:. our opponents have tried to make
II appear that we are inconsistent
When we desire general rise in prices
ana yet oppose an arbitrarily rise in
aiotecteu manufactures or trust made
BOGUS. Ihere is no conflict whatever
between these two propositions. IF a
Beherai rise in prices occurs because of
permanent Increase in the volume Of
money, All things adjust themselves to
49,, oaS new leVeI' and If the volume of
! money then increases in proportion IN
the demand for money, the price level
remains the same. and business can he
uohe with fairness to ALL If. however,
the rise Is arbitrary and only affects q
PAT Oh the products of labor, those
whose products do not participate i'm
clSe suffer because -t1ttrrtI1 strTr-
| power OF their income is decreased
~ pad monetary system drags down
tne price OF the farmers products
whlie nonopolies raise the price of
| What he buys, he burns the candle az
noth ends. and must expect to suffer
IN comparison with those who belong
lation. ~ 'esis-
1T Is sometimes urged by partisan
opuilsts that four more years of Re-
publican misrule would so aggravate
economic conditions as to make reform
easier. NO one can afford to aid in
making matters worse IN the hone of
peing able to make them better after
Waros: Tor in so doing he assumes re-
sponsiDility which he may not be able
10 remedy. No Populist, however san
Suine, believes it possible to elect n
PRESIDENT at this time. but the Popu-
us. party may be able to determine
VIII be elected Mr.. Chairman. the
Fopulist convention, which your com
mlttee represents, thought it better Tn
snare With the Democrats in the honor
VI securing some reform desired by
your party than to bear the odiurn or
remaining neutral in this great crisis
or 10 giving open or secret aid to the
republican party which opposes all
the REFORMS for which the Populists
contend P"'i'lS
Those who labor to improve the con-
dltions which surround their fellowmen
are apt to become Impatient: but thew
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 open opposi-
| ton.
ELECTION OF SENATOR'S.
President Johnson. in 1868. recon-
mended Constitutional amendment
providing for the election of United
states Senators by direct vote of the
| people, but his recommendation met