Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1904-11-02

they united with the republicans to give
national banks new lease of life for
~ years. They promised to relieve the
farmers from the Mckinley tariff, and
they increased the tax on lumber, nails,
horse shoes, rivets, tacks, screws, pipe,
flues and wire. They doubled the tax
on molasses and put an addition of $45,-
100000 to the price which the people were
paying for sugar under "the eliminating
atrocity of class-legislation," the McKin-
ley Act. They pitied the laborer and
promised to be his friend, and they let
the Pullman Palace Car company have
the use Of the army to compel the sub
mission of labOrers to cut in wages.
They promised to abolish child labor,
and in those states of the south where
the democratic party Is most absolute
child slavery is most immovably planted.
They promised the people a graduated
income tax, which should compel the
millionaires and the gigantic corpora
lions to contribute something to the
support of the government upon which
they fatten; but now they have given
up the contest The income tax no lon-
ger appears in their platform. The mil
lionaires and corporations supporting
Parker are not the kind of democrats to
clamor for graduated income tax.
EVERY Line of the Platform in a
Tremble"
How any party which has for recent
years stood for so many different things
and broken so many contracts can now
expect to be trusted, is puzzle in poll
tics. The manner in which the platform
of 1904 was evolved, the manner in which
Parker's nomination was brought about,
ought to intensity the distrust which the
bad record of the party justly creates.
Every line of the platform seems to be
In tremble, lest it should displease the
beneflciaries Of class-legislation. Every
tone of its quaking voice seems to say
to the corporations Don't be afraid;
I won't hurt YOU" With the anxious
fear of Snug, the Joiner, in "Midsum-
mer Nights Dream" the apparent lion
kindly dissipates the fear of his audience
by assuring them in advance that its
roar is only for stage purposes. II that
platform had been meant to please the
people, how easy it would have been to
write 1t. But it was meant to delude the
people and to please the corporations;
hence its wonderful contortiOns in YER
biage, it's agonized efforts to use much
language and say nothing. This much
must be admitted, however, the candi-
date fits the platform as though politi-
cal tailor had measured him for It..
Parker can probably use more words
and say less that you are certain OF than
any man in America.
Dickens Saw a Genuine Democracy.
The peoples party is Jeffersonian to
the core. 1t has never emasculated it's
creed to curry favor. 1t has preferred
to win it's way into minds and hearts by
earnest advocacy of fixed principles. Its
chief reliance has been on political edu-
cation. 1t assails the evils of class-legis-
lation, and for every abuse offers rem
edy. 1t does not blindly seek to tear
down. 1t seeks to reform, to repair, to
renovate, to restore. We would, if we
could go back to the sy stem of our fore
fathers. The class-legislation which is
the bane of our government at this time
obtained the upper hand in our republic
twice before. and was twice driven out.
Jefferson did it once; then Jackson. De-
mocracy in Jackson day paid off the ma
tional debt. overthrow the national bank,
revoked many of the privileges of ia
vOred classes, and put the reins of power
back into the hands Of the people. The
protective principle was struck down,
and the Walker tariff inaugurated an era
of great prosperity. Charles Dickens.
who visited this country previous to the
civil war, wrote back to his home that a
flaming sword in the air would not ex-
cite more amaZement than a beggar in
the streets of Boston; and he expressed
his establishment at the general pros
perity of the people.
The Great Disaster Brought Down
by the Civil War.
That was when genuine democracy
was ruling the land and inspiring it's
legislation. This prosperous condition
continued, in the main. until our civil
war. That deplorable conflict was hardly
less terrible in loss of life than in the
legislation to which it gave prOvOcatiOn
and opportunity National banks gained
foothold once more; mountain of bonds
arose; monstrous tariffs, framed with
the view of enriching favored industries,
were imposed; corporations seized upon
the public lands; the money-power be-
gan that series of forays upon the gov
eminent and upon the producing classes
which has transferred almost the whole
of the wealth of the country to those who
never bravely fought for the government
in time of war, nor honestly served it in
time of peace. The grand armies of the
industry win the yearly victory over
nature by toll, producing the wealth
which the captains of industry appro-
pirate to themselves by subtle chicanery.
The vastly greater part Of the wealth Of
this country is enjoyed by the men who
never produced dollar in their lives.
The peoples party makes no war upon
private ownership, upon honest wealth,
nor legitimate profits. 1t simply COM
bats the legislation which builds up one
man at the expense of another which
gives special privileges to one class at
the expense of another, which discrim-
mates against citizen or class of citi-
zens in favor of others. In short, the
peoples party declares it's hostility to
privilege, and demands legislation
whose motto shall be Equal and exact
justice to all, without favors to any,"
Such rascality as those of the copper
trust or the steel combine should either
be made impossible or the administra-
ton of law so invigorated that the GRIM
inals who steal millions shall wear the
ball and chain side by side with the thief
who stole pig.
Where the Peoples Party Would I'm
Prove Things.
We believe in the money of the con-
stitution. We do not bend in supersti-
tious reverence to silver and gold We
believe that any currency which the gov
eminent declares to be legal tender will
be Sound money" as long as the gov
eminent is Sound" We have less fear
that the government will ever issue too
many paper dollars than we have that it
will issue too many bonds. A govern
ment must govern, and the creation of
money is part of the sovereign power.
The government must decide how many