6 Conservative *
QUIET PATHS.
Thcru are quiet paths in life
That He in ways unseen ,
Sometimes they load through haunts of peace ,
Where harvest fields are green.
Like the hidden streams that run
Beneath the dark earth's breast ,
They oft unheeded wind below
The busy world's unrest.
O'er the quiet paths of life
Cross eager , jostling throngs
Of men intent on selfish needs
O'r overcome by wrongs.
And the souls who seek for good
And men with weary feet
And sinful ones who shrink from light ,
Here welcome greetings meet.
Hero the little children grasp
Firm hands and know fond care ,
Hero tender arms lift straying feet
Away from harm and snare.
And the aged ones who comu
With steps grown weak by years ,
Find staffs in paths where pilgrims pass
With smiles to banish tears.
For in quiet ways that run
Midst human hearts' great needs
Is seen beside each footprint left ,
Fair blossoming of deeds.
Where the pilgrims onward step ,
Their souls by faith made strong ,
And move to melodies that chant
Their trusting hearts' true song.
But the songs are low and hushed ,
God , only , hears their tone
And listens to the steadfast strains ,
The singing of His own.
MAKY FHENCII MORTON.
DEMOCRATIC KEOKGANIMATION.
EDITOR CONSERVATIVE :
Paper mouey reform seems destined
to play an important part in the reor
ganization of the democratic party.
Any plan which includes it will likely
meet with opposition from fusion lead
ers ; while its .exclusion in no wise prom
ises either party union or party success.
It is the purpose of this article to state
some of the reasons why the party
should now advocate this reform.
In the first place such is the logic of re
cent events. The result of the battle for
sound money , begun by the last demo
cratic administration , is so far only the
firmer establishment of the gold stand
ard. The marvelous benefits thereof ,
the credit for which is now claimed by
the republican party , are only a part of
what can be brought about by complete
monetary reform. In the middle of that
administration fusion with silver and
populism prevented democracy from
carrying out the beneficent policy then
proposed ; but the result of fusion has
been only an abatement , and not the
destruction of this great purpose. It is
uppermost in the minds of all thinking
people , made so , not only because the
last panic is believed to be due to de
ficiencies in the money system , but be
cause the return of prosperity is attribu
ted to the gold standard. Money was
the real issue of the - campaign just
closed , in spite of other "paramountcies. *
It is likely to remain dominant , and in
the light of what is now history , demoo-
racy should renew the battle for a
sound paper money.
Nor should the party avoid this course
for another good reason. It id so inter
woven with other political questions
and democratic policies in respect there
to , that both the solution of the ques
tions and the success of such policies
depend largely upon such monetary re
form. Take , for instance , the tariff
question. If to keep "greenbacks" and
other credit money now in use as good
as gold , it is necessary that some Ameri
cans sell their products abroad at a dis
count for gold , and buy what they want
at home at greatly enhanced prices , thus
creating a large trade balance and a
; endency of gold to flow into the coun
try , as against the tendency of our
present credit money to drive it out.
Under such conditions , how can tariff
reform be made a success ? Remove
thie burden from the American farmer ,
give our present credit money a chance
; o drive gold out of the country , and we
stand face to face with panic and de
pression.
Paper Money.
Take , again , the matter of "trusts"
and include corporations as well , for no
one can deny that the consolidation of
industries is proceeding at a break neck
rate of speed , nor that this should be re
lieved against so far as due to political
causes. One of the most potent of these
causes exists in the present paper money
system. It tends most strongly towards
the centralization and congestion of
money in the great cities , and there the
money rate is the cheapest. All busi
ness depends largely on securing such
money , for the money rate is all impor
tant. But ordinary enterprise situated
a thousand or more miles away can se
cure it only in one way , and that is by
incorporating with otlier like businesses
all over the country , forming a big con-
Cv-rn with its stock quoted on the market ;
when both the concern and the holders
of its stock can secure such money. If
the local bank could loan its own credit
and thus furnish cheap currency to local
enterprise , this most material cause of
consolidation , both in banking and other
businesses , would cease to exist.
But why should not democracy take
up the cause of monetary reform for itu
own sake ? The party is not the parent
of "greenbacks , " nor of national bank
notes based upon bonds. The former
were created out of the necessities of
war , were a temporary forced loan upon
the people with legal tender quilites ,
and were issued upon the express prom
ise of their early retirement by the gov
ernment. The latter were also a war
measure , created at the expense of free
economic banking , to make a market for
national bonds. That such money should
be retired is as plain as that the national
faith should be kept.
Strict Construction.
Monetary reform is purely democratic
The cardinal doctrine of the party is
strict construction of the constitution.
Jnder such teaching what true demo
crat can say that the government can
emit "greenbacks" or bills of credit and
make them a legal tender ? The consti-
intion gives no such power. Indeed , at
; he time that document was framed and
adopted it was proposed to grant such
> ewer , but the proposition was lost by
ihe vote of all the states except New
Jersey and Maryland. On the other
hand , what true democrat can say that
the 10 per cent , tax on bank issue is con
stitutional , or that it is not class legisla
tion ? No one claims that bank issue
should not be regulated by law , but who
can claim that this tax brings one cent
nto the federal treasury ? Is congress
given the power to tax for any other
purpose ? One of the functions of the
'armer is to raise corn that is his in
alienable right. * Suppose the govern
ment should tax him $20 on the acre and
; hxis destroy the right. Who could de
fend such despotism and the evil consequences
quences which would follow ? Yet the
; en per cent , tax on bank issue is the
same despotism and the same evil con
sequences , less only in degree. It is
cowardly not to defend and protect the
rights of a citizen because he is a banker ,
and the loss of his right is the detriment
of all.
Monetary Reform. i
Monetary reform is a progressive
movement. It means to tear down
obstructive , evil-breeding legislation ,
and give due operation to economic law ,
the exercise of greater liberty , and the
enjoyment of greater blessings. It
means to supplant a clumsy , antiquated
old vehicle of exchange with a light-
running , elastic , interest-saving one , as
the modern rnower supplanted the
scythe. It means to furnish money more
readily and to reduce the rates of in
terest to the farmer , the artisan , the re
tailer , and to meet the demands of indus
try everywhere It means to localize if
not to abolish panic and depression. It
means .to place the prosperity and se
curity of the country upon a sounder
basis than uncertain trade balances in
our favor. It means to check and
moderate the tendency towards indus
trial consolidation , to restrict that ten
dency to its natural causes and provide
against its evil consequences. By advo
cating it democracy can prove itself the
progressive party.
Populism no Longer a National Factor.
That democracy should now champion
this cause is both opportune and ex
pedient. During the years of populism
and fusion the friends of such reform
have kept it to the forefront as an aca
demic and economic question. Sound
money organization exists almost every
where and can be brought to the support
of the party. It is especially strong in
pivotal states , and in the south the
