Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1894-08-09
BEN CLOVER
HAS HAD ENOUGH OF THE HUM
BUG REFORM" PARTY.

He Cannot Longer Support the Or
ganization Controlled By a Politi.
cal Dictator that Has Already
Abandoned all Of Its First Princi.
ples-A Terrible Arrangement from
the Ex.Populist Statesman.
Ex-Copgressman Ben II. Clover Of
Winfield is the latest Populist to re-
nounce his allegiance to the Populist
party and return to Republicanism as
the only existing patty that can
solve the questions which confront
us. He has given out the following
letter addressed
70 My Farmer alliance Friends:
In 1889 became dissatisfied with
the political conditions and existing
political parties. | believed that
reforms were necessary and that in
ordet to accomplish these reforms it
was necessary to have new political
party. | did everything | could 10
organize the farmers Alliance as an
industrial organization, and as plesi-
dent Of that organization in 1889 and
1890, and vice president Of the Ma
tional Farmers Alliance at the same
time, | worked industriously to
organize The great farming interests
of the west along industrial and politi-
cal lines. From this organization. as
is well known, sprang the Peoples
Party. became one Of It's most en-
thusiasic members and contended
for lis principles in private and public
life. As the
PRESIDENT OF THE STATE ALLIANCE
and organizer and manager Of .he
campaign of 1890, ! threw my whole
soul in the cause Of reform. ! had
great hopes for the party which we
had organized. It's opportuni les
were great and its prospects bright.
! expected then assistance from the
Democratic party in bringing about
the reforms which as u Populist,
was advocating especially on the
questions Of finance, but The action
OF the Democratic party since it came
into power has caused me to utterly
despair Of anything Of that kind. The
southern Democrats are advising us TO
stand firm as Populsts and to make a
glorious fight, but they continue TO
vote as Democrats and to be controll-
ed by the Democratic organization,
and still continue as the unwayering
ranks Of the Democratic party.
The question presents itself to The
minds Of thousands OF Kansas farm
ers, and have been II farmer all my
life, what is the best thing for us TO
do this yearP In order to determine
thls, we must llrst
CONSIDER THE CONDITIONS
that surround rs and the political
PARTIES as thpv now stand and ey.
anime into their methods and the
methods and policies OF their political
managers.
The Democratic party has no new
idea. ~ Is crying for free silver and
bowling down and kissing the feet OF
Grover Cleveland who represents and
Is the absolute servant OF the Wall
street gold bugs and the head OF the
gold monometalist idea in this
country The Democratic party is
afflicted with its same old inconsst-
encles. 1t is controlled by the same
old tyrannical methods and 1t never
has and never will become the
champion OF reform.
What is the condition Of the Popu-
list party, the party to which we have
adhered since IT was first organized
and which we helped makeP We find
today that it has
FALLEN INTO THE HANDS Or A DICTATOR
wbose nowor ia ohsolute. who !, tho
nracticc If corrunt and disrenutohle
nolitical methods hos ou,dono an othnr
rroliticol manorors that ha"n away.
rrisen in Kansas whose Sole motive IL
nlunJor md snoil md nolit;cal horor
lar himsolf rbo nartr w. wh;oh
thousands Of honest farmers in this
countrv hove contributed their monov
and tbeir time to orgoniye and hn;la
nm has now hecomo Pho NAV Of nolit;'
cal free'hootors A monrtbiy ', siinora
for camnoirn or nersonal n1rn v,I ~
oyaetnd WV thd oamhl;nrr " ddns on1
liouor dives n orr loroe citios If
has organized tbe motranolitsn no,ios
into ra,onno ooilootnra ,,la ,,;;. thaSo
disronntahls omd loo,hoao o 80, n inoos
md cpmnel thess dealers ' IN rIe ,s't Us
div;do tho nrnsts =, ,So;r ,,n Al aNI h,, W
mass ThIs is dons nn,y NV tbs ,o o"1
arc ~ our raform r ',o" :, w nv Tho
governor a, tbe sto,o and his no,itioal
J,.;anna y. ' a at"ss '"s n,' o''.'.''
to these noliticsl omd o N, Dr ir'aO'
Eyerv nnh,io inst;t",;o v haa no o,,' l,o
,srana, P"I'L La 'I ha "ss open .''