Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1894-09-10
THAT pOPULISTIC CALL.
STILL FoMENrING WRATH IN THE
DEMOCRATIC UNION RANKS.
MIR. DwIggins Explains It-Mr. Eyi"r
l. plain In stating that He signed
u as an Individunii His Strange
Democracy. l-.-.

The Democratic element OF organ
lied labor here is still In red hot dis
cussion over the Populistic labor call
to assemble I'm mass meeting in this
city on September "a.
They are denounclng 1t as calculated
to disrupt labor organization by en-
gendering political strife in the or
ganization and defeating the very end
OF its creation--the maintenance OF
Just scale Of wages by cooperation
and harmony.
b. f. pwiggins OF the solar system
OF Alliance influence here, had his say
ON this kick yesterday.
"why are the fellows hcklng? said
he
"why do they want to muzzle the
labor vote on political issues2
why should we sturdy yeomanry.
who make the world live. take no part
In political measures and their govern
ment?"
AS / understand II" suggested the
reporter their kick Is not that la
Dor should take no dish in politics, but
that II should not do SO as an organized
body, but individually"
"Why?' asked Mr.. pwiggins. inter-
viewing the interviewer
Because they say that In their
ranks as union men are to be found
Democrats, Republicans and Populists,
and IL once. as an organization, they
attempted united political action, the
machine will fly q pieces ON account
of family strife
"Ah. but that Is partisan politics
Il.
thing. 1t may be that In our mass
meeting on the cath, the majority might
vote IN MIR. Culberson and the Demo-
cratic ticket or Judge Nugent and the
Populist ticket. They are partisan, and
we simply want non-partisan gather
ing and have the labor boys pronounce
on the issues and their candidates. I'M
ions were not intended to muzzle the
labor vote. The man that produces Is
the deepest concerned with legislation.
NOW, why IS It that the boiler
makers are not kicking about this
call. eh?" propuunded Mr.. Dwiggns
renectively. "Why is IT." he asked,
turning to the reporter.
because they are Populists. Mr.,
O'Keefe is boiler maker and ON the
POpulist ticket"
"Ah. that's it-that's 1t, exactly. Re
cause they are Populists. Now. would
these fellows kick IL they were Popu-
lists?
Another question. MIR. kirkpatrick.
one of their most aggressive kclSers,
says the Democrats I'M the labor ranks
are In the vast majority. That being
the case why ON earth should they
object to mass meeting of labor peo-
pie. Their majority will loom up. Do you
suppose they would Kick as vigorously
II the call had been issued by Demo-
cratic labor peoplc?"
have to- suggested the reporter "As
you saw In the published interviews on
the subject, they are not opposing a
political mass meeting of labor people.
but of labor people in their union or
organized capacity"
You are not n union man. | sup
poseg"
:, No. I belong to the Farmers Al
lance, though. ! am an Alliance lee
turer, | was once a Democrat My
detection from the ranks was when
j ran on an Independent Democratic
ticket for sheriff against Ben Ship
In 1856 I polled 1850 votes to Ships
alO2, In 1892 | was against Clark. and.
as against him, In favor OF either Nu-
gent or Hogg."
AS l understand It. the Alliance has
not In Its constitution provision
against entering politics as body?"
NO, But We vote for men and meas
ures' We are not partisan. And that's
all we want OF the union labor people"
The call undoubtedly bears the an
proNal OF some union men of influence
despite the fact that 1t has awaken
ed such protest from others. II is
easy to foresee war in the union ranks
as II consequence. The call is in the
nature OF radical innovation. ali
statements to the contrary notwlth-
standing.