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Official Organ People’s Party
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Total Copies Issued 1896 - - 735,080
Average (Sworn) Per Issue - 14,136
Editorial Notes and Clippings.
Our distinguished friend, “The lowa
Tribune” is stiil suffering, mildly from
the effect of that telegram of congrat
ulation which Mr. Watson did not send
to Senator Pritchard. Cheer up, neigh
bor, cheer up: —and quit mistaking
Bryan’s telegram for Watson’s. Bryan
is the man you are thinking about.
He’s the rampant Democratic Free
silverite, who wired his congratulations
to a victorious Republican gold-bug
The name of said gold-bug is William
McKinley.
* * *
Another distinguished friend, “The
Nonconformist” says that it has had
nothing to do with Bryan since the
election: that it has 'not puffed him,
bugled for him, nor indulged in any
other of tbe usual ecstacies of adula
tion. To show what a very clean pair
of Populist hands it is carrying, at this
time, our- distinguished friend says
that it will not even consent to handle
Bryan’s book.
of the extreme
obtlJT' "of the Populist virtue of our
distinguished friend is indeed a clincher
For fear it may be led astray by this
persuasive Democrat, Mr. Bryan, “The
Nonconformist,” applies to the young
champion's book the inexorable motto
of “Touch not, taste not, handle not.”
Here’s Roman virtue for you. Will
not even handle Bryan’s book for fear
that its brand of Populism may become
an object of distrust I
Our distinguished friend, “The Non
conformist” admits that it supported
Bryan last year, but says it was be
cause the Populists had nominated
him. And that’s a good reason, too:
but we do not remember that the Pop
ulists nominated Sewall —whom The
• Nonconformist likewise supported.
But, as w e understand our neighbor,
it has turned over a new leaf now.
It’s going to be rigidly Populistic—
Middle-of-the-Road to the marrow.
It will pot even compromise i < self by
handling Bryan’s book !
Then, let’s all brace up, and dry our
tears.
♦ » *
The Reform Press Association held
two meetings last week : or rather one
meeting, and one attempt at a meeting.
The meeting was held at Memphis,
Tenn., and v.as attende'd by the Popu
list editors. The attempt at a meeting
was made by the Democratic Pie-Bat
talion, in a hotel room in Kansas
City. A Mr. Rozelle, Labor Commis
sioner under the Democratic Governor
of Missouri, was the author of this
muster of the Pie-Battalion. It was
held in the interests of the Democratic
Party; and the organization which it
thinks it has made, with J. It. Sover
eign at its head, is meant to serve as an
aid-society of the Democratic Party.
The Reform Press Association, prop
er, loudly applauded the Middle-of-the-
Road address of President Vandervoort.
The charges which haye been so per
sistently made against him, were inves
tigated and pronounced false. .
Hon. Frank Burkitt, of Miss., was
unanimously chosen President of the
Association for the coming year. No
better man could have been selected.
He is able, honest, fearless and decid
ed. He is no trimmer. He is not an
apologist for Populism. He isn’t eter
nally begging one of the old parties to
wipe its feet on him. He isn't forever
on the hunt to find where he can trade
Populist votes for a piece of Demo
cratic or Republican pie. He is a real
reformer, and a real gentleman—a
man whom his foes must respect and
whom his friends can trust.
The Senatorial dead-lock in South
Dakota was broken by the re-election
of Senator Kyle. Republican votes did
the work. The Populists refused to
support him. It is announced that
upon all questions, excepting that of
silver, he will hereafter vote with the
Republicans. We are not at all sur
prised at the deal between Kyle and
the Republicans. Last year we re
minded our readers that he had taken
occasion in the Senate, when alluded
Byo-l at>- I hat In- w.i
PSy-Tiillnv to see so many Senators
things dictating policies for The
Wople’s Party, wbmi,.ctitp dictators
Hemselves are not Populist'S. .ZSiMiator
Jones is no Populist, and he will*t6U‘
you so. Stewart is no Populist, and he
will tell you so. Kyle was no Populist,
and he told you so. Yet these men
keep on giving advice to Populists and
dictating the policies of the party.
* ♦ •
.Judge Swayne of the Federal District
Court has decided, at the instance of
John D. Rockefeller, that the Anti-
Trust Law of Texas is unconstitutional.
Certainly. Whenever a statute gets in
the way of the big men, it iS bad for
the statute. *
Judge Swayne’s decision is no worse
than that of Judge Shiras, and his
colleagues of the U. S. Supreme Court,
that our government has no legal
right to lay a tax upon the incomes
of the rich.
Both decisions belong to the same
corrupt class.
A great jubilation was had a few
months ago, because the news went
round that the Calvin Anti-Trust law
had knocked out some minor combina
tions between dealers in family sup
plies—dealers who sell goods over the
counters. We do not know how much
truth there is in the statement that
Mr. Calvin’s bill destroyed some small
trusts, but we are willing to make
affidavit that it didn’t kill any of tbe
big ones.
Such colossal concerns as The Stan
dard Oil Trust, The Sugar Trust, The
Coffee Trust, The Coal Trust, and many
others ask no odds of the Mr. Calvins of
Georgia, or of Texas, or of any other
state.
What does Rockefeller care for legis
lative enactments, when he has Federal
Judges at hand to tear the laws out of
his way by deciding that they are un
constitutional ?
Here in Georgia, the biggest trust we
have is the Southern Railway. Our
State Constitution condemns it in as
strong language as Toombs knew how
towrite. But you can’t get governor
or fegislator to touch the Southern
Railway Company.
It’s too big, you see.
* # *
Not only is it too big, but it is useful
in campaign years. Finding itself in a
Democratic state, the Southern Rail
way Company is a good Democrat.
Chips in to expenses, you know. Fur
nishes the wherewith for some of thpse
“tips” which Black’s lawyers said the
Southern negroes had to have in elec
tion times. Issues free passes by the
hat-full and puts a special car at the
service of the Governor, you know.
Gives that distinguished potentate a
free ride for himself and party all over
the Southwest,and West.in a palace car
—the cost whereof would have been
thousands of dollars, had the traveler
been plain Smith or Jones, private citi
zens. .
So you see the Southern Railway,
makes friends, violates the Constitution'
oppresses the shippers, and nothing un
pleasant is said.
If some Don Quixote, with reforma
tory tendencies, should assail this
Southern Railway octopus, which has
reached out its huge arms, and gather
ed in as its prey the competitive lines
of Georgia, we have not the slightest
doubt that some Federal Judge would
gravely decide that the Constitution of
Georgia was violative of the Constitu
tion of tbe United States.
The judicial mind is a very queer
mind: does more things than the “trick
mule” of a circus.
* * *
“In Jerusalem Consul Wallace gays
there are 530 United States citizens.
Os these, 438 are Hebrews dwelling in
the city for various purposes. Os the
others, 92 in number, the chief portion
consists of those who are there await
ing the second advent of our Lord,
which they anticipate as near at hand
—Literary Digest.
These 92 gentlemen who have gone to
Jerusalem to await the second coming
of our Lord, are probably Democrats
who got tired of waiting for the Demo
cratic party to do something for Free
silver.
They doubtless emigrated to Pales
tine immediately after the telegram of
Mr. Bryan, congratulating McKinley
upon his election, which was followed
by the votes of the Democratic ma
jorities, in the legislatures of Alabama
and Georgia, in favor of the single
gold-standard.
We think that these 92 ex-Democrats
have acted with rare wisdom. We
would much rather roost on the crumb
ling walls of Jerusalem, watching for
the second coming of our Lord, than to
base our happiness in this world upon
the expectation that the Democratic
party is going to give us Free-silver.
To make sure that our cistingu shed
friend “The Nonconformist” is t not
misunderstood, we had better quote, in
full, the editorial paragraph we have
already commented on.
Here it is, in all its pristine innocence:
“An exchange wonders why the
Nonconformist did not question Mr.
Bryan for sending the telegram to Mr.
McKinley. The why is this. The
Nonconformist supported Mr. Bryan as
the nominee of the St. Louis conven
tion. When six o’clock p. m. came
Nov. 4, 1895, our obligation ceased.
Since that time he is no more to us than
to any other democrat or republican.
We have not devoted space to praise or
abuse Mr. Bryan. We have noteven
offered his book for sale, or advertised
it further than a review notice which
was sent out over the wire of the asso
ciated press. Mr. Bryan we believe to
be a good man, but must come from
under the banner of Democracy for
further populist support. The Non
conformist does not indulge in man
worship, if it did so long as we have
Donnelly, Col. Norton, Mr. Frank Bur
kett and scores of others we would
worship in our own ranks.”
From the reading of the foregoing it
THE PEOPLE’S PARTY PAPER: ATLANTA, GEORGIA: FRIDAY, MARCH 5, 1897.
will be seen that The Nonconformist
“got back to camp” just after six
o’clock p. m. Nov. 4, 1895. This is get
ting it down tine. On and after six
o’clock, p. in. Nov. 4, 1895, Bryan ceas
ed to be anything at all to our friend,
“‘The Nonconformist.” It doesnot even
appear that Mr. Bryan has the poor
privilege of regarding his former lover
“in the light of a sister.”
Such a sudden breaking off of tender
relations as this almost amounts to
levity. ’
But the date is important, and should
bo kept in mind: up to six o’clock p. m.
Nov. 4, 1895. Bryan and Sewall were
the chosen of “The Nonconformist”
heart: after the minute-hand of the
clock passed that fatal hour, —six
o’clock, p. m , —Bryan’s eager eyes
might look ever so much tender pas
sion toward his former wooer, but
“The Nonconformist” had nothing to
return, save the stony stare, and the
freezing words “I don’t know you.”
* * *
The alleged Cotton Growers of Geor
gia are gently agitating themselves,
and trying to work up the belief that
they need protection from Egypt—the
land of the Pharaohs, the mummies,
and other interesting relics. A duty
of five cents a pound is to be laid upon
this alleged danger from Egypt. No
Pharaoh, or mummy, or Mameluke, or
Bedouin, or Arab, or Ethiop, is to be
allowed to devastate the cotton fields
of Georgia with his competitive inroads,
Congress is to be required to hasten to
the rescue, and snatch us from the
gripe of the Egyptians who are des
poiling us with a yearly onslaught of
150,000 sacks of cotton.
If Egyptian cotton really' competes
with our Sea Island cotton, then the
proposed duty of five cents per pound
on Egyptian cotton is a modest demand
that the American market be turned
over, absolutely, to the growers of Sea
Island cotton, so that they can charge
the American consumers of their pro
duct 5 cts. per lb, more for it In that
case the growers of ordinary short
staple cotton will be taxed to give a
special profit to the growers of the Sea
Island staple. A more unjust discrimi
nation than this between the growers
of the two kinds of cotton eannot be
imagined.
< » »
“Last month, the Rothschilds of Lon
don purchased the “Tomboy,” mine in
Colorado, paying $1,500,000 for it. They
now have invested 8150,000,000 in mines
in this country. It is their purpose to
buy other silver mines. After they
have cornered our silver, then what ?
Put on your thinking cap and study it
out.” —Daily Tribune,
» » *
Here is a Democratic size-up of the
Fusion policy of 1896, which is about
correct:
THE POPULIST AT MEMPHIS.
From the Louisville Courier-Journal. '
“The resolutions adopted by the
Populist editors at Memphis fully bear
out what has already been said in
these columns with reference to the
state of the party organization.
resolutions strenuously oppose all
fusion with other parties, and invite
the “boys in the trenches” who want
office to come into the Populist organi
zation and work for it Nevertheless
they also admit the existence of anoth
er element who advocate “mere com
promise measures for deceptive parti
san purposes.”
The Democratic leaders, by which is
meant the Popocrats, are charged with
having failed to carry out tho promises
by which they 7 securea the Populist
indorsement of their candidate for the
presidency, from which it is inferred
that no reliance is to be placed on “old
party pledges.” To this it may be
objected that the Popocrats did not
belong to any old party, but to a new
one organized for the purpose of catch
ing Populist votes; that they framed
their platform with a view to that end:
that they nominated an avowed Popu
list for the presidency ; that they lost
their heads and nominated a national
banker and a pr oteetionist for vice
presidentthat they relied on the folly
of the Populists to nominate the same
ticket at St. Louis; that they were
right as to the nomination for the pres
idency, but wrong as to the vice presi
dency. It is true that their candidate
for the presidency refused to recognize
their candidate for the vice-presidency,
and to thatextent betrayed them,but it
may 7 also be said, in vindication of the
truth of history, that his intent to do
so was foreshadowed before the nomi
nation was made, and the Populist
delegates would have known it had
they not been betrayed by some of
their own leaders. They have only
their own folly and the treachery of
some of their own leaders to thank for
the deception practiced upon them.
They were forewarned. They should
have known that the Chicago conven
tion was organized to deceive, and
that its emissaries to St. Louis were
meant to perfect this deception. As
many 7 of th' ir cwn leaders not only
dictated the greater part of the Chicago
platform, but joined in the deception
at St. Louis, it is folly for the Popu
lists to complain that the pledges of
the old parties are not trustworthy. In
point of fact they were deceived by the
treacherous pledges, or assurances, of
their own leaders.”
* .* *
The New York Journal gives the fol
lowing figures concerning three of the
leading trusts:
THREE TRUSTS AND THEIR PROFITS.
How Coal, Sugar and Coffee Take Millions
from the Pockets of the Consumers to
Make Big Dividends.
COAL. TONS
Total amount mined 53 750 000
Amount mined by the Coal Trust.. 43 000 000
Prolit of Trust every year (estima-
ted at $1.55 a ton, the difference
between what the Trust pays for
it ami the price at which it sells
it, the only expense being the
cost'of transportation) $ 71 650 000
sugar. POUNDS.
Total yearly output of re’fld sugar, 3 000 000 000
Amt produced by the Sugar Trust 2 100 000 000
Profit of Trust every year (based
on average of 1 cent a pound).... s2l 000 000
GO f fee . POUND S
Total output of coffee 650 000 000
Amount controlled by Coffee Trust
(comprising the Arbuckle Com
pany, of this city; the McLaugh
lin ‘Mills, of Chicago, and the
Woolsoil Spice Company, before
tin* latter company was “ac
quired” by the Havemeyers) .. . -105 000 000
Profit of the Trust every year, at
Arbuckle’s figures of 1 cent a lb. $1 9ao 000
Profit of the Trust every year, at
M r. Havemcyer’s figures of 3 cts.
a pound - • • • - 14
“It is related of tbe late Gen. Pleas
onton that one night while he was in a
Washington saloon a man entered and
began to attaek the character and
courage of the Confederate soldiers.
Pleasonton gave a start of surprise as
he recognized the man and asked if he
remembered him. The stranger said
he did not, whereupon the General
said: “I am Alfred Pleasonton. I had
you drumned out of my camp for cow
ardice before Antietam. Get out of
this place, sir!” The man hung his
head and hurried out.
One of the mourners at Gen. Jo Shel
by’s funeral was an old negro named
George Miller, who took care of the
General’s horses during the war. The
negro is fifty-eight, years old and a
delivery man for a grocer. Shelby
saw him as he was put up for sale at
Lexington, Mo., a few years before the
war and paid 81,000 for him.”
* * *
“The Caucasian in its last issue de
claies that, “co operation is a complete
failure in North Carolina in the year of
our Lord 1897, but it maintains a dis
creet silence as to the efficacy of co
operation in that state in 1895, through
which Senator Butler scooped the long
term as United States Senator. To a
Western looker on it appears that all
the troubleihas grown out of the fact
that Senator Butler failed to make, an
other seoop through “co-operation”
with a different party in 1896.
“The Caucasian declares that the pop
ulists in the present North Carolina
legislature eould have elected a straight
populist to the United States Senate
instead of the republican Pritchard, if
they had stuck together. By referring
to a previous issue of tbe Caucasian we
find the political complexion of the
present North Carolina legislature to be
75 republicans, 63 populists, 33 demo
crats —one free silverite and one inde
pendent—total 171; necessary to elect
86. Just how sixty-three populists
could have secured eighty-six votes for
a “straight populist,” the Caucasian
fails to explain ’’—Southern Mercury.
* * #
Mr. Power here quoted the poem,
“What Do the Senators Do?” To it he
added an original verse, which brought
forth a laugh from the audience :
What do the Senators do, papa;
The United States Senators do?
They are patriots all, my good little Paul;
“They are patriots tried and true.
But what do I he Senators do, papa;
The United States Senators do? .
Oh, they talk and debate for the good of State;
They are statesmen real and true.
But what do the Senators do, papa;
The United States Senators do?
Each talks in turn until they adjourn;
They are-workers stern and true.
But what do the Senators do, papa;
The United States Senators do?
Oh.their speeches are sound and very profound;
They are orators wise and true.
But wfiat—but what do they do, papa;
Oil, what do they do, I pray?
Oh, they draw their pay in the regular way;
In the old Immemorial way.
But what, I ask, do they do, papa?
I insist that you answer me!
Oh, they block with Hill the cold water bill,
And continue tire use of “cold tea.”
In concluding his report Mr. Power
referred to the fact that there would
he i o wine at the inaugural ball. “We
are not to have any kind of spirituous
liquors sold at the supper at the inau
gural ball. This is out of regard to the
wishes of Mrs. McKinley.”—Washing
ton Post.
** * |
"The continued export of grtrftTfrom
famine-strieken India, the enormous
taxes paid by the poorest people, 'and
the high duty collected on the bare
necessities of life —salt is taxed 700 per
cent—are described as contributory to
the continual distress of the masses in
India. Justice, the Socialist paper of
London, says:
“India is inhabited by 250,000,000.
Their average income is 15 shillings
[53.75j per year per head. Over $350,
000,090 have been spent during the last
eighteen years on frontier expeditions
.for which the people of India have
been made to pay. The Famine Relief
Fund of 875,000,000, raised by crushing
additional taxation, has been spent in
tbe same way. Europeans have been
employed more and more to the exclu
sion of natives as officials, their sala
ries, saved largely to be spent in Eng
land, amount to 8100,000,000 annually ;
$125,000,000 are drawn from India an
.nuallyto pay interest and the pensions
of English officials. All this has to be
paid in gold, altho the Government has
stopped the coinage of silver, thus re
ducing one half the exchange value of
the small savings set aside by the peo
ple in the shape of silver earnings, ban
gles, etc., to meet the pinch of scarcity
If we ceased to extort so outrageous a
tribute there would be no serious fam
ine. England herself has directly
caused and is now ‘daily aggravating
the famine in India.”
The same paper declares that, in the
face of these facts, ‘.‘the attempt of
wealthy Englishmen to cover up their
iniquity by spurious charity is an out
rage.” The charge that the Famine
Relief Fund has been appropriated for
other expenses, and the discourage
ment of Russian collections for the
relief of the sufferers, seems to’cause
much dissatisfaction in India. Altho
the British Government in India as in
Egypt forces native rulers to suppress
anti-British papers, there are signs of
dissatisfaction even in the'native press.
Commenting on the death of a eaolie
killed by the English soldiers, the Ben
gal IlitaVard says:
“Jo then, Ganes, to that blessed
abode where the wicked do not oppress
and where injustice is not tolerated.
And every sigh, eVery teai- of your rel
atives and your countrymen will fall
on the soil of this country like a spark
of tire, until the English Government
will, perhaps, see one day a grand con
ilagration brought about by millions of
these sparks.”
* * #
Some years ago the heathen Chinee
closed the 7 ports of his heathen land
against opium sellers. Said opium
sellers, being Christians, deeply resen
ted the insolence of the heathen Chi
ness, and resolved to chastise it. —
Battle-ships, large guns, hired mur
derers, and the usual paraphernalia
essential to the meek and lowly
Christian when he wishes to “correct”
his adversary, were at once put in mo-1
tion. The heathen Chinee had justice
on his side, but no battle-ships.
Meek and lowly Christian bad no
ee on ms side, but did have the
battle-ships. Result; heathen Chinee
catches —— Hail Columbia.
The English and' the French bom
bard Chinese cities, slaughter men,
women and children by thousands,
lay waste the land with tire and swotift
until the poor heathen Chinee cries
out, “Call off the troops —the men
hired and trained from youth to do
murder—and I'll let the opium seller
enter.”
So, the opium seller, good Christian
that he is,- entered China under the
guns of England and France, and he
has worked enough damnation there to
satisfy the devils in hell.
Our liquor traffic barely compares
with what the opium trade has done
for China—a trade forced upon the
heathens at the Cannon’s mouth by the
two nations which claim to be the
leaders of Christian civilization.
w W •
“It will be a hard year all over
India,” says The Speaker, “a year of
famine, or something little removed
from famine, among about one fourth
of the enormous population of our In
dian Empire.” That the authorities
are doing everything in their power to'
mitigate the sufferings of those starv
ing millions is acknowledged by all
moderate papers on the Continent.
But there, as well as in England itself,
the British Government is accused' of
having caused the present and preced
ing famines by a system of spoliation
before which the w 7 orst military tyran
ny of Rome, Turkey, or Spain pale into
insignificance. Among Englishmen it
is cheifly the nonconformist conscience
which protests against the manner in
which India is exploited. The Bombay
Guardian has an article by the Rev.
W. Shoolbred, D. D., whose remarks on
the connection between famine and
Opium-growing we condense as follows:
The cultivation of the poppy doesnot
ruin the Chinese alone. The war by
which China was forced to admit the
pernicious drug when the Chinese
Government prohibited it is in a great
measure the cause of famine in India.
The southern states in Rajputana, in
cluding the country of Molwa, rejoice
in a deep, rich, black soil, and a good
average lyiinfall which rarely fails.
They are therefore extremely fertile,
and.before the development of the
opium traffic were the granary of less
fertile northern Rajputana, greatly
cheapening food in ordinary years and
mitigating scarcity in bad years. Now
the southern region imports grain
from the north to feed the poppy
growing population. - Hence the price
of grain is kept unnaturally high, and
during droughts both regions are
plungedtinto famine. When I passed
through Molwa I found nine out of
every ten fields waving with the poppy 7 ,
altho thousands of people were dying
for want of tbe food which these fields
should have produced. The people who
cultivate the poppy are all addicted to
the use of opium. “There is not a man
woman, or child among us that has not
taken to.tbe use of the drug,” I was
told. And all this that the Gov
ernment may be able to reap the bene
fits of the export tax of 8300 on every
chest of opium leaving the country. In
Molwa, as in Bengal, the Government
is directly responsible for this state of
affairs, and with the Government the
British Parliament and the British
pedple share tbe responsibility. ”—Lit
erary Digest.
Recently, there was a meeting, in
London, presided over by the Lord
Mayor of London,;, at which relief
..... ... ... v. . . ... .
cussed.
The Socialist leader, Hyndman, pro
posed, as an amendment to the pro
gramme agreed on, that the Govern
ment be asked to speijd, for India’s
relief frojn starvation part of the mon
ey drawn from India for interest and
high salaries. A terrible uproar at
once ensued. The British masters of
India were shocked and enraged at the
revolutionary suggestion, and voted it
down clamorously.
Two hundred and fifty millions of
Hindoo slaves toil for these British
masters, year in and year out. Two
hundred and fifty million dollars'is the
tribute which British masters wring,
every year, from these wretched serfs.
T. E. W.
Why They Won’t Unite.
How can a Bryan free silver demo
crat look a man in tbe face since the
vote in the Alabama, Georgia and
Indiana legislatures ? In the two
former, all solid free silver democrats,
voted almost unanimously against bills
prohibiting the making of gold con
tracts; and in the latter solid for old
Dan Vorhees for re-election. Is such
conduct the fruit of the Bryan educa
tional campaign? Is such conduct the
fullfilment of the promises of the puri
fied democracy? No wonder populists
have shaken the unholy alliance. —
Butler Free Press.
THEY AKE ALL ALIKE.
Yes, and the latest job of fusion in
this county is betw 7 een the democratic
•Bryan free silver club and the repub
lican sound money club, or the mem
bers of these clubs in the city of Mys
tic, for the purpose of defeating the peo
ple's party in the coming spring elec
tion in that municipality. And this
fusion between the democrats and re
publicans was brought about.before the
the People’s party convention
was held, so the democrats can
not urge the excuse that they fused
with the republicans because the popu
lists had mistreated them in any way,
but, holding the balance of power be
tween the republicans hud the People’s
party in that city, they prefer to assist
the republicans rather than the popu
lists. We incline to the opinion that
the People’s party, as an organization,
has made its last fusion deal, and that
the Weavers' the Taubenecks’, the
Allens’ and the Rozelles’ will be found
in the democratic camp where they
and their little coterie of fox-fire satel
lites may hug themselves in the delu
sion that they are reformers. Why
they have not reformed themselves
enough to advocate and vote for the
principle of a government issue of
absolute money coined from
until they can so reform themselves,
they must continue what Geo. F.
Washburn so aptly designates as
‘stragglers.”—Reform Advocate.
There is something wrong with New
Jersey law. Miss Edith Behr has been
sentenced to four months imprisonment
for thrashing two men who were in a
difficulty with her aged father. The
young woman was admitted to be of
irreproachable character, but she dis
regarded the laws of property by
thrashing tbe men on their own land.
Down in Georgia we would give her a
medal instead of sending her to jail.
Editorial Comments.
We are sorry to see that Georgia
Populists are being beguiled into the
belief that a tariff imposed upon Egypt
ian cotton will increase the market
price of their own staple. We know
that the farmers of Georgia are being
bankrupted by the low prices of their
products and it is quite natural for
drowning men to grasp at straws, and
that is just what Georgia farmers are
doing when they ask congress to put a
protective tariff upon the importation
of Egyption cotton. That Democratic
farmers should sign such a petition is
natural. It is not expected that they
would know any better, but for Popu
lists, who are presumed to be better
informed, who pught to understand
that low prices are the direct and in
evitable result of a shrinking currency
and the demonetization of silver, who
ought to know that as long as the
Egyptian cotton meets their own pro
duct in free competition in every mar
ket of Europe, that the price of both
products will be fixed in Europe and
not in New York; —that these men
should be so misled and deceived sur
prises us. In signing this petition they
are not only seeking a futile remedy,
but they are practically disavowing the
basic principle of their party doctrine,
which decrares against any and all
special or class legislation.
When this government and others
shall discharge their duty to the peonle
by increasing the quantity of legal ten
der money to such an extent as to
furnish steady employment at living
wages to the millions of unemployed,
thereby increasing the capacity of the
people to buy and consume, then and
not till then will the price of their cot
ton be increased. So long as the per
capita of money in circulation decreases
the price of Sea Island cotton will keep
pace with it, regardless of whether
Egyptian cotton is allowed to enter
our ports free of duty or has a tax of
one cent a pound or ten cents a pound
imposed upon it The time of Georgia
Populists will be better employed in
beating these truths into the heads of
their Democratic and Republican neigh
bors than in helping them get up peti
tions for a protective tariff.
* » «
A leading Democratic daily in an
nouncing that Col. S. 11. Lancey had
been appointed by Gent ral Horace
Porter, one of his aids for the inaugu
ral parade at Washington on the 4th of
March, speaks of it as a great and high
honor conferred. There is a no more
distressing sign of the times in this
great American republic than the grow
ing disposition on inducting a
governor or president into office
to ape the pomp and splendor displayed
by monarchial governments in the
crowning' of a new king or emporor.
While 7 the theory of our government is
that the president is the servant of the
people the effect of these displays is to
teach the people that a new master
is being placed in power. It doubtless
pleases the great army of office hunters
ous position in the inaugural parade.
Men devoid alike of genuine American
ism and political principle—whose con
trolling motive is greed for offee, may
be well pleased at such an appoint
ment, but Jefferson nor Jackson would
have considered it any great honor
to ride at the head of such a proces
sion. The parade will please two
classes of people—one being composed
of the unthinking rabble and the other
of the long headed plutocrats who
hope some day to see a president tram
ple the constitution under foot and es
tablish an oligarchy of wealth upon the
ruins of a dead republic.
* * *
Four years ago last November the
tympamm of our ears was made to ache
while on the streets with the words
sung upon every key of the gamut:—
“Grover, Grover, four more years of Grover,
“Then we’ll be in clover.”
In the midst of our anguish we prayed
the Good Lord to forgive the idiots w 7 ho
knew not what they did. Now this
4th of March, 1897, we observe as a day
of thanksgiving instead of the day set
apart by the president and governor
last November.
That day we did not observe, accord
ing to proclamations, for tbe reason
that the retrospect of the recent past
revealed more cause for grief and hu
miliation than for jor joy and gladness.
We are not thankful to day for any
clover that ourselves or the great mass
of the people have revelled in during
the past four years, but we are truly
and sincerely grateful for the hope
that we are never to have any more
years of Grover.
* • *
It is announced that as soon as Mc-
Kinley is inaugurated president Cleve
land will go off on another duck hunt.
Now that he has again become a pri
vate citizen, we wonder if he will con
tinue to use a government vessel, when
ever he wants to get bey ord tbe reach
of observation, while he enjoys his
periodic drunks. Only twenty or thir
ty years ago a cabinet officer was
driven into political exile because he
permitted his wife to make her visits
and do her shopping in a carriage paid
for by the government, yet in this
short time the public conscience has
become so debauched that not a mem
ber of Congress has had the manhood
to denounce Grover Cleveland for using
the government vessels as his private
property whenever he desired to go on
a spree.
* * *
Though we can never forgive Grover
for trampling the Constitution, the
rights of the States and the prosperity
of the people under foot, we will try to
forget him if he will only follow Astor
to England. He will not only find a
government more to his taste, but he
will be able to dispense -with the Pink
erton thugs with which an evil con
science and a craven heart has sur
rounded him for years past. The Eng
lish people are too generous to hold
him persona non gruta for the single
exhibition of an American spirit in
championing the cause of little Vene-
zuela. With that exception no friend
of England eould have filled the presi
dential chair more to the satisfaction
of the English bankers or more to the
humiliation and injury of the Ameri
can people. Certainly his later efforts
to give aid and comfort to Spain in
crushing the Cubin rebellion, even per
mitting American citizens to be im
prisoned or murdered without a pro
test and our flag insulted, ought to
condone any little show of American
spirit in the Venezuelan matter.
D. N. S.
FOSTERED BY PROTECTION.
How Many Millions are Filed Up Stolen
From the. People’s Pockets.
From the New York Herald.
No more timely or significant lesson
is to be drawn from the results of the
sugar trust investigation than the
striking demonstration they afford of
the extent to which the abuse of pro
tection has been carried by congress.
Three years ago, it will be remembered
the Wilson tariff bill was “held up” in
tbe senate by a senatorial cabal who
resolved that no tariff bill should be
come a law which did not protect the
sugar refiners against foreign-competi
tion. How the progress of the bill was
blocked, how the business of the coun
try suffered from the long delay 7 , and
even to what scandal the scheme gave
rise,' are still fresh in the public mind.
The final result was the enactment of
the law with, a duty sufficiently pro
hibitive to keep out practically all
foreign refined sugar and give the trust
a clear field to amass profits,, secure
against all competition from abroa’d.
This was defended by the stock protec
tion pleas of the necessity of protec
ting home industries to enable them to
live and of benefitt ng American wage
earners.
To what extent the sugar refiners
have been in need of protection and
who have been benefitted by the pro
tection granted are amply shown by
the reluctant admissions drawn from
the trust officials themselves. From
these it appears that the trust was
originally formed by the consolidation
of fifteen companies, with a capitaliza
tion of fifty millions. Subsequently
five more refineries were swallowed
up and the capitalization advanced to
seventy-five millions. On this enor
mous amount of watered stock from 10
to 15 per cent dividends have’been
paid and a vast surplus accumulated
from tile profits made by the trust
These profits have been divided among
the trust stockholders, and it does not
appear that either wage earners or
consumers have derived any benefit
therefrom. The policy of the trust has
been to get rid of all competition -and
thus control prices and profits. That
consumers have been forced to contri
bute to these enormous profits is shown
by the fact that there has been no re
duction in the price of refined sugar
with the decrease in the raw material.
In other words, the trust and not the
public has reaped the benefit of cheap
er raw sugar.
CONGRESS IS RESPONSIBLE.
For the tribute which this gigantic
monopoly has exacted from the Amer
ican people, congress is chiefly respon
sible. Without the protection granted
by that body the trust could not have
111 Hi Ml WtHiei* 18S HKHIUptHJ 1 , up
prices, enforced exactions and piled up
profits on enormously watered stock.
Had not the prohibition been decreed
ed against foreign sugars there would
have been a healthy competition
against which American refiners could
have held their own and in which the
American people would have found
relief from yearly exactions to the ex
tent of millions of dollars.
In short, tbe protection granted by
congress has simply served to fortify
the trust and to enable the sugar
barons to amass immense profits at the
expense of the great consuming public
And this is but an illustration of the
shameful abuse of protection granted
to rich manufacturing concerns and
tbe hollowness of the pretense that it
is‘cione in the interest of American in
dustry and for the benefit of the Amer
ican people. What is true of the sugar
is not less true of other colossal trusts.
They derive their main support and
power to prey upon the people from
the protection which congress has so
lavishly granted and which it seems is
to be still further increased by the
party of p:otection, which comes into
power next month.
Anti-trust statutes have been enacted
by congiess and state legislatures in
response to a universal popular demand
for the suppression of grasping monop
olies, and the power of the courts has
been evoked to the same end. But no
more effective remedy can be applied
to trust evils and abuses than to take
from them the protection which con
gress now needlessly and inexcusably
accords.
Peace Between Brethren.
At a meeting of the People’s Party
Club at Barnesville, Ga., on Feb. 14,
the following resolutions were unani
mously adopted :
Resolved Ist, That we heartily en
dorse the sentiment known as “middle
of the road” populism. #
Resolved 3d, That we fully approve
the course persued in the campaign by
our candidate, Thos. E. Watson, com
mending his brilliant work and fidelity
to principle under the most trying com
plication, we voluntarily, pledge him
our loyal friendship and support,
which he so richly deserves and our
love for him dictates.
Resolved 3rd, That we deplore the
late efforts of some of our most esteem
ed and worthy leaders to take “near
cuts” on the road to success by making
fusion deals. We believe however that
they were patriotic and true to Popu
lism, though mistaken in policy.
Resolved 4th,. That we believe the
incoming Republican administration
will complete the vile and treasonable
work of the preceding Democratic Con
gress and Executive in utterly destroy
ing the common prosperity and reduc
ing the masses to slavery under the
gold standard. That in the year 1900
the people of America will break the
yoke of blind partisanship and rally to
the People’s party to liberate them
selves from oppression. In view of this
sublime destiny of our party it is un
wise to promote further strife and dis
agreement among our leaders. Breth
ren who dwell together in unity can
and will fight triumphantly in the
cause of humanity.
Wm. S. Whitaker, Chair.
J. D. Woodall, Sec.
HOGAN ROASTS SWEAT.
Calls the Judge Down—Tells Him How he
Stands in the State.
Editor People’s Party Paper:
You will please allow me space to
notice a little matter 1 saw in the Con
stitution from Judge Sweat. The
judge says, “There was no roll call or
opposition as to J udge Reese, but the
opposition in his case was led by such
rabid pepulists as Branch and Hogan,
supported by populists and weak
kneed democrats.” The part I wish to
notice mostly, is where the Judge
speaks of myself as being a “rabid
populist and being one who led the
opposition,” intimating that he being
a democrat caused me to oppose the
report of the committee. lam a- popu- ■
list, but no one who knows me, will
say that I would persecute a mar, sim
ply because he belonged to a different
party. My only object was to do what
I thought was my duty. I read the
evidence, and to say nothing of the
other charges, the evidence in the case
of Miss Bradly alone, ought to have
removed Judge Sweat from the high
ffice he holes. The very least that
c <>uld be made out of this case, would
be an “assault with intent to seduce.”
Any one found guilty of seduction in
any of Judge Sweat’s courts, would be
sent by him to the penitentiary. This
being true, what should be done with
the man w 7 ho makes an assault with
intent to seduce, and he a “judge at
that.” I said to tbe members of the
house that day, and Isay yet, that such
a man should not be allowed to pre
side over the courts of this state.
Every one who reads the evidence will
believe Judge Sweat guilty, and I be
lieve that a judge who is guilty of
crime, should suffer as well as the poor
devils who go. wrong. Yet lam a pop
ulist, but the question of party did not
enter my mind. If Judge Sweat was a
populist, and had been elected by a
populist legislature, I would have
cried out at the top of my voice to the
members of the house, turn him out,
turn him out, for he is unfit for a
judge. I believe that our judges should
be our best men. I desire now to notice
one other little matterin Judge Sweat’s
letter. The J udge says that there was
no “motion or resolution of censure
even offered.” To my certain knowl
edge there was a strong resolution
drawn by a prominent democratic
member, for 1 and'a number of other
members read it, and he was urged by
a number of the members to introduce
it, saying that they would be glad to
give it their support, and had it not
been for the hurry and confusion at
the afternoon session it would have
been offered, and I believe it would
have passed. This member was one of
the 83 who voted to receive the report
of the committee. I can give his name
whenever it is necessary. The people
of Georgia have read the evidence,
and their verdict is made up.
J. R. Hogan.
The New Movement.
Persuant to a call quite a number of
the leading Reformers of Upson county
met in the court house last Saturday at
Ip. m., and after due deliberation ’
organized a Reform Literary club,to be
known as The Central Reform Literary
Club of Upson County. t
Mr. B. F. Lee was elected President
of the Cl lib. and My. \V v M Walkey...
’Secretary; Mr. J. T. Trice was made
First Vice President, Dr. S T. Dickey,
Second Vice President. A commit! ee
consisting of B. F. Lee, W. M. Walker,
J. D. Morgan, C. S. Barrett- and-Dr.
Dickey, was appointed by tbe Chair
man, Prof. J. L. Barker, to formulate
a constitution and by-laws for the gov
ernment of the Central Club. *
This action was taken after it was
unanimously decided to establish Re
form Clubs at all the school houses
where practicable, throughout the coun
ty:—each club to send delegates to the
regular meetings of the Central Club.
The object of these Clubs is to promote
education in general and the study of
domestic economy and political econo
my in particular. It is one of the pur
poses of the organization to place in
the reach of all the youth of the county
the full history of the United States
from the beginning of her struggles .
with Great Britam, both general and
biographical. “It is a consummation
devoutly to be wished” that the young
men of our Sunny South should return
from the shrine built for their worship
to the altar of their fathers where
heroism patriotism and honest public
service are held up to admiring gaze by
the Goddess of Liberty.
It is a dangerous and lamentable fact
that most of the literature now read
by the youth of our country is furnish
ed by the secret enemies of our popular
form of government, with the hope
and cold-blooded intention of prepar
ing their minds for the change which
is contemplated, from a republic to a
landed and monied oligarchy. If we
would save to our sons and daughters
the personal and social liberties given
us at such a sacrifice of blood and
treasure by our revolutionary ances
tors we must delay the effort not a
moment longer to stem the tide of
foreign poisoned trash which is being
published to our children in order to
familiarize thgm with the ways of Eu
ropean aristocracy.
Therefore we urge every lover of
our free institutions to join our Clubs
and assist in this most necessary work.
An Infant Industry.
The sugar trust only has a capital of
seventy-four million dollars. It is one
of those infant industries which w 7 ant
more protection. What this country
needs is a tariff that will protect the
people from the avarice of these great
trusts which have grown up under the
care of the republican party. When
an industry gets to be greater than the
government, so strong that the people
are powerless to control it, it ceases to
be an infant industry. The time has
arrived when it is necessary to protect
■the people.—Western Advocate.
The latest to side-track the Populists,
is the long staple cotton convention, to
petition Congress to place the staple on
the tariff list. We don’t believe a true
Populist will have anything to do with
it; the Pops in this part of the country
are in favor of free trade. We don’t
believe it right to put hides, wool and
cotton on the free list, and put a high
protective tariff upon the goods manu
factured out of them. But if the man
ufacturing interests are obliged to be
protected, then why not protect the
raw material? If Mr. McKinley’s
Congress will equalize the burdens, the
people now have to bear, they will
make a long 7 step towards controlling
the affairs of the government for the
next half century. —Colquitt County
Courier.