READINGS IN RURAL ECONOMICS 



silvcrites have tried to get control of the conventions in Chi- 

 cago and Cleveland, held for the purpose of nominating city 

 officers. Chicago and Cleveland are strongly Populistic, hence 

 the battles in these two cities were significant of the strength of 

 the two factions in the general party. In Cleveland there was 

 no evidence of any silver element, while in Chicago the silver 

 champions were forced to remain silent. The same experience 

 has been repeated in the state conventions, and even in the silver 

 states the leaders of this movement were not able to control the 

 Populist Party. The presence of the silver faction has obscured 

 the real purpose of the party to such an extent as to render the 

 question at the head of this chapter a pertinent one. But the 

 defection of this element leaves the originators of the party with- 

 out the screen of free coinage. The two tendencies have been 

 pointed out, and the student of this party movement can discern 

 the motives without the perplexing presence of cross-purposes. 



The government has very materially aided the development of 

 the West. Large sums of money were there spent, and large 

 tracts of land were given away to encourage immigration. The 

 Pacific railroads received both money and land from the govern- 

 ment, and states were given thousands of acres for educational 

 purposes. The national government has also built roads and 

 aided in the construction of canals. In addition to all this the 

 Homestead and Pre-emption laws opened large tracts of land 

 which were to be had in small lots for the asking. The legisla- 

 tures of the various Western states have been very ready to help 

 this or that undertaking, in order to advance the states. All this 

 led to an exaggerated conception of the power of government to 

 accomplish large results in bringing about prosperity. The gov- 

 ernment's policy has made some men rich, and has also accus- 

 tomed the people to look toward Washington whenever they 

 were hard pressed or wanted legislation to assist some contem- 

 plated enterprise. This reliance upon Washington has passed 

 through various stages, until now it manifests itself in the de- 

 mand that the government shall own and control the railroads. 

 It is not to be understood that the idea of paternalism in gov- 

 ernment has of itself developed to the point of socialism ; but 



