The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1895-04-24

OF armed men, like Russia, to keep down
the starving poor Our government; as
Lord Macaulay said, lis all sail and no
anchor" Nothing but the repeal of un-
Just DEGREES and the enactment of just ones
Will save us. No nation that ever existed
since the world was created ever needed
statesmen and patriots more than this ma
ton does at the present time.
But my sermon is getting too long. The
subject is too. vast for one sermon, or
dozen. The reader must read between the
lines and make his own deductions.
SETH BOTTOMLEY.
Department Lecturer of State Farmers
Alliance, Minnesota.
STAND BY THE OMAHA PLATFORM.
Reasons Why We should Not Go on
After the One-Plank Silver Party.
To the Editor.
There seems to be considerable excitement
among the papers and politicians over the
advent of the new silver party. And 1 no.
tice that even some of the Populist papers
are favorably impressed with the one
plank platform 1 think that, instead OF
gaining anything by changing from the
Populist party to the Silver party. we
would lose all that has been gained by the
Populist party during the last four years.
Admitting, for the sake of argument, that
the Silver party, or one plank party is the
only party that can successfully solve the
money question, they would have to or
ganize and build the party and educate
the people on the money question, as the
platform teaches; for they cannot certainly
derive any benefit from the agitation OF
that question by the Populists, for the
that the rtxy TO
plank party, but considers the government
ownership of railroads and the national
banking system as questions of equal i'm
portance. The Republican and Democratic
politicians have accused the Popuists
heretofore, as a mass of "sore heads
and disgruntled old party "office seekers
This was before the last election; but they
changed their tune after election when they
saw what a gain in votes the Populists
made over the old parties. Let us not
prove the truth of their accusations by
flocking after this new party which seems
to be only a party, so far at least, COM
posed of a few men who formerly were
Populists, who grew bigger than the party,
and several Democrats and Republicans.
The Democrats, such as Bryan, of Me-
braska, and Hpnun, of Missouri, men pos
sesssing Hobbies and considering them
selves too important to affiliate with the
Popullsts In any way, shape or manner,
except in so farl as to benefit themselves or
their friends, Expect Populists to come
over to them, although, to say the least, it
would be inconsistent and foolish for us to
follow the lead of such men, however
smart they may DE. 1t has been fully
demonstrated, ito THE satisfaction of every
one, 1 think, that ithe Populist party has
in it's ranks men who for intellectual abil-
fty can compare with anything pro-
duced by either ofHhe old parties, and so
far as integrity and moral worth is con-
cerned, they are far superior to the major
ity ofsthe Republico-Democrati statesmen
and equal to the hest of them as COM
parison of their records in the last two
sessions of congress will show very plainly.
AS for those POpulists, or rather former
Populists, who are advocating the one
plank-platform, let them go; they were get
ting too big for the Omaha platform-a
platform Of several planks, all broad ones.
too, which it seems they could not stand
upon; so they are trying to stand upon a
one-plank- platform. Admitting that they
are as large and important they consid-
er themselves to be, they and the one
plank-p torn reminds one of the picture
of the elephant trying to stand on top of
bottle, and in the attempt he tumbles over
Such will be the fate of their leaders. They
will fall from the position to which they
were elevated by their Populist constitu-
ents down to the level of a very retired
private life.
1t was the Populist party that brought
the silver question before the public as 1T
stands today; it the Popuqist party
| that educated the masses as they are nov
educated on that point; and forced the two
old parties to recognize the clamOrs of the
people, enough to stop for while, at
least, the issuing of bonds. If the old
parties did not recognize our power, and
~ ha Such
thing as Silver party today, for it is
quite plain to be seen by any one who
reads the old party papers and the Populist
papers that this one-plank party is a deep
| laid scheme to divide the people for little
while longer, or until after &c. SO as to
| reinstate- the Republican party in the same
4 position it occupied previous to Grover
| Cleveland's election; and then the people
may unite divide or do as they like
| politically, for they will be shorn of their
| remedy left them is the gun and loaded
| one at that and that method, even if sue
| cessful, is usually very costly one. ..
1t is claimed by some POpulists that there
! are certain planks that ought to be taken
out of the Omaha platform in order to get
/ the Republicans and Democrats into our
ranks. If we dissect and patch up our
| platform to suit every old party TON,
| Dick and Harry" would make both 1t
| and ourselves public laughing stock to
1
| as well go back to the old parties then and
! be done with it. If we Populists find a
leader who has grown bigger than the
party, let us kick him out in no uncertain
| manner either but in way that he will
/ understand as meaning GET. in big capital
| letters. For the like of this has had con-
| siderable to do with the corruption of the
| old parties, and If we wish to avoid their
! fate, let us watch for big leaders. If we
| do not stand by our colors we cannot con-
sistently expect outsiders to join our ranks
So. brother Pepulists. let us stand by the
| Omaha platform until we have given it a
| fair trial, and, UNTIL then let us sacrifice
our hobbies, SUCH. as single taxsm. social
ism and every ,othelEa ism and so, with
long pull, a strong Pull and pull all to-
gether."' we Will get our rights and not UNI
til then. Here's, hoping the Populists will
be successful in 's6. u
e A: J. McPHEE.
| Custer Big Stone County, Mimi
THE PRICE OF WHEAT IN ENGLAND
Mr.. Burdick Replies to Mr.. BOttomley
| To the EditOr:gJf "a.