People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1895-03-21


many a day. Relating to this question
the following resolutions were passed:
First-We recognize no authority in
this association or elsewhere to change
or modify the Omaha platform until
another national repr sentative con-
vention, elected by the people, shall as
semble.
Second-We recognize the fact that
any one of the questions embodied in
that platform may be forced to the
front by the logic of events at different
times and under different circumstan-
ces and thereby claim priority Of at
tention and whenever this occurs it is
our duty rs true Populists to meet the
issue like men.
Third-We recognize the further fact
that the policy Of the present admins
tration and the attitude of members
Of congress of both parties have brought
the money question in its various phas-
es forward in such manner as to make
it the most prominent issue of the hour,
and the Reform Press Association has
no desire or disposition to evade it.
Fourth-We recognize no disposition
of the members of this association to
drift away from the principles of the
Omaha platform, but on the other hand
there has ever been united adherence
to them, which is entitled to the highest
consideration.
Fifth-Manifestly our adversaries
would be immensely gratifed at any
want of harmony in our ranks, and we
do not propose to afford them this sat
isfaction. We are proud to announce
that no schism exists in our ranks. On
the contrary, our members are united,
active and aggressive. We are con-
strained to persevere In this policy be-
cause of the phenomenal growth of the
Peoples party, which pOlled 100000
votes in 1892 and over 1,5O0,0 900 in 1894
THAT were counted), which can be at
tributed to no other cause than that
of a plain, honest and unfinching adj
vocacy Of the Omaha platform in its
entirety.
The concensus of opinion was, that
the great body of our people were op-
posed to any change or modification Of
the Omaha platform, or the adoption of
any policy that could be construed into
an abandonment of any part of it. Not
a man lifted his voice in favor of a sin
gle-plank issue. The officers chosen,
both for the association and the Indus
trial Legion, were all straight middle
of-the-road Populists after the Omaha
platform pattern. While the members
Of the association, or most of them, re-
GREETED that any disposition existed to
practically abandon all of the Omaha
platform except part of the currency
plank, they carefully refrained from do
ing or saying anything that would be
calculated to create discord or make a
breach in the ranks of the party. In
this they exercised not only great wis
dom but true patriotism.
1t is enough for the people to know
that the Reform Press of the United
States stands squarely upon the deck
of the Ship of State, with the unmodi-
fed chart given by the people assem-
bled at Omaha in 1892 before them, and
that we intend to sail the vessel accord
ing to that chart until another one is
given in national convention, and most
especially not to be lured off by our
enemies who stand upon breakers. with
no craft of their own to offer us for
safety or relief, and who would desert
us the moment we ever proposed to re-
turn to the Peoples platform.
1t is unfortunate that the Reform
Press has been charged with disloyalty
with drifting toward extreme social
ism. While it is wholly unnecessary
to deny the truth Of the charge, it is
proper to refer to it as being made for
the purpose of justifying certain par
ties who, either through mistake or
corrupt motives, seek to so change the
past policy of the Peoples party that
1t may be construed into an abandon
ment of the greater part of the princi-
pies embodies in the Omaha platform.
We do not charge corruption-it was
not charged at the Kansas City meet
ing, but the concensus of opinion was
that some of our leaders had been over
matched by the willy politicians at
Washington and that the headquarters
ought to be removed from that rotten
and corrupt city. Be that as 1t may,
the slogan has gone forth. There is to
be no abandonment Of the Omaha plat
form. The Reform Press brought the
currency question to the front, and it
will not abandon it now. This is the
line upon which the Peoples party has
won its most brilliant victories. This is
the line which the logic of events points
out as the true one. But while it is do
ing this it does not propose to haul
down its flag from the transportation
and land issues to please the silver men
or anybody else who are either too pref
udiced Of too blind to see that the log
ic of events is rapidly crowding these
questions to the front, with almost as