The state chronicle. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1883-1893, 1891-06-02
AFTER THE CONVENTION.
Is IT A NOvE1ENT THAT WILL
OVERCOME THE OLD
PARTIES.

The Organization of the People Party.
and Some Reflections About the Fu-
ture of Politics.
Mr. W. G. COOPER, favorite CORES
pondent Of the Atlanta Constit utiop, at
tended the Convention at Cincinnati
that organized the Peoples Party, and
wired daily letters to the Constitution
which were full of interest The fol-
lowing letter written by him on the train
after the Convention will prove interest
ing.
1t is evident that the movement start
ed by the Cincinnati Convention is one
of much greater Importance than men
of the two older parties are willing to ad
NIT.
Since the noise has subsided, every one
can see that Il was a western couvention
but that does not make it conclusive rha.
the contagion will not spread. The truth
is that the leaven of discomfort is abroad
in ali parts Of the land. Beginning
with the great strike of 1877 aud the
mob that burned the Pittsburg jail, the
agitation OF the disSatItiad elements o.
society has continued until. now, start
ing with the workiugmen, who were the
first TO organize, 1t at last reached and
permeated the great agricultural masses
They were the last to move. With them
there was greater inertia to be overc c1me,
for they were anchored to the soil, that
conservator of the peace; but when at
last they did move the momentum was
overwhelming They saw in the increas-
ing load of debt aud mortgages tue pos
sibllity il not the probability of losing
the land by which they had SO long pa
tiently ablded, and when that frightful
apparition appeared, conservatism was
thrown to the winds, and every man be-
came a revolutlonist, ready to strike out
| on new line. Men die by their homes,
and the prospect Of losing the home made
the u!asses desperate.
Starting OF the Movements.
Seeing this, the sulleD, diaSatiafi III la
boring men seiz5i tnis opportunity. At
St Louis two years ago they lormeo
confederation with the farmers We
nave thought that this upheaval was
| only a manifestation of the restlessness
Of one class; that 1t was the country
against the town simply. and that by
he operation of those laws of mutual
dependence on which society is organized
| the movement would soon wear itself
ont This is not the true diagnosis
Discomfort reigns il town and country.
| The masses. urbal and rural, are in me
ton; We hear hoarse mutteTings as when
deep caleth unto deep. Astute poll
| ticiaus have scented 1t from afar and
| seek to take the lead, as vultures hy
! upon high and stormy gale.
| The cry Is no longer that OF the coun-
| try against the town. that was of neceS
slty a shallow and short-lived issue; it is
a deeper and more omiuous sound that
Se now hear, 1.-The plain people against
the aristocracy The fact that aristoc-
racy is now interpreted as the plutocra-
cy, makes the situation all the more Sc
rious The old feeling against the aria-
tocracy pure and simple. was not sc
strong, yet it produced the French rev
o!u;ion. There is something res pecia ole
in an aristocracy founded on heritag3 oi
| great deeds and public service, aud this
SO long as it holds PATRIOTISM, the mas
ses will suffer, but when aristocracy i.
based on wealth, too often ilI-gotteu, aGC
| on the vulgar show OF great establish
meuts, the masses are first sickened and
then enraQeI. This is the condition oI
| aft ,irs to, day, Tot only in Amag;ca, bp
all over the civl.,z ed world. The greates
| statesmen see 1t and are trying 20 ruis
the storm Mr.. Gladst one, in the pe7
| platform which he puts forth this year
advances far to socialism. The Em
peror of Germany is trying to s,ea
| the thunder of the socialists as B.smarcl
did before him Australia is progressn,
| rapidly in the same direction, and ~her
ever you see public men of great sagac
| ity, they are trying to appease ttls
| !, HI. la n .S
| been secuted a few years ago. 1t is SO II
| our our own country. the Democrati
| congress, which will assemble mex
| winter, will force measures which th
| Republicans will hardly dare to defeat
Ga ,he silver question some, who do no
favor free coinage, will vote for it, a
Senator Carlisle processes to do, not be
| cause he favorS It, bat because he be
| lieves 1t to be "a political necessity.
1--WE have got to take it, said he, ''au,
| the sooner the better. The bill will b
passed before the holidays, aud IN tn
| senate it will not even be referred to ID
financa committee. The best thing "
can d. is to try it, aud if the resnl'
prove as bad as some think, every nod
will see the propriety Of repealog tn
law"
Republicans See Danger.
at Cincinnati the Republicans sougt
every opportunity to SOW seeds OF ai'
senslon amorg the third party met
Their principal point was that the soutt
} ern alliancemen Were Encouraging the
, western brethren to split off from th
republicans, but as for themselves the
remained good Democrats. To this
shrewd Kansan made this significant r.
ply: "Let the southern alianccmen ca
themselves Democrats, if they want to,
said he, ''its all Lhs same with US; the
have captured the Democratic party an
they are good ailiancemen still"
} 1t is a fact, which the southern peop
, do not seem to realize, that the ailiane
has practically reconstructed the Dam,
, cratic party in the south. The mass
who control the party give their first {.
legiance to the Ocala platform
! In the coming presidential campaig
: The spectacle will be presented
vast masses in the south and
the west, holding the same polite
faith, yet supporting parties whose pla
Q forms are radically different. Yet th
is not SO surprising when we rememb
that the race question dominates ever
thing in the south. But right he
t, | comes pertinent question: will th
g | issue COut1uue 10 OOIuiHd'c Nu0u Il
E negroes have transferred their votes
the peoples party? There are strot
: indication that they will do this.
J. For years it has been admitted tn
g the south would divide on econon
issues if the negro vote was not regala
ly given to the party which desires
oppress US with such measures as {
force bill What then, would happen
> the negro should give his vote to t
new party, which, however strange 81
9 revolutionary its platform, has the me'
II Of setting its face against sectionalis-
It may be suggested with reason tn
ra rtias do not slHavs Iva nm To thf