The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-10-13
Circulation Statement.
Popular Duty and Opportunity.

In spite Of anything Hanna and the
trusts can do to prevent it, the result OF
the election on the sixth of November is
at the command Of the people. 1t is for
them to say whether we shall have four
years more of government under the
forms of a republic, but actually one of
q syndicate Of the great trusts and mo-
nopolies. administered for their sole
benefit by Marcus A. Hanna and William
Mckinley; or government of the people,
for the people, and by the people. with
a man of the people at its head, in the
person of William ]. Bryan!
II the fifteen million voters Of this coun-
try object to its exploitation and the
economic enslavement of its people by
The trusts, they can prevent such disas-
tiers by appropriate use of their ballots.
II they wish to see the Constitution which
Hanna and Mckinley. and their satellites
In Congress have defied and defiled, Ie-
stored to the respect it commanded until
four years ago, 1t is within their ability
to realize that aspiration. II they desire
to save our liberties, threatened by plu-
tocracy, with its contempt for fundamen-
tai or any sort of law, they will have the
chance to do SO this year, and the oppor-
tunity may never again be offered.
The people of the United States are its
masters yet If they. will only think SO. II
they choose to be caioled, bribed, or bull
lied into voting to keep their tyrants in
power it will be their own fault If they
allow the trust enemy to buy their cleo
zion officers and thus secure Justification
Of returns, they will have their lack Of
foresight, lack Of preventive organization,
and lack Of political vigilance to ascribe
such things to. and nothing else.
It is uuquestionably true that the Re-
publicans have collected an enormous cam
paign fund, amounting perhaps to twenty
i've or thirty million dollars. 1t is no
doubt, equally true that most of this vast
sum lie intended to be used In colonizing
illegal voters in the doubtful States. in
hiring repeaters in the cities, and in buy
Eng up election oflcers. All these things
were done successfully in 1895: but they
need not succeed in 1900. This year the
country is on notice, and the honest Dem
ocrats OF every voting precinct in the
United States owe 1t to themselves, to
their children, and to their fatherland, to
organize against the crimes against the
suffrage through which alone the manag-
ers Of the trust campaign expect to win
the light at the polls. The danger is an
Imminent, monstrous, and certain one.
People Of this generation have seen one
Presidential election certainly and anoth-
er probably stolen. II they allow the same
thing to happen again they need Lot wait
to 60 into rage about 1t on the seventh
Of November. 1t will then be too late.
What is needed is shrewd provision. or
ganization, and careful watching on
the sixth Of November There should be
no hesitation anywhere in dealing sum-
marily and swiftly with the colonist, the
repeater, or the election officer who tam
pers with the returns.
If American farmers and workingmen,
who form the bulk of the voting mass,
permit corruption, bribery, coercion, and
fraud to put the collar Of trust slavery
around their necks next month. they may
rest assured that il will stay there in
definitely, and will never come off save
as a result Of bloody revolution. Short
OF that there will be no more popular
national elections in this country,
ward forms will be observed for time
The issue is in the hands Of the people.
II they fail to do their duty, they will
deserve all the wretched and evil con-
sequences of their folly