Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1891-05-29
A NEW PARTY IS BORN.

i'm the city named. Those who assisted
in the formation of the party were
Alliance men, Labor men, greenback-
ers, prohibitionists-in short. repre-
of almost every party un-
der the sun.
There can be no mistake as to the
enthusiasm of the projectors of the
new movement. The thing has start
ed with a grand whoop. and the plat
form is comprehensive enough to
gather in almost every denomination
of political aspirants-save the pro-
who were showed under
at the last. Here are few OF the
things that the platform calls for:
The abolition of the national banks;
the sub-treasury scheme; free coinage
of silver; government control OF rail
roads and telegraph lines; against
alien ownership of land; for equal tax
alton; for an income tax; for the cleo
ton Of President, Vice-President and
United States Senators by direct vote
of the people A national committee
has been selected, and the Peoples
Party will have Presidential ticket
in the field next year without doubt.
After the party had been fairly
launched, number Of delegates
thought it would be good idea to go
over the river into Kentucky and call
on Senator Carlisle and ask him what
he thought of their platform. They
did so. and of course met with a cor
dial reception. They talked with the
Senator about some of their pet pro
iects and asked what he thought OF
them. Government ownership of rail-
roads and telegraphs was brought up
and Mr.. Carlisle turned questioner.
DO you propose to get possession
of these properties by eonfiscation?
he asked them.
No, that wouldn't be fair" they
admitted.
Then you must buy them" was
hereby, land to buy them you must
pay for them, and to pay for them
you must tax yourselves. Have you
any idea how much it would cost?
Our Government debt at the close OF
the war was more than two thousand
millions, and we have been almost
thirty years in paying half of it. The
railroads, telegraphs, telephone lines
and steamboats, in the country repre-
sent about S1O,OOO,OO 100000 invested
capital: $1,000, 100000 is bonded in
debtedness which must be paid. Are
YOU ready to tax yourselves to raise
this money? Then, after you have got
the property, are you ready to tax
yourselves to operate it, for the Gov
eminent never vet succeeded in doing
business at profit Consider another
effect; such a plan would add perhaps
1 200, 900 men and women to the roll
of Government employees. How
would YOU ever succeed in turning
out of power al administration with
such resources at its command? The
more corrupt it was the more difficult
it would be to displace it.
The delegation looked dubious and
perplexed, for the questions and sug-
gestions were evidently all new to
their sanguine and enthusiastic
minds.
Anyhow" broke in one Of them,
changing the subject, don't you
think the money power is getting in
to too few hands,"
Yes, admit it is bad sign" re-
piled Mr.. Carlisle. But howare you
going to remedy it? By a revolution
or by all act of LEGISLATURE Do you
propose to say by your legislation
that when man has earned 500 or
$1,000 or $4,000 that he shall not earn
any more?'
Again there was no response. The
visitors presented two or three more
of the grievances which form the ba-
sis of their revolt, and Mr.. Carlisle
tested them one after the other with
the question: How can they be rem
edied by legislation?' And no prac-
teal answer was suggested. The faith
ers of the new party went away with
the idea that, after all, the political
millennium might not be as near at
hand as they had imagined it to be.
Mr.. Carlisle sees in the new party
no menace to the Democracy. He
does not question the present inten-
ton of the leaders to put a
third party ticket in the field next
wear. But he believes the situation
will so change in the mean time that
the project will be abandoned. 1.-THE
new party is in the field, disaster to
the Republicans would be the only eff
feet. In his own State, Mr.. Carlisle
believes the Alliance State ticket NOM
minated last week will receive only
about 5000 votes unless there should
be some combination with Republi-
cans in the cities. Commenting on
the universal opinion among those
who formed the new Convention
that the Republican party has about
reached its grave, and that with the
present turn of events the chances of
success in 1892 have disappeared, Mr..
Carlisle said that several Republican
Senators had recently expressed to
him the same opinion in Washington.