Our legislators are reconciled to the same conditions. They do not see
the incongruity of conforming the legislation of a republic to the
economic laws of a monarchy. They do not know what a government by the
people and for the people means. If they did, they would know that there
was something wrong when one man has $50,000,00 while another has not
enough to get his shoes cobbled: and another has 50,000 acres of land,
while others must be buried four in a grave.

And none of the political parties shows a way of escape out of this
miserable state of affairs, as a brief review of their positions will
show.

We once had the Free States and the Slave States, and these two terms
were designative of two sections into which the country was then divided
on the question of slavery. To-day we have "Free Coinage of Silver,"
"Protection," and "Free Trade." These three terms, Free Coinage of
Silver, Protection, and Free Trade, are as truly designative of three
different sections into which the country is divided to-day on economic
or industrial questions as were the terms Free States and Slave States
designative of two sections in the past. Thus the preponderating
interest in one section is the mining of silver, and this interest is
represented by the Populist Party, who demands the coinage of more
Silver. The preponderating interest of the second section, or East, is
manufactures, and is represented by the Republican Party, who demands
protection. The preponderating interest of the third section, or South,
is agriculture, and is represented by the Democratic Party, who demands
free trade. This is substantially correct, although the Populists seem
to be as strong in the agricultural South as in the silver-producing
West. The Populist Party, indeed, originated among, the agriculturists
of the South, and was the outgrowth of discontent among the farmers; and