The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1892-07-02
THE 1NDEPFNDENr PARTY
A Disinterested Observer at Red
field Opines that IT'S Alive Yet.

know just now much this peoples party
movement amounts to in South Dakota.
One is able to judge good deal from
their state convention, which has just
closed here. Having beeu on the ground
from the opening to the end, and having
watched all its proceedings most care
fully, the writer is enabled to give an
unprejudiced and impartial view of just
how much it amounts to and what sort
of figure tis likely TO cut at the com
ing election,
In the first place it may be put down
that the peoples party is quite as strong
as it ever was-if not stronger. This
much could be learned quite positively
from watching the convention. A great
deal can always be gained as to the
ability of aparty by seeing its represen-
tatives together in convention.
You can hear at almost any time and
any place members Of the old parties
claim that the Independent party is not
as strong as it was two years ago, Sut
disinterested parties would like to know
what the facts show,
At this Red6eld convention every
county was represented by delegates ex-
cept Hutchinson and Stanley and in
these two counties there is something of
an independent organization. Over
500 delegates were actually present,
many Of the counties sending their full
quota. delegate from Sully county
told how things were with them. Two
years ago they held small convention
and in order to be represented at the
state convention they clubbed together
and furnished money enough to send one
Of their members. This year there were
more candidates to 90 than could go and
each one paid his own expenses. DR.. A.
l.. Peterman, of Parker. who has been
elected chairman of their new state COM
mittee, two years ago represented his
county in the state senate as Republic
can. Here is gain Of at least one
member for the new party, although it
is SO young, there are factions, as there
in every party, and they were all repre-
sented ut this convention and they
| fought each other just as hard as they
do in other parties, but there was moth
ing in the "scraDping" among them
selves that would indicate that the party
was about to go to pieces, but on the
contrary there is a peculiarly favorable
thing about it not usually found. This
peoples party does things little differ
emily from what the old parties do.
There is no bashfulness among its men,
bers about being candidates for office; in
fact there seems to be more than the
usual desire for the lOaves and fishes,
and the number of candidates for almost
every Office is something enormous.
Nearly every delegate to the convention
would have liked to have had one of the
offices Of the convention. The desire in
this respect among the rank aud file can
ouly be guessed at, but if it is commen-
surate about every member of the party
is a candidate for office. But, mirabile
dictu, the cardinal principle of the
party is that it is principles they are
fighting for and not men. So when
they nominate officers all submit most
gracefully and work just as hard as
though they were the lucky ones.
| The convention of these men who be-
lieve that the time is nearly ripe for a
new party was a revelation in many
/ respects. They act much as one would
suppose the founders of the Republican
party some thirty years ago to have acted.
1t is impossible to imagine how men
could be more enthusiastic in any cause.
Many Of them are men who did take part
in the birth Of the Republican party.
They argue the question in this way:
For thirty years The people agitated the
question of chattel slavery. They found
it impossible to accomplish anything in
the old party organizations, so they
foun ded a new one, and within short
time had accomplished all that years had
failed to do before. They say that thirty
years has again elapsed and the great
| ASouC Aiu" 10 I'LL dlC SlOWlHS llSItcl
and the poor poorer and it is only a gues-
tion Of time, unless there is a change
when the condition of yassalage in this
country will be something woefGl; that
it is so bad now as 10 deserve the atten-
tion of all thinking men. They have
found it hopeless to attempt to secure
the reforms demanded in what they call
their Ocala and St. Louis platforms in
the old parties so they propose to organ
ize new party that all who favor them
can unite upon without prejudice.
One of the points of their organization
that appeals most strongly to sensible
men is their constant claim that the wal
is over. They propose that they have
the only means for breaking up the
solid south and the solid north and max
ing it really united country. For i'll
stance the following dispatch was sent
to seven different state conventions con-
temp0raueously in session: "Seven hun.
dred delegates. including $50 old soldiers
send greeting. The war is over. Will
meet in the middle of the road" In ans.
wer to it Georgia returned the following
Georgia returns greeting. Special
election in Glascock county, this state
yesterday. Peoples party cleaned them
up JUST two to one." Then the conyen.
tion went wild. A delegate by the name
of Miner, Of Deuel. county, got on his
feet and stated that "at last the solid
south was broken. The Republicans had
tried 1t for twenty-five years and failed
Then another party yelled out, "Dnm0
cratic Aid Society,"" These Independent.
are fond Of calling the other two parties
the "Siamese Twins" In fact one OF
the resolutions passed by the conven
tion was a vote Of thanks to the two old
parties that they had nominated the
Siamese twins again. The sentiment
that the blue and the gray would meet a,
Omaha was one Of the most pleasing t
them. Most emphatically Is the wal
nynr and mora foo xr,i+h }yo ~,