The advocate., 1892-04-13
THE FUSION IN KANSAs-WILL THE
PEOPLES PARTY COMMIT sUICIDE2

write what may seem TO be advice TO the
Peoples party Of Kansas, the fact that
the writer, a third party adherent for
fifteen years, has seen all the evil effects
Of such policy in Michigan, on the once
vigorous and powerful national Green
back party, is assumed TO be sufficient.
A policy which crept In with all the In
sidiousness and craftiness the cunning
political manipulation Is capable Uf bring
Ing to his aid; which, by promises Of a
few offices to the leaders, and by appear
Ing to adopt In sincerity some Of the
principles Of the party, our enemies
triumphed, 80 that an organization Of
over $4,000 voters was completely dIsor-
gsnized and destroyed.
In 1878 the national Greenback party
polled 1888 votes in this state. In the
spring of 1879, occurred the frat "fu-
sion" with the Democrats on supreme
court judge and regents OF the uDiver-
sity. We know nothing Of what our vote
was, but we do know that unholy slli-
snce was beaten by the Republicans. In
spite of this disastrous policy, in 1880,
under the leadership Of that champion
Of our principles, Gen. James B. Weaver,
the party by the greatest efforts, with
internal dIssenslons and quarrels among
Its leaders, caused by this foolish course,
managed to count 34,S95 votes, or some
thousands of votes less than halt, polled
two years previous.
In 1882 another "fuslon" Yves entered
into with the Democrats, by which for
the first time, one officer was elected,
Josiah w. Begole, for governor, due
more to the unpopularlty Of his oppo-
nent than to any other cause. The Re-
pubIicans elected the balance Of the
ticket by good majorities. 1t Is not nec-
esSary, for my purpose, to go into fur
ther details In the history Of the fusion
policy in Michigan, to make it warn
Ing to those who may now think Of per
suing a like course in Kansas, or In other
states. Let me simply add, that, by ap-
polntment, most Of our leaders were
given offices by the governor, and In the
year 1884, following Gen. Buffers suicidal
advice, we fused on presidential electors
with the Democrats, which completely
destroyed our party. Hardly anything
like an organization was kept up. Con-
Ventions were held, but composed al
most entirely of appointed office holders
and their friends. Fusion after fusion
was had, till the people began to see that
the whole thing was simply scramble
Of q few selfish politicians to get fat
offices, without In the least advancing
the great principles Of the party. Every
prominent man, formerly In that party,
went into the Democratic or Republican
party; the last chairman Of the state CEN
tral committee still holds good Office,
which he got through fusion, but his ac-
tivity for the principles Of the party has
entirely ceased. The masses ofthe voters
who composed the Greenback party, like
those Of the Peoples party, were reform
srS-such from honest conviction. They
did not look upon Office as the great aim
Of the movement, but something far
higher; the getting Of Office as the incl
dent only, the success Of the great re-
forms set forth in its platforms, the OBJ
jsct; so, when they saw the treachery Of
their leaders, that their only object