The People's party paper. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1891-1898, April 28, 1892, Image 4
THEY GET THERE JUST THE SAME.
BY B. J., WOOTAN, GA.
1
Good Noah, working at the ark,
Was put to open shame;
There were parties laughed and hooted
him.
But he got there all the same!
CHORUS.
Get there! Get there, boys! Get there!
Let principles be your aim!
No matter what is said, just keep a
level head,
And we’ll get there all the same!
2
Our fathers brave in seventy-six,
Our freedom did proclaim :
King George pronounced them Rebel
cranks,
But they got there all the same!
CHORUS.
3
When Watson led the people out,
They marched thro’ flood and
flame;
Old Livingston tried to turn them
back,
But they got there all the same!
CHORUS.
4
The old parties call us people cranks,
And we accept the name.
A crank is what you run things with.
And it gets there all the same!
HOW THEY DO IT.
The System by Which the Gold Specu
lators Enriched Themselves. .
Senator Beck, in a speech deliv
ered in the United States Senate,
January 12, 1874, stated that the
bondholders had made, since the first
bonds were issed up to 1869, at
which time the bonds were made
payable in coin,
ONE THOUSAND MILLION DOLLARS
profit. The senator proved his state
ment as follows:
In 1862 the government sold 6
per cent. 5-20 bonds to the value of
$60,982,450 for which we received,
however, only $44,030,640 in gold.
That is, the greenbacks which we re
ceived for the bonds and which were
destroyed, were only worth that
much in gold. Here was a clear
profit of $16,951,801 in favor of the
bond buyer in the first transaction.
Besides, the bondholder has received
also in interest from 1862 to 1874,
$11,187,188 on his bonds, which,
added to his first profit, makes his
total profit up to that day on the
first deal $28,139,889. A clean
steal, for which they did not gikc in
return one cent. Who had to pay
this? Why, of course, the farmer
and producer.
In 1863 the government sold bonds
again to the amount of $160,987,550,
for which bonds it again received
greenbacks. At that time gold was
worth $1.58 in greenbacks. It will
be seen now that the bondholders
paid only $101,890,854 in gold for
them, which gave them a net profit
of $59,096,696, adding the interest
for 10 years, which amounts to $35,-
458,017, we have a clear steal of
$94,555,713 out of the pockets of
the people, for which they never re
ceived one cent of value or labor.
In 1864 the government sold
bonds to the value of $381,292,250,
received, however, therefore again
depreciated paper, which at that
time was worth very little. One dol
lar in gold then would buy $2.01 in
greenbacks. These bonds brought
the government only $189,697,636
in gold, less than one-half their
nominal value. The speculators
made a profit of $191,594,614. Now
comes also the interest on these
bonds which the dear public paid,
amounting to $114,956,768 in 10
years. In the year 1864 the robbers
took fiom us, without our consent,
$306,551,382.
In 1865 the gouernment sold
bonds to the amount of $279,746,-
150, it received therefor, however,
only $208,213,090. The robbers re
tained for themselves $71,532,060.
The interest on these bonds amount
ed to $38,627,307. Or they received
a total net profit of $110,159,367.
How do you like it?
In* 1866 the government sold
bonds to the value of $124,914,400,
for which we received $88,591,7»3
in coin. Or the speculators made a
profit of $36,332,627; add to this
the interest for 8 years, "which
amounts to $17,434,556, and we find
that they made a total of $53,757,-
182 out of us.
In 1867 the government sold
bonds valued at $421,469,550. The
purchasers paid, however, only $303,-
805,503, therefore giving them a
profit of 118,254,047; add to this
the interest for 7 years, which is
$49,661,694, and that year they took
from us $167,915,741, which you and
I have had to pay these patriots (?)
since.
In 1868 the government sold
bonds to the value of $425,443,800,
for which it received $312,626,326.
Clearing a profit for the speculators
of $112,617,497 ; add to this the in
terest for 6 years, $40,542,288, and
you were swindled out of $153,159,-
765 that year.
Besides these 5 per cent, bonds
the government also sold 6 per cent,
bonds during that time amounting to
$195,139,550, for which it received
only $122,957,410. A profit for the
money sharks of $72,182,140; add
to this the interest paid them, $26,-
115,724, and they have made a clean
profit on these bonds of $98,298,864.
The following table of profits or
stealings from the American people,
without a dollar of equivalent hav
ing been given, therefore will explain
itself:
NET PROFITS
ISbt. $ 28,138,989
1873 94,555,713
1864 306,551,582
1865 110,159,367
1866 53,757,183
1867 167.915,741
1868 153,159,765
6 per cent, bonds 98,298,864
Total $1,021,537,204
Now permit me to show you from
the United States treasurer’s report
of 1891 what you have paid in in
terest on the bonded debt since 1862
up to 1891, inclusive :
1862 $ 13,190,324
1863 24,729,847
1864 53,685,422
1865 77,397,712
1866 133,067,742
1867 143,781,592
1868 140,424,046
1869 130,694,243
1870 129,235,498
1871 125,576,566
1872 117,357,840
1873 104,750,688
1874 107,119,815
1875 103,093,545
1876 100,243.271
1877 97,124,512
1878 102,500,875
1879 105,327,949
1880 95,757,595
1881 82,505,741
1882 ■ 71,077,207
L<B3 ** 59,160,131
1884 54,578,3 7 8
1885 51,386,256
1886 50,580,146
1887 47,741,577
1888 44,715,007
1889 41,001,484
1890 36,099,284
1891 37,547,136
Total $ 2,481,454,408
You have paid this amount of in
terest to the bondholders, besides a
clear profit of $678,561,482, or a
total of $3,160,015,890.
How do you like the system ?
Now notice another thing. The
Avar closed in 1865 and peace was
restored, yet our interest kept going
up right along from $77,397,712 in
1865 to $143,781,591 in 1867, and it
did not come down below the war
figure until 1881. Wnat caused the
debts and interest ? The war ? Do
you not see that your money was
taken from you and destroyed and a
debt put in its place? Are you
blind, or won’t you see and learn
anything ?
Now permit me call your atten
tion to another great swindle.
In 1865 "when the way closed the
entire bonded debt of* the govern
ment was as per treasurer’s report
of that year, $2,680,647,869. In
1866 it had run up to $2,773,236,-
173.69, and it did not come down
below the amount of 1865 until
1870, when it was still $2,480,672,-
427.04. We yet owe $1,552,140,-
204.73.
But now permit me to show you
another swindle that I w T ant some
one to solve if he can.
In the United States treasurer’s
report of 1891, on page 3, we find
the government expenses for every
thing since 1866 itemized. It shows
how much we paid annually in inter
est for pensions, navy and army,
miscellaneous expenses, and how
much -we paid yearly on our public
debt. Looking down the list of ex
penditures on public debt paid annu
ally, I find the following paid on
public debt each year. I will give
only the figures in millions:
1866 $ 620,000,000 1867 $ 735.000,000
1868 692,000,000 1869 561,000,000
1870 393,000,000 1871 399,000,000
1872 405,000,000 1873 23. ,000,000
1874 422,000,000 1875 407.000, GOO
1876 419,000,000 1877 323.000,000
1878 353,000,000 1879 699,000,000
1880 432,000,000 1881 165,000,000
1882 271,000,000 1883 590.000,000
1884 260,000,000 1885 211'000,000
1886 205,000.000 1887 271,000,000
1888 250,000,000 1889 378,000,000
1890 312,000,000
Total $ 9,69*',000,<300
Remember your total debt was, in
1865, only $2,680,000, on which; by
the governments own showing, you
have paid about
$ 10,000,000,000, besides
2,481,000,000, interest,
678,000,000, profits,
84,000,000, premiums.
Total ( $13,243,000,000,
Or, in other words, you have paid the
debt over about six times, and are
yet in debt $1,552,140,204, and, re
member, it takes more labor and
more products to pay what you yet
owe than it did to pay all you have
so far paid.
But you are patient and suffer in
silence. Why don’t you kick and
get out of the old parties that never
refer to the steals. 'My friend, yous
vote helps to make laws, laws make
good or bad legislation; the n why
not hereafter vote for men who are
pledged to repeal the laws that per
mit this robbery?
Hugo Pre yer,
GOOD NEWS FROM TEXAS.
A Union of the Reform Elements Ac
complished and all go to Work for
the St. Louis Platform and tne
People’s Party.
The fear entertained by some that
there would be inharmony in the re
form ranks in Texas is happily dissi
pated.
The organization of Jefferson
Democrats, which was based in that
State on pure Jeffersonian principles
and defended the Ocala demands,
was originally intended for work in
side the Democratic party, and it
was feared that the leaders of that
organization and of the People’s
Party might fail to harmonize. Our
advices, however, set all such fears
at rest and make apparent both the
wisdom and patriotism of the leaders
of both organizations in the great
Long Horn State.
We take the.
the meeting, at which a union ci alb
reform forces was effected, from the
Dallas News:
“Fourteen men gathered in the
office of the Southern Mercury.
Seven represented the Jeffersonian
Democrats, or the sub-treasury par
ty, as it is called, and seven were
there to speak for the People’s
Party. They w r ere talking seriously
of the future. Measures of relief
for the mortgaged, debt-ridden agri
culturist, who cannot pay interest on
his advances with 6-cent cotton,
were discussed. It was decided that
the end sought to be accomplished
must be done through independent
action outside both the existing par
ties. Therefore they welded the
Jeffersonians, or sub-treasury Alli
ance people, and the People’s Party.
The fourteen men w T ho did this were
Messrs. J. T. Crawford, R. J. Sledge,
Harry Tracy, Milton Park, Henry
E. McCulloch and E. S. Peters on
the part of the sub-treasury Alliance,
and James H. Davis, Thomas Gaines,
J. S. Robertson, R. A. High, Judge
J. L. Harle, Dr. Harris and L. B.
Upham on the part of the Peopled
Party. They represented a majority
of the State executive committee of
the two bodies and were clothed
with full authority to take any action
they thought best and proper.
The fourteen men decided to go
to the people of Texas with a solid
front in the name us the farmers and
the laborers of the State. They
were fixing up a call for primaries
and conventions. The call is as fol
lows :
The undersigned, joint conference
committee of the organizations in
Texas known as Jeffersonian Demo
crats and People’s Party club, by
authority vested in us by the State
central committee of each organiza
tion, do hereby call upon all who
endorse the principles set forth by
the industrial labor conference held
at St. Louis, Mo., on February 22-24,
1892, and the declarations made by
the Dallas conference, February 10,
1892, and "who believe the time has
come for independent political action
in Texas, to assemble at their re
spective voting places on the 4th day
of June, 1892, at 1 p. m., for the
purpose of electing delegates to their
respective county conventions, to be
held on the 11th day of June, at 10
o’clock a. hl, at their respective
county seats. The basis of repre
sentation to be one delegate for
every ten votes cast at such box at
the last State election; and that such
county conventions do elect one
delegate for each 300 of the total
vote or majority fraction thereof
cast at the last State election—pro
vided that each organized county
shall be allowed one delegate—to
attend a State convention at Dallas,
Texas, on the 23rd day of June,
1892, at 10 o’clock a. m., for the
purpose of effecting a permanent
State organization and for nomina
ting candidates for all State offices;
also to elect fifteen presidential elec
tors, two from the State at large and
one from each Congressional district;
also to elect delegates to the nation
al nominating convention to be held
at Omaha, Neb., on July 4, 1892;
also to transact all other business
that may be deemed advisable by the
State convention.
All men who endorse the princi
ples referred to above, without re
gard to previous party affiliations,
are cordially invited to unite in se
curing the attendance of every quali
fied voter or reformer of whatsoever
organization or branch of reformers
at these precinct meetings, and par
ticipate in perfecting permanent and
efficient organization.
Each county convention is recom
mended to elect a permanent county
chairman to serve for two years;
also one chairman for each voting
place. Said county and precinct
chairman to constitute the executive
committee for each county and to
have charge of the campaign in the
county.
We recommend that said county
conventions elect a like number of
delegates to attend their respective
congressional nominating conven
tions when the same may be called.
We recommend that said county
conventions elect a like number of
delegates to attend conventions to
nominate State senators, representa
tives and floaters and such other dis
trict officers as may be deemed
proper by the people to be nomi
nated. J. L. Harle,
W. L. Robinson,
Thomas Gaines,
On behalf of the People’s Party.
. Harry Tracy,
Milton Park,
J. T. Crawford,
On behalf of the Jeffersonian
Democrats.
A True Blue Allianceman and Peo
ple’s Party Supporter.
um §aj(ton, Ga., April 18, ’92.
Party Paper:
Dear Sir and Brother: —I have
been shown by a friend the gag law
■handed out to the Alliance by the
State executive committee and Col.
Livingston in the daily Constitution,
in which they threaten to take the
charter away from county and sub-
Alliances if they don’t rescind their
endorsement of the St. Louis con
vention and the People’s Party. It
• would be a slim State Alliance that
Col. Livingston would be president
of if all were wiped out that have
endorsed this independent move
ment.
Col. Livingston has changed his
mind inside the last two years. So
long as we endorsed him and Demo
cracy, we were patriots of the first
water, and he would say, “My peo
ple are Democrats, but if they don’t
get relief they will rise en-masse
in an independent movement.” Os
our platform, he said it was so broad
that we all could stand on it. Now
he has stepped off and out and left
us ill on, and we have pulled down
the middle wall that has divided the
North and South for thirty years,
and say : “Democrats, Republicans,
Independents, Prohibitionists, Green
baciers, and all other law-abiding
citizens, get on this St. Louis plat
form in a strictly nonpartisan spirit.”
They may call us what they
please. “Third Party?” We are
the wealth-producers of the United
States, and we are rising up en
masse and demanding equal rights,
and no more.
We are organized, it is true, on
the St. Louis platform. It’s the
people not the party, that we want
to benefit.
Now, let every sub-Alliance in the
State, at their next meeting go
through with their regular w T ork and
adjourn, and then call the house to
order and organize a People’s Party
xjlub, and carry the good work of re
form to victory.
As Col. Livingston’s hopes are
routed, and the people don’t want
him for Governor and will be glad
when his term is out in Congress, he
is struggling as a drowning man or
a raving maniac, beating the air or
tearing his hair.
The Colonel is responsible for
this movement in a great degree.
He has led the people as did Moses,
but will only get to view them en
ter the promised land. He will be
buried at the ballot box with partisan
Democracy. For old man Partisan
Democracy is sick, a».d the people
say he will surely die about the fall
ing of the leaves.
Listen at old false Democracy in
his dying hours. See him swell up
till his lungs are fit to burst, and
stand on his tip-toes and hollow at
the top of his voice, “N-i-g-g-e r
Equality,” until his breath is gone.
We have heard that till w’e are
tired, and we have answered to the
party lash long enough. We have
followed court house rings and
clicks to our ruin, and if the white
vote is to be divided, they are re
sponsible. If the minority cant
come with the majority, we are not
going to them.
Now, if they are going to turn
Mr. Irwin off, as - editor, and have
reform advocated in its columns no
more, it will be an outrage on its
supporters, who subscribed for it as
such. Let the people rally to this
independent movement.
L. J. Doss.
Act! Act! in the Living Present.
“No more shall the war-cry sever,
Or the winding river be red ;
Our anger is banished forever,
When are laurelled the graves of
our dead.
Under the sod and dew,
Waiting the judgment day—
Love and tears for the Blue,
Tears and love for the Gray."
It is now twenty-seven years since
Grant offered to Lee at Appomattox
a hand straight from a soldier’s heart,
and at this time every year our pa
triotic women gather the first roses of
the spring, and with a mournful
pleasure scatter them alike on the
blue and the gray, and as they stop
and are more careful beside “23 New
York Unknown,” they know that
“ Somebody’s darling lies buried
there.”
Our thoughts are solemn and our
minds revert back to the time when
“23 New York, Unknown” le t the
farm-house with the kiss of a mother
still warm on his brow and the fare
well benediction, “God bless you, my
son,” still ringing in his ears. What
happened in New York had its coun
terpart in Georgia. We take a de
light in fixing the graves, be it either
“23 New Fork, Unknown,” or “3
Mississippi, Unknown,” for in the
beautiful strain of Osian “It is the
memory of joys that are past and
gone,sweet and mournful to the soul.”
We have nothing to be ashamed
of, nothing to retrieve ; nor has our
Northern brother anything to take
back. Our hearts feel a warm glow
when we think of Lee and Jackson,
touched with the same loving tender
ness that makes our brother’s heart
leap with emotion 'when the magic
names of Grant and McClellan are
called. We do not intend to slap
our son down if he ever utters the
♦
word Confederacy, but we will teach
him to honor and love the names of
Davis and Stephens, at the same
time we teach him that the great
Lincoln was as great a patriot as
ever occupied the Presidential chair.
But now brothers, North and South
East and West,
“Let the dead past bury it’s dead,
Act, act in the living present,
Heart within, and God o’er head!’’
Now is the time to get together
and have a big love feast, “For the
red rose is twined around the white
rose and York ami Lancaster are at
peace.” No longer is North arrayed
against South; but a dreadful cor
morant, more dreadful than all the
combined bayonets of both North
and South, perches upon the Nation
al Capitol and with its ghastly eyes
it surveys its prey, almost ready for
its terrible grasp.
Where is gone the brilliant civili
zation of the South ? Where is our
proud Southern chivalry, that out
ranked the knights of old ? Why is
it that once noble farmers, that went
with their head erect, now go stoop
ed and bent? Where is the old
Southern Baronial mansion? Why
is it when once it is burned a mis
erable hut goes up in its stead? The
answer comes back from the gloomy
bird as it croaks, “Wall street.”
Shall we submit longer? The
crisis is now at hand; shall we unite
with the West? The union is of
fered ; if we choose we can accept
the West and South are both agri
cultural countries. Let us accept
this union and thereby declare
that our actions speaking for us de
clare our intentions are to unite with
the West. This country will be
happy when it recognizes “no North,
no South, no East, no West, but loves
with equal tenderness both sections
and trusts Georgia alike with Kan
sas.” A. D. Kean.
April 12, 1892.
Let us Have a Discussion of
Mesena, Ga., April 20, ’92.
People’s Party Paper :
Will you please give me space in
your valuable paper for a few’
thoughts, which I think will be of
interest to some, at least, of your
readers.
In the first place, I wish to say
that in order to promote harmony
and good feeling among our citizens.,
I would beg each and every one tc
be forbearing and liberal in discuss
ing the issues of the day. Abuse
and ridicule never yet convinced a
man or caused him to change his
mind. lam sorry to say that I have
heard merchants in Thomson abuse
and ridicule men on account of their
views. For instance, one says :
“Look what your d d Alliance
legislature has done. Any one who
votes for an Allianceman or Third
Party man is a fool, and ought to be
hung.’’
Now, such talk as that has driven
hundreds of men out of the Demo
cratic party. It is all wrong.
Another thing that is doing harm.
These little two-for-a-nickel lawyers,
going about stirring up lawsuits and
oppressing poor working men who
are struggling with poverty and
hard times. They ought to be
prosecuted for Barratry. But never
mind, “the mills of the Gods grind
slowly but they grind exceeding
iijie.” Some merchants will buy
large quantities of goods on time,,
make a preferred creditor, “so-call
ed,” then-assign, st?-y .ont busi
ness a while, and then open up
again. But let a poor man get in
debt to one of them and, being un
fortunate, fail to make his payments,
then the dogs of the law are let loose
on him, and if they can, by any
means, do so, they are ready to land
the poor devil in jail.
But the day is coming when we
will all have an equal showing, and
then these petty-foggers and such
like will get their reward. So mote
it be. Yours etc.,
Sans Peur.
Be on the Alert.
Mills Weekly World,
Every device that politicians, learned
in the art, can frame, will be brought
into play during the coming campaign.
Misrepresentations, lies, abuse and all
other plans known to the wiles of the
“ward heeler” will be carried into the
state and national campaigns, and in
addition boodle will pl ay its part, which’
this year wull be a very large jpart.
Industrial clubs will be formed by the
opposition to be carried into the Republi
can party in Kansas, or into the Demo
cratic party in Georgia, so that the coun
try can. be informed at stated times that
the People’s Party is going back to the
old party. In Kansas the Southern briga
dier will be the bug-a-boo used to frighten,
voters with.
J. J. Ingalls will be called to skin’
rebels in Republican states, while in
Georgia and other Democratic states
“negro supremacy” will rule the roost so
far as the orators of the plutocrats can
use the argument. Whether they be
Democrat or Republican makes no differ
ence, for last week’s con
clusively that though tiite okUparties
may be no blood relation, when it comes,
to facing the demands of the people for
relief they are brothers, as inseperable as
the once famous Siamese twins. The
people can only be successful by being
constantly on the alert. Gold ’ gold I I
gold!!! will lx? the war cry, and gold
will be the force depended on to debauch
the leaders of the people and drag them
to a common level with themselves.
Be ever on the watch tower; be ever
vigilant, and above all be prepared to
meet lying, slander and abuse with
truth.
Our most bitter enemy will not deny
that the demands of the people are just,
and as “thrice is he armed who has his
quarrel just,” the people are bound to
win, but to win must keep their cause
before the country and fight till the last,
armed foe expires.