Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1892-08-18
AN OPEN LETTER.
Judge Martin Shows That Fusion
With the Peoples Party
is PATRIOTIC AND DEMOCRATIC
An Invincibie Argument. Which, in Scope
and Effect, is Fully in Line With the
Best Thought of the Found
ers OF Our Republic.
[From the kansas Democrat.

From the Kansas Democrat
The following letter from Judge
John Martin to a republican friend
name withheld from publication-who
chided the judge because of the posi-
ton taken by him in favor of indorsing
the populist ticket at the democratic
state convention in Topeka, July 6,
1892, will be read with interest by every
voter in Kansas, be he democrat, popu-
list or republican:
TOPEKA, July 3d. 1892
MY DEAR SIR-Your interesting letter of the
S9th inst came to hand in due time. have
read the same with care and interest and would
heve replied TO 1t sooner. but for business en-
gagements and other important matters requir
ing immediate attention.
In your letter you say:
Il do not find any very good reasons given by
you for turning the democratic party over to
the calamity howlers"
In NV former letter I did not attempt to give
any reason or justification for your imaginary
fact. The assumption your part SO
puerile and foreign TO the fact, that it required
neither explanation nor refutation- However.
will now answer your proposition by saying:
First-You are a republican and probably
follow the fortunes of your party, without ref
erence TO the question of its principles want
of principle, and hence it would be impossible in
the nature of things, for any one TO give reason
ln1J WOuIO De satisfactory 10 you 1Or any ac-
ton that would antagOn1Ze the interest OF the
political organization of which you mem
Der. do not make this declaration in any Of
fenSive sense but recognize the fact that you
are but part of common humanity, and your
method of weighing reason respecting matters
that you unfdvoraby regard is largely con-
trolled by the consideration Of how such mat
tiers may affect the political interests of your
party, whether adversely or otherwise.
Second-The democratic party has not been
h0sr
other organization, nor will it be. This cry
that we see in republican newspapers, and so
frequently repeated by cross roads politicians,
about turning the democratic party over to ca
lamity howlerS, etc, is very transparent and
cheap piece of demagogy. and wholly beneath
the candid consideration OF an intelligent man,
governed by purpose to regard political affairs
in the light of justice and fairness These
catchpenny phrases, as a matter of course,
neither mislead nor deceive men of intelligence
and fairness; and,
Third-Permit me to say in all kindness that
you using the words calamity howlers
against very large class. if not majority of
your fellow citizens, in u very offensive and I'M
truthful sense. Such small calber may do for
bigoted partisans with whom the force of
gument would be as futile casting pearls be-
fore swine, but it is wholly unworthy of the
manhood, intelligence and good citizenship of a
man like yourself.
The Calamity Howlers."
n These calamity hOwlerS, to whom you re-
fer, are the farmers laborers and the general
workmen of the country, who live by severe
and cons tant toll, whose lines in life are cast in
hard places and who forced to struggle
under adverse circumstances to maintain them
selves and their families in comfort and re-
speciality. They are not, it is true, as a rule
men of the widest reading in the fields of polite
literature. but they are sonnet thing better than
this They plain, honest, unassuming peo-
pie. They honest in their convictions and
purposes: conscientious in their views, and, as
rule, in The proprieties of life morally and
socially. they are incomparably superior to
those who move in the more favored and splen-
did conditions of life. They are the men who
toll under the burning suns of summer and en-
edure the hardShipS and perilS of winter for
the purpose of raising the products and COM
modities that you and L and other non-pro-
ducerS have no lot or part in contributing to
the world rs mass of wealth. Neither you nor L,
nor any oster professional man, nor any trader
speculatoF or money changer, unless under eX-
ceptional circumstances, ever did q days work
or performed an hours labor that contributed
to the actual wealth OF the world Lawyers,
bankers capitalists; spectators and these
classes of our citizens are in a sense drones in
the great hive of human industry We are the
consumers of the products of other people s
labors. and the gatherers of the fruits of other
peoples toll. Hence. it comes with a very i'll
grace from any member of these classes what
ever his political relations may be. to con-
temptuousiy and extensively speak OF this great
productive class of our fellow citizens as
calamity bowlers.''
IN thus speaking of consumers and non-pro-
ducers do not intend it in anv offensive sense,
nor DO propose 70 underestimate their value
as members of society. The producer and con
sumner are necessary to the well being of each
other, and in these relations they are excellent
supplements each to the other. In order to
make the product useful and valuable to the
producer, there must be a consumer, but the
consumer should not arrogantly assume q
position and claim of superiority because of the
fact that he is consumer instead of pro
ducer. Modesty and humility better become
his position than arrogance and insolence
speak TO you in this frank manner because
my knowledge and appreciation of your char
acter warrants me in believing that you have
unwittingly fallen into this habit of contemp
tuously speaking of this great body of YOU
fellow-citizens, and that you do not really meal
to reflect upon the intelligence. integrity anC
moral worth of the people whom you Cal
calamity howlerS.''
Political Methods Discussed.
Further on in your letter you say:
while you and have always differed polit