The Reformer. (Kingfisher, Okla.), Vol. 3, No. 30, Ed. 1 Thursday, January 24, 1895 Page: 1 of 8
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1V,P. L
•HyY> V)
THE REFORMER.
L-miVKHKH OKLAHOMA. THURSDAY JANUARY -M ls'J--»,
30
PAT DONAN, A CORKER
WONDERS WHAT THEY THINK
ABOUT IT.
Talks About the Ills ami llurler Buf-
falonlan Bullhead, Old ni.korj Jack-
son. Democratic Prospects, Jeffersou-
lan Simplicity and Pandemouluiu.
“I told you so. I told it long and
loud and often. I told it before and
after the Presidential nominations. I
told it before and after the election.
Many of ray southern and democratic
acquaintances, a year ago, set me
down as little, if any, better than a
blasphemer, in declaring publicly and
privately that “the election of Grover
Cleveland was the greatest republican
victory since the days of Abraham Lin-
coln.” I wonder what they think about
it now? Was there ever in the history
of the country so gigantic a revolution
in public sentiment in so short a time.'
It is but twenty months since the big and
burly Buffalonian bullhead went into
the white house with nearly a million
majority behind him, with both houses
of congress overwhelmingly his way,
with three fourths of the state govern
ments, north and south,enthusiastical-
ly backing him, and with millions of
well meaning but untutored American
citizens of all shades of political belief
and unbelief waving their hats and
hurrahing him.
To-day, seated amid the ruins of Ins
party, spurned and repudiated by the
whole country, there is not a dog—ex-
cept some office holder's or office seek-
er's egg sucking stray yaller cur, so
poor as to do him the scant reverence
of a tail shake—even of a stump tail at
that.
Who or what caused the democracy
burying avalanche? The answer
ought to be easy even to the average
donkey who poses as an American
statesman.
What had the bogus Cleveland-Hill-
Croker-Gormanised democratic partj
done that it should have demanded
popular support?
Since God Almighty created Lucifer
an archangel of transcendent light
and glory in heaven, and let him scoot
headlong down the steep toboggan
slide of damnation to become the head
devil in hell, there has never been a
greater failure, a more monstrous
falsifier of pledges and violator of
platforms than the Clevelandesque ag-
gregate of misfits and freaks that
lyingly labels itself the democratic
party. To compare its ante-election
promises and prophecies with its post-
election performances is not compari-
son, but contrast.
From the days of Jefferson, Madi-
son and “Old Hickory” Jackson, the
democratic party has clung to gold
and silver, silver and gold as the con-
stitutional currency of the country.
For thirty years past democrats have
frothed at the mouth about “gold
bugs,” "bloated bondholders.” “pirati-
cal tools of Wall street,” and all genus
of Shylockian monstrosities. And n
1892, they elected the very prince of
devils of goldbuggery, bloated bond
holdery.and piraticaltoolery President
of the United States. They placed “the
money devil” they had so long ex-
ecrated at “the top of the heap.’ Cleve-
land did what no republican in his
position could ever have done—brought
this country to a monometallic basis.
And 20,000 bankruptcies and 2,000,000
tramps and beggars promptly attested
the monstrousness of his sin and in-
famy. In his first twelve months 40,-
000 miles of railroad went into receiv-
ers' hands, and more than a hundred
banks suspended; mines, mills and
factories were shut down, merchants
and farmers were sold out at forced
sales, the whole republic was plastered
with assignees' and mortgages' notices,
hordes of ragged and hungry tatter-
demalions—American citizens and
workingmen—beleagured the national
capitol; the red flag of bankruptcy and
ruin waved triumphant over half the
continent, and'the coyotes of univer-
sal perdition reared back on their hind
legs and howled in ghoulish glee from
Winnepcsaukec to Yuba Dam.
And amid all the roar and wreck and
crash, the squeaky voice of Cleveland’s
asinine little Comptroller Eckels, who
had never seen a 850 bill two years ago,
was daily and hourly heard jubilantly
assuring the country and the world
that it was “not much of a shower
after all,” *
They have given us a protective tar-
iff with a few tiny corners chipped off,
and *40,000,000 added on sugar alone;
a tariff that Cleveland declared was
“reeking with perfidy and dishonor;
a tariff that Dave Hill denounced as “a
national disgrace and a national scan-
dal”—a McKinley bastard in a Wilson
cradle.
Democratic Vice-President Steven-
*ou’s son was appointed paymaster in
the navy—saddled for life outhecoun
try and the people at *3,000 a year and
a pension to his widow—and did not
get it because he could not pass the
necessary physical examination. Dem-
ocratic Tariff Abortionist llilly Wilson’s
son has a similar position. Carlisle has
two sons drawing large salaries from
the government. Democratic Sec-
retary of the Navy- Herbert
has his son-in-law and a vari-
egated assortment of other rela-
tives and dependents billeted upon the
dear people. Democratic Speaker of
the House Crisp has his son Charley
bugging *2,200 a year of public money
as his teller—when all he could tell in
a year would not be worth 22 cents.
Democratic Senator Cockrell of Mis-
souri, a wild eyed and obstreperous re-
former, had his son filching *1,800 a
y-ear as a committee clerk during all
the years he was at school a thousand
miles away. Democratic Senator Col-
quitt of Georgia, till his death had his
12-year-old son as an alleged mes-
senger abstracting *1,410 a year from
the public pocket. Senators Gorman,
Blackburn, Gordon, Harris, Arkansas
Jones, Pasco, Pugh, Mills and Butler
—all illustrious and rambunctious
democratic ranters against republican
nepotism and nepotists—have sons and
nephews pocketing big annual stipends
of government money because they
are their sons or nephews. One of-
ficial family in Washington has nine of
its members on the public pay rolls!
To-day the United States navy is
WORK OF CONFERENCE
ringing address issued by
NATIONAL COMMITTEE.
An Invitation for All CSooiI Cltlxen* to
Unite anil Rescue the Government
From the Control of Monopolies
Time to Act.
The People's party conference called
to meet in St. Louis Dec. 28 and 29,
was well attended. The call for a
meeting of the national committee in-
a.u-uoj ...u - ----- ------ ---■ eluded an invitation to members of the
little more or less than a royally ap- ! Keform press anj others who felt dis-
pointed fleet of deadhead excursion posed tQ con{ur with the committee,
boats for Cheap John officials and their j when U)e meeting was called to order
families. Cleveland, who, twelve or I chairman Taubeneck about 300
Populists were assembled to take part
ia the proceedings. The result of the
fourteen years ago, was shaking dice
for the drinks with llissell in the back
rooms of Buffalo beer saloons has a
United States steamer and a navy-
captain to take him and his spreeative
cabinet cronies duck hunting and ca-
rousing—and the people, the great
toiling masses—echo answers asses—
foot all the rollicking fiddlers' bills.
Adlai Stevenson, a Sucker kinsman of
mine, has been trundling about over
the country- in all the ‘Jeffersonian
simplicity’ of a deadhead private car,
expatiating in Kankaskian or Kanka-
keanhigh English on ‘the glorious
principles of the grand old democratic
party.’ What are its‘principles?’ Has
it any? If so, are they not as ringed,
streaked, striped and speckled as a lit-
tle darkey's shirt in blackberry time?
Goldbuggery- with Cleveland and Hill
and free silver with Crisp and Bland.
High tariff with Laundry-man Murphy
in New York, low tariff with little
Billy Wilson in West Virginia, and
free trade with Mills in Texas and
Watterson in Kentucky. For trusts
with Gorman, Brice, and McPherson’s
cook, and against them with all the
long haired and leather lunged ‘pay
triots’ of the south and west. For
an |income tax in the rural dis-
tricts, and against it in the
cities. For one thing here, another
there, and still another somewhere
else. ‘All things by turns, and noth-
ing long.’ For heaven in theory and for
hell in practice!
Why- should such a party wonder at its
overthrow? Why should such a colos-
sus of organized imbecility-, failure and
falsification ever have expected any-
tiring but defeat at the hands of the
American people? W hy- should its
blind leaders of the blind grope about
for explanations of what was inevit-
able as the decrees of God? ‘Vox pop-
uli’ is sometimes, though, alas! far too
rarely, ‘vox Dei,’ instead of ‘vox dia-
boli.’ This was one of the times.
The so called democratic party- was
temporarily annihilated because it de-
served annihilation; because infinite
promise and infinitesimal perform-
ance should not win; because 05,000,-
000 of people can not be fooled all the
time; because patriotic common sense
and common decency have not wholly-
perished in America! Thank God for
it!
Down with every party and every
man whose platform and pledges are
merely high sounding announcements
of what they never intend to do or try
to do! Up with the standards of right,
truth, justice and liberty! Perish all
demagogues and demagoguery; party'
or no party! Live the republic of the
people.” Pat Don a n.
A TREASURY note is the people's dol-
lar, which thov—the people—pledge
themselves to redeem not alone in gold
or silver, but in anything they have.
The bankers' note is a so called dollar
which the bankers promise to redeem
in what they have not got, and give
the people for security.
BrkckbnRIDGE, the sweet scented
jimpson blossom of libertinism, is
lecturing and the constables are fol-
lowing him up, seizing the “box office
receipts" to pay the expense of last
summer's harvest of wild oats.
meeting was the issuing of an address
setting forth the situation and urging
the necessity- of keeping up the fight
against the encroachments of organized
monopolies, The following is n full
text of the address:
“The national committee of the
People's party sends greetings to its
constituency- throughout the United
States: .
“The rapid increase of our vote in
many parts of the Union and the start-
ling events of the past two years vivid-
ly- justify- both the existence and neces-
sity for the People's party. The con-
tention of the party- that one of the
great needs of the country has been
and is an enlarged volume of circulat-
ing medium, is now practically con-
ceded by- all parties, and by- the gov-
ernment. The gold power and bank-
ing interests are insisting through the
President and his secretary- of the
treasury that the enlarged issue of our
currency- supply shall be given exclu-
sively into the hands of the banks,
that silver shall be excluded, all treas-
ury notes retired and that gold alone
shall be the legal tender, thus making
the monetary- question an issue which
must be met at once.
“Within the present y-ear, the cor-
porations, grown arrogant because of
the vast possessions of wealth and the
exercise of unconstitutional powers,
have made war upon the people, and
induced the federal courts to exercise
in their interests unusual and arbitrary-
powers, induced the invasion of the
states by federal troops, without the
request of either of the executives of
said states, or the legislatures thereof,
and are at this time, through a re-
creant administration and a truculent
congress, attempting to clothe the rail-
road corporations by means of a pool-
ing bill with power to further and
more systematically rob, oppress and
plunder the people; and having already-
deprived the people of access to the
silver mines of the country as an in-
dependent source of money supply,are
now, in the interest of a banking
oligarchy, endeavoring to deprive
them of the right to have their gov-
ernment, in the exercise of its con-
stitutional power, to issue the money
of the nation and control its volume.
“In the opinion of your committee
these events are startling, subversive
of the liberties of the citizen, and de-
structive of business and social se-
curity; and adhering to the Omaha
platform in all its integrity, your com-
mittee insists upon the restoration of
the coinage of gold and silver as it ex-
isted prior to 1873—at the rate of 10 to
1—without regard to the action of any
other nation, and that all paper money
shall be issued by the general govern-
ment, without the intervention of
banks of issue, the same to be a full
legal tender.
■•We also declaro our implacable hos-
tility- to the further issue of interest-
bearing bonds.
“We denounce the pooling bill as a
move toward completing the monoply
of transportation, and demand that in-
stead congress proceed to bring the
the railroads under the government
ownership.
“The power given congress by the
constitution to provide lor calling
forth the militia to oxoonte the laws of
the Union, to surppress insurrections,
to repel invasions, does not warrant
the government in making use of a
standing army in aiding monopolies in
the oppression of the public and their
employes. When free men unsheatli
the sword, it should be to strike for
liberty, not for despotism or to uphold
privileged monopolies in the oppression,
of the poor.
“We ask the peoplo to forget all past
political differences and unite with ns
in the common purpose to rescue the
government from the control of mon-
opolists and concentrated wealth, to
limit the powers of perpetuation by-
curtailing their privileges, and to se-
cure the rights of free speech, a free
press and trial by jury—all rules, reg-
ulations and judicial dlotatin deroga-
tion of cither of the which are arbi-
trary, unconstitionnl and not to be
tolerated by free people.
“We recommend the immediate or-
ganization of an educational cam-
paign by the national, state and local
committees.” _
POPULAR CRANK:1.
THE MORTGAGE MILL.
Juallrr. Bight and Equity nuregar#**1
by Plutocratic JuilgM.
The following, from the Kansas
Commoner, is worthy of careful read-
ing and consideration:
“And still the mortgage mill isBwift-
ly and surely grinding out its grisfr
and rendering the people homeless and
in debt.
The foreclosure of a mortgage is a
proceeding in equity, yet the District
court seldom exercises their equity
powers in these cases. Doubtless many
judges would do so, were it not that
their hands are tied by a decision of
the plutocratic, monopolistic and cor-
poration sympathizing Supreme court
of the state, which declares Unit when-
ever a sheriff sells a piece of property
under the hammer no matter
what the hid, the sale shall not be
held invalid on account of inade-
quacy of price. A farm worth $.r*,000
may be sold for 310, the sale confirmed
and the District court would have no
*ay as to whether it was just, right or
equitable, to let valuable property go
for little or nothing and leave a judg-
ment to hang over a debtor, so as to
forever keep him crushed to earth.
The Populist judges, McKay and
Bnahore, however, do exercise their
equity powers when it comes to con-
firming these sheriff sales of mortgaged
property, and whenever the property
is reasonably worth the face of the
mortgage that they refuse to confirm
any of these sales unless the mort-
gagee will cancel the debt and free the
debtor. This is justice, right and
equity. But Shy lock is displeased
with this kind of work and has taken
several cases up to t he Supreme court
and expects that august (?) body will re-
verse the judgments of these equitable
district judges in favor of the confisca-
tion and redemption policy practiced
by the majority of the District courts.
The people, however, wanted a
money shark usury taker, and a man
who cared more for the affairs of New
York city than for Kansas, for gov*
A Partial lint of Prominent Persons Who
Attended the HU Leula Conference.
Taubenck called the meeting to
order.
Jack Turner was there to preserve a
record of the proceedings.
The tall form and familiar face of
J. H. McDowell was also present
where the most good could be done.
Gen. Coxey was present with his
plan for good roads, and as there was
no grass to walk on he was not as-
saulted.
Carl Browne, the invincible, and
eminent cartoonist, was there to assist
in the good work.
M. C. Rankin, treasurer of the na-
tional committee, was also on hand
to aid in the good work.
S. II. Snyder, insurance commis-
sioner of Kansas, was shaking hands
with the boys.
Boh Schilling, the popular Mil-
waukee Populist—the man who makes
speeches in two or three different
languages—took a prominent part in
the proceedings.
O. D. Jones of Missouri, author and
orator, was in. the thickest of the
tight.
A. Rozelle, chairman of the Missouri
state committee and editor of the In-
dependent, was a conspicuous figure
among those present.
Gen. Paul Van Dervoort, ex-Com-
mander-in-chief of the Grand Army
and commander-in-chief of the Indus-
trial Legion, came all the way from
Omaha to help do.the work of the con-
ference.
Leo Vincent came up from Oklahoma
to have a hand in the proceedings.
Gen. Field, ox-candidate for vice-
president on the People s party ticket
in 189?, came over from Virginia to
help us with his counsel.
Lee Crandall from Washington C ity
and Alabama, was good naturedly
shaking hands with the boys, and
telling them how it was down in Ala-
bama.
J. W. Dollison of Little Rock, Ark.,
secretary of state committee of the
People's party, gave valuable assist-
ance in committee work.
Among the old men who had
grown gray in the work was
Uncle Charlie Cunningham of Little
Rock, Ark. He was candidate for
vice-president on the union labor ticket
in 1888.
Thomas Fletcher, chairman of the
Peoples’ party committee, of Arkansas,
and one of the best known and weal-
thiest men in the state, was present
helping with his advice.
Robert Fyne came all the way from
Connecticut to tell the boys that the
“nutmeg” state was iu line and would
be beard from in 1890.
The well-known face of Prof. C. Vin-
cent was among the congregation of
cranks—and the professor seemed to
enjoy it.
One of the most active members
present was George Washburn of Bos-
ton, Mass. He looked every inch the
descendant of the men vvlio fought at
Bunker's hill.
E. (Derry Brown was another of Mas-
sachusetts' patriots who crossed the
Alleghenies to attend the meeting and
aid i» the cause of humanity.
H. J. Oglesby, of Nashville, Tenn.,
came up to assist in the work of the
conference.
H. A. Heath of Topeka. Kan., one of
the most prominent business men in
the reform movement, ami who is
principal stockholder in several of our
most prominent Populist pajiers, was
exchanging hostilities of the season
with many of his acquaintances.
Fred. Close, another well known
Kansas man, who Is connected with
the north and south railroad enter-
prise was present, lfe presided with
ability over the conference a portion
of the time.
Gen. Weaver was chairman of the
conference while the national commit-
tee was in executive session and he
presided with his usual ability. He
was one of the conspicious ligures
present.
Among the most active and efficient i ------ *
workers present was Mr. J. Devine, »rnor,and a plutocrat.,;corporation at-
... IllKHOK tl'lwl !•« II I 1 1 ‘ 1*1 *1 1 till. lIlR'KUin
secretary of the Bimetallic League,
He urged the importance of pushing
the money question to the front.
Editor Frank Burkitt was busy in
committee work and. shaking hands
with the boys. Mr. Burkitt is one of
the most prominent People’s party
men in Mississippi.
Henry Vincent of the Searchlight,
Chicago, was on hand to greet old
acquaintances, make new ones, and to
help keep the party in the “middle
of the road.”
W. F. Rightmire, who was the
People’s party candidate for attorney-
general in Kansas in 1890, was circu-
lating among other fat men and lend-
ing a helping hand.
J. P. Stelle came over from Mount
Vernon, 111., to help prepare for vic-
tory in 1890.
S. M. Adams, one of the prominent
Populists in Alabama, was present
and could tell how they carried bis
state with the negro counties.
The youngest looking man in the
convention was J. C, Manning tlie
boy orator from Alabama. Mr. Man-
ning was elected a member of the
legislature and is one of the best
speakers in that state.
Among the Arkansas delegation was
Col. John H. Cherry of Little Rock.
He enjoyed the fun.
J. H. Schulte, the Reform publisher
of Chicago, was present, shaking
hands with old friends.
L. A. Stockwell, editor of the old
Nonconformist, was over from Indian-
apolis to urge the importance of push-
ing the fight.
One of the most prominent men
present from Kansas was Jno. \V.
llriedentbal, chairman of the People's
party committee of that stain, and
present bank commissioner.
J. B. Follett of St. Louis, who,
made local arrangements for the
meeting, was shaking hands with
everybody.
The towering form of “Cyclone’
Davis of Texas, was prominent in all
the meetings, and his speeches always
went to the bottom of the question.
The great big familiar form of Mil-
ton Park of the Southern Mercury,
Dallas, Texas, was easily recognized
by liis many friends. He proceeded
from there to Chicago.
Ur. S. Mci.uUin, editorof the Topeka
Advocate, was another one of the well
known Kansas men who were present.
The doctor is a fighter from the head
waters of Bitter creek.
Henry D. Lloyd, the brilliant orator
and Populist leader of Chicago, was
there, and did much to shape things
satisfactorily.
W. II. Dobbins, editor of the Pro-
gressive Age, St. Paul, Minn., run
down to uiiuglo with the congregation
of cranks.
IV. 8. Morgan.
Secretary Natioual Reform I’tCHS
Association.
torney, who rendered the decision
above referred to, for judges on the
Supreme bench, and they may now
take the consequences, and ought not
to murmur. They have practically
said to the Shylock powers that con-
trol, “Foreclose our mortgages; drive
us from our homes; confiscate our
property; repudiate all the hard
earnings we have put into them to im-
prove and build them up, and thou O
railroad, take all that we can earn
above the bare necessities of existence,'
It seems as if the prayer of David
against his enemies, in the 109th psalm
had been repeated by Shylock against
tlie debtor of the land, which prayer
is being answered to the letter.
Set thou a wiokud man over him,
and let Satan stand at libs right hand.
When he shall be adjudged, let him,
be condemned; and let his prayer be-
come sin.
Let his days be few, and let another
take his office.
Let his children bo fatherless and his.
wife a widow.
Let his children he continually vag-
abonds and beg; lot them seek bread
out of their desolate places.
Let the extortioner catch, all that he
hath; and let tho stranger spoil his
labor.
Let there be none to extend mercy
unto him; neither let thure be amy favor
to his fatherless children.
Let his posterity be cut off; and in
the generations following, let their
names be blotted out.
Civilization Retroceding.
The extortionate rates of railroads
in California have compelled the peo-
plo of that state to go beck to the old
system of freighting with teams. Hear
what a California exchange says and
ask yourself if it is not time for gov-
ernment ownership of railroads:
“Seropion Bros., commission mer-
chants of Fresno, Cal., ami C. A. Camp-
bell, wlio has hauled freight for nearly
twenty years on the western slopes of
tho Sierras, have hit upon a plan by
which they hope to be independent of
the Southern Pacific railroad and its
enormous freight charges. Campbell
left Fresno on Thursday with ten mule
teams and two wagons loaded with
about ten tons of dried figs bound for
San Francisco, a distance of 212 miles.
He expects to reach here by Nov. 24,
and a return load is waiting for him.
Campbell is confident that he will
make a fair profit out of his venture,
while the Seropion Bros, say they will
save 12 cents per 109 pounds on car
load lots, and 28 cents per 100 on less
than a carload. Shippers throughout
Ute San Joaquin valley are watching
the experiment with intense interest,
and if it proves a success hundreds of
wagons and men and thousands of
mules and liorsos will be employed ill,
the freighting business once more,”
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Wilson, H. C. & Sanders, Spencer E. The Reformer. (Kingfisher, Okla.), Vol. 3, No. 30, Ed. 1 Thursday, January 24, 1895, newspaper, January 24, 1895; Kingfisher, Oklahoma Territory. (https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc1077473/m1/1/?q=War+of+the+Rebellion.: accessed July 16, 2024), The Gateway to Oklahoma History, https://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society.