The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1895-08-30
LEGION lRPElI TOR HELP.
Must Have Money to Garry on the Work Of
the Order.
Only Little Is Required Of Each. but the
Whole VIII Make Force Against Which
Opprsssioa Cannot Stand Tho Com
msnder's Cal! to Patriots.
LEGION Circular. No. 81


out three things-money. organization
and votes. Without a compact, systemat-
ic organization we cannot get the mon
ey or votes. The national and nearly all
other committees, the people and the
reform press have Endorsed the legion.
It is today the strongest political organ
ization on the continent, in any party,
and since the Kansas City convention
has doubled in membership Even the
enemy concede the legion to be the best
plan Of political work ever thought Of,
and they use every way in their power
to prevent its increase. You can organ
ize the legion easier than any other Or
der in any state in the Union. 1t is the
simplest and cheapest Of any order in
the world and even provides that those
who are too poor need not pay dues OF
charter fees. 1t has been the safety and
sheet anchor Of the Peoples Party. And
when an attempt was made to disband
and destroy it it was the legion men,
bers and reform press that composed
largely the solid phalanx that stirred up
the people to stand by the Omaha plat
form. The people have always preferred
it, and have sent to this Office for thou
sands Of constitutions, and would have
long ago organized themselves if they
had not been told to wait by some dear
brother who was trying to resureGt the
dead.
Another obstacle and one that should
cease is that many Of the leaders in 9TH
er orders stay out until we try to revive
our own, and it is their influence that
has brought as to the threshold Of 1896
without the perfect organization de-
manded. Without it we cannot raise
money or secure the votes needed. George
W. Howard says i'll his book heralding
the industrial union that after so many
years of effort only about $500, 600 HAYS
been enlisted in the labor orders, and
that these cost $6,875, 600 annually"
They do not stand by each other IN
strikes, b0ycotts or vote together, and
are today tho backbone Of both the old
parties and do not give us one-tenth Of
their votes. If the wageworkers would
vote with us, we could win. 1t is their
own fault that they are enslaved and
oppressed. They have stood idly by and
voted old party tickets while horde Of
scum have been shipped hero to take
their places and scarcely made pro-
test, and simply repeat what the mem
bers Of these orders say when I declare
that they are no possible use to our par
ty and draw al amount of money from
the people that makes it impossible to
get any for political work.
am going to speak for myself, the
bankrupt committees and the men who
have carried tho burden of the party
and have earned the right to speak
plainly ON this question, and after Ia
boring three years without salary, Civ
ing my time and that Of my family, and
paying over $500 to start the legion, I
have a right to protest when see men
who claim they have been i'll our party
years trying to retard Or destroy what
we have labored so hard to build up
We can never win this fight if we do
not drop all plans that take our time
and money and combine all our efforts
in one compact body organized to win
by tho ballot or defend ourselves if the
wicked enemy seek to destroy US with
bullets. We should not paronize or pay
q dollar to any one seeking to destroy
this nation and enslaye its people. Ev
cry one comedies that the legion is just
the plan needed.
"a legion on every beat will save Ala
bama " is the watchword in that state
and should be the rallying cry all over
the Union. It will insure an honest
count and win the votes demanded.
Thousands are alive to every emer-
gency, but the people have paid so
much to other orders that they have no
money for politics. Many Of our mem
bers are even too poor to pay the 10
cents entrance fee and 10 cents. annual
dues of the legion, and half the char
ters come to me without money to pay
postage, and though the legion is grow
ing faster than any order the people ever
had it will not pay clerk hire Or salary,
and we work for nothing and board our
selves and write day and night and
work like galley slaves. We need now
money for Kentucky and Mississippi,
and our people in Iowa have nobly
maintained the integrity Of the party
and should be helped, and yet cannot
raise $500 to pay printing bill that
wGs promised at Kansas City, that
should be Paid if I would go on with
this work. a few patriotic souls have
sent some money, but there are thou
sands in our party who could pay the
whole bill and not feel it, and I,000,
600 who could pay 81 for the legion
and Peoples Party certificate of mem
berShip. One million men who swear
by the Omaha platform, and would die
in It's defense, and cannot raise 81 to
save the nation and bring happiness to
unborn millionsl Our fight is the last
hope Of liberty On earth, and if We
would win we must organize and raise
money. YOl srarYe your committees
and your workers and annually donate
70 old party papers and other expenses
enough to do the grand work before MS.
Our postage is now nearly 50 per day,
and I have often 200 letters and char
tiers without stamps to send them. The
certificate plan is cur only hope Of rails
ing money for 1895. Let every member
Of the party take one Try self denial
Do without something until you save a
dollar. Get five to take one each and
get one free. The premiums sent with
the early orders are worth the money.
II the committees would canvass for this
certificate on commission, we could raise
money for every state We need 50, coo
IN 1886 FOR each state we have any hope
Of. and we viii not have a dollar If you
don't work this plan. Hilton Parks. the