People's party paper. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1891-1898, 1895-12-27
ALIENS CALL.
Open Letter to the Chairman
AID Members of the POpuliS
NJ t.onal Committee.

NJ t.onal Committee.
If all the men of the country who
are opposed to the Cleveland and
Republican policy on the money
question would get together they
could carry the election for Presi-
dent in 1896, and l firmly believe
that it is within the power OF the
leaders of the Populist party to bring
about this united action without CIV
ing up single one Of the great prin-
ci5ies of the party. No new party
can ever succeed to power, to bless
mankind that has not the spirit OF
sacrifice, tolerance and compromise.
This belief in the aphorism, that
truth will prevail whether-or-no, or
that If crushed to earth will rise
again, has misled and destroyed the
influence of many great men and par
ties. Truth in the hands of zealo!s,
bigotry and incompetence, has been
crushed to earth and buried for
twenty centuries.
The opposition to the two old par
ties hold the winning cards If they
know how to play them, but it is a
ten-ace- hand that will neither per-
nit the player to fnesae with, nor to
lead out from, but if the hand is led
up to, we can take the odd trick and
win the game.
The Republican Party, now flush
ed with victory, has no fears of de-
feat in the coming race for Presi-
dent, and will, as usual with that par
ty, call an early national convention !;
and the disintegration now going on
in the Democratic Party will force
this parry also into an early national
convention. The opposition, there
fore, has nothing to apprehend in
this talk of late conventions of the
two old parties to Illustrate and
thwart the will Of the people; they
will lead up to our hand.
l wish now to draw attention to,
and to discuss briefly, the two-third
rule thaG obtains in the Democratic
Party, and which has governed the
action of every national Democratic
convention since 1874. Under this
rule it takes two. third vote of all
the accredited delegates to the con-
vention to nominate candidates or
adopt platform. This party, there
fore, when it meets in National con-
vention next year, divided as it is
now on the silver question as it was
on the slavery question in 1860, can
neither nominate candidates nor
adopt platform, but like the
Charleston convention, must inevita
bly, 60 to pieces.
But suppose the Cleveland senti
ment should prevail with small
majority in the convention, as most
likely will be the case, and should
proceed to repeal or refuse to adopt
this time. honored rule and law of
the party; then every brave and
patriotic anti Cleveland delegate
would walk out OF the convention.
What would the Cleveland men do
then2 Would they nominate candi-
dates? No. They would go DO ly
and soul to the Republican party.
But on the other hand, suppose the
Cleveland men should conclude that
it would be best to nomins alto candi.
dates for President and Vice.Presi-
dem, then those candidates would be
derided as the candidates Of 81 Iunp
and bob-ta;l convention, and left
without the hope Of carrying single
State in the Union. And in either
event the effect of all this would be
to compass the ruiu of the De no.
cratic party.
In view of the foresbadowing re-
suits, it should be the policy of the
Peoples party to await events. No
action should be taken likely to ex-
cite prejudice, or that would seem
unfair to the silver sentiment in the
old parties, and when the proper
time for action shall come, then let
patriotic call go out inviting every
friend Of good government to take
his place with US on the ground floor
of reform, with equal rights and
privileges, and with equal hopes for
the future. am p 1pulist.
WALTER N. ALLEN.
Meridep, X sna,