Mississippi leader. (Jackson, Miss.) 1892-1895, 1892-03-03
THE NEW PARTY.

The national conference OF labor or
carnations at st. Louis last week,
which eliminated in the PRONUNCIATION
of platform and the calling of ma
tional convention at Omaha, July 4th,
to nominate candidate for the Fresi-
dency i'm opposition to the old parties,
is an important event in the political
history of this country, much as old
party organs and professional poll
ticians may be disposed to sheer at and
pooh-pooh it as matter of small con
Germ
Making due allowance for the per
sonal ambition of some of the partlcl-
pants and the enthusiasm Of
others. the fact remains that it was
one of the most notable meetings the
world has ever seen. 1t seems to have
been inspired by the same spirit which
! animated the Fathers of the Revolu-
ton when they met in Independence
Hall in Philadelphia the 4th day OF
July, 1776, and adopted the immortal
Declaration of American Independence
written by jefferson, and to have been
laboring under much the same sense of
wrong and oppression which aroused
to resistance the fathers of '76. Some
of the speeches and the preamble to
the platform indicate that the partici-
pants feel that they are engaged in a
second struggle for American indie
pendence. and have a mission to per-
form no less imperative, and crisis to
meet. no less fraught with danger, than
the heroes of the Revolution.
The fact that the delegates of so many
great labor and industrial organiza-
tons, representing an aggregate mem
bership of 100000 voters. should come
together in fraternal spirit, and unan-
imously endorse what is known as the
Ocala platform, is a thing in itself
pregnant with great political signifi-
canoe, and especially so to old party
leaders who have been flattering them
selves with the delusion that the Sub
Treasury is dead and buried issue.
The demonstration of fraternity be-
tween the old soldiers of the two sec
| tions-the reunion of the Blue and the
| Gray also a most notable feature
of this conference. and buried in a
common grave the bloody shirt and the
sectional preiudices which have played
so large part in former presidential
campaigns.
In short. the LEADER does not believe
it is too much to say that the move
ment set on foot by the st. Louis con-
ference will play an important part in
changing the political map of the I'm
ion in the impending national cam
paign. 1t will not be surprising if the
Peoples Party carries some of the
Northwestern States and holds the
balance of power in few States of the
South, probably throwing the election
of the next President into the House
of Representatives The politicians
had as well understand, once for all,
that they can never again rally the
masses of the people in a number of
Southern States on race and sectional
issues, and the bloody shirt-thanks
to the Alliance-is equally dead in
most of the States of the North.
Neither are the people in any temper
to be deceived or misled about sO-called
tariff reform. They are beginning to
realize what is so we'll stated in the st.
Louis platform, that the old parties
propose to drown the outcries of a
plundered people with the uproar of a
sham battle over the tariff, that the
corporations, national banks, rings
trusts, watered stock, the demonetiza-
ton of silver and the oppression of
usurers may all be lost sight Of"
The LEADER believes the Conference
made grave blunder by not inc orpor-
ating Prohibition plank in it's plat
form. Gen. Weaver, Polk, Powderly
and Donnelly favored this, but, unfor-
| CuhdCcly. oIutl COuuSelS were dllOWtti
to prevail. 1t should have recognized
the fact that the saloon is the greatest
enemy of reform, and the chief founda-
ton of corruption In politics, and it
should have had the courage and bold
ness to demand its suppression. No
new party can hope to elect Presi-
dent in the present contest, but it is
worth great deal to start right and
pave the way to success hereafter
Had this been done, thousands upon
thousands of good and loyal men in
all the States who sympathize with the
efforts the laboring classes are making
for relief, would have been ready tC
make common cause with them. AS it is
they cannot but hesitate to cast theil
political fortunes with movement
that stands with the old parties on this
question, and fears to strike the mos
subtle and dangerous of all the enc
mics of reform-moral, political or fl
nancial.
-------------
The Leader positively will moi
be sent to subscribers Oh Il credit