I wish it to be distinctly understood, however, that these are merely interesting speculations as to what might occur in a hopelessly improbable contingency. I am a good American, with a profound belief in my countrymen, and I have no idea that they will deliberately lower themselves to a level beneath that of a South American Republic, by voting for the farrago of sinister nonsense which the Populistic-Democratic politicians at Chicago chose to set up as embodying the principles of their party, and for the amiable and windy demagogue who stands upon that platform. Many entirely honest and intelligent men have been misled by the silver talk, and have for the moment joined the ranks of the ignorant, the vicious and the wrong-headed. These men of character and capacity are blinded by their own misfortunes, or their own needs, or else they have never fairly looked into the matter for themselves, being, like most men, whether in “gold” or “silver” communities, content to follow the opinion of those they are accustomed to trust. After full and fair inquiry these men, I am sure, whether they live in Maine, in Tennessee, or in Oregon, will come out on the side of honest money. The shiftless and vicious and the honest but hopelessly ignorant and puzzle-headed voters cannot be reached; but the average farmer, the average business man, the average workman--in short, the average American--will always stand up for honesty and decency when he can once satisfy himself as to the side on which they are to be found. [Illustration] FOOTNOTES: [17] _Review of Reviews_, September, 1896. [Illustration] X HOW NOT TO HELP OUR POORER BROTHER[18] After the publication of my article in the September _Review of Reviews_ on the vice-presidential candidates, I received the following very manly, and very courteous, letter from the Honorable Thomas Watson, then the candidate with Mr. Bryan on the Populist ticket for Vice-President. I publish it with his permission: HON. THEODORE ROOSEVELT: It pains me to be misunderstood by those whose good opinion I respect, and upon reading your trenchant article in the September number of the _Review of Reviews_ the impulse was strong to write to you. When you take your stand for honester government and for juster laws in New York, as you have so courageously done, your motives must be the same as mine--for you do not need the money your office gives you. I can understand, instinctively, what you feel--what your motives are. You merely obey a law of your nature which puts you into mortal combat with what you think is wrong. You fight because your own sense of self-respect and self-loyalty compels you to fight. Is not this so? If in Georgia and throughout the South we have conditions as intolerable as those that surround you in New York, can you not realize why I make war upon them?