The Russellville Democrat., 1892-03-31

best known to themselves Only
one Of them that we know of, the
Voice, published at Batesville, has
the courage to published the plat
form as it passed, refusing to elimi-
nate the Objectionable plank because
of its unpopularity. The Voice
takes it's medicine straight, other
organs dilute theirs with deception
and misrepresentation
In support Of the claim that the
military plank was made part Of
the platform, we quote a paragraph
from a letter in Sundays Gazette
from d. +. Barker, on this subject.
Mr. Barker was delegate to the
st. Louis convention, was present
when the platform was adopted, and
voted against it. He is prom
inent Alliance man, and prospec-
tive candidate for governor on the
Peoples party ticket. His testi-
mony will hardly be questioned.
He says:
1T is said that the military plank
was used as part Of the platform
By mistake; if so, il was not strick-
en- out by amendment. but allowed
to remain and was adopted in the
body of the platform. Some thirty
minutes afterwards the same plank
was adopted as resolution by about
the same vote, which again express
ed the sentiments of the convention
on this subject.
Discussing the platform further
he says:
Many of the planks in the plat
form | fully endorse, but some of
them were very Objectionable to me.
| did not think it wise or Just to
call upon the Government to own
and operate the railroads. without
first Through the medium of legis-
lationl exhausting every effort to
have the scales of justice equally
poised between the people on one
side and the railroad on the other.
The 0cala demands are right on
this subject
The part Of the platform that was
most Objectionable to me, is what |
term the military plank, viz; I'VE
demand that the Government issue
legal tender notes. and pay the I'm
ion soldier the difference between the
price of the deprecated money in
which be was paid in gold
Should the government attempt to
carry into effect the above plank. it
appears to me that it would be one
of the most fruitful sources of fraud
and strife that was ever placed upon
her statutes. In order to make the
soldier effective and enable him to
successfully fight the battles of his
country, it was necessary for the
Government to fully arm and equip
him for the fray, furnish quarter
master, commissary and ordnance
stores, in fact equipments and sup
plies for both land and naval forces.
Those of our citizens who furnished
the Government the supplies that
she needed for her soldiers, of what
ever character, received the same
kind of hay that the soldier receiy-
ed, and at the same discount, and
would be as much entitled to have
the discount made to them as the
old soldier.
In fact, it would be difficult
should the Government make an
effort in this direction) to tell where
justice and equity would end, or
fraud and strife would begin.
Those who wore the blue and the
gray in the late unpleasantness,
have shaken hands over the bloody
chasm, and the bitter partisan
would eagerly seize upon this plank
to renew sectional strife, and excite
and inflame old wounds that have
healed.
have never been in sympathy
with and have always honored and
respected the rights of the farmer
and laboring men, have labored to
educate, elevate and place him on a
higher plane of intelligence, and
have tried to guard his rights as a
citizen by advocating and assisting
in placing wholesome laws upon our
statutes, but could not knowingly
Gas his representative. as l saw IL
there and see it now vote to place
the poisoned chalice to his lips.