Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1895-07-10

THE FIRST FRUITS.
IOWA POPULISTS REAFFIRM
OMAHA PLATFORM.
They Dou't Want Any More Fusion.
And a One-Issue Platform Is Too
Marrow for Them to Stand Upon
The Currency Question.

the pace 1t sets for other States to fol-
low, as we'll as the light it throws on
some matters that have been pretty
widely discussed in reform papers re-
Gently. 1t has been charged that Gen.
eral Weaver, Chairman Taubeneck
and few others, were working to the
end of having the Peoples party drop
every other issue except that OF free
silver. and form fusion or union OF
forces with all who favored free silver,
regardless of party. Mr.. Weaver and
which existed in the Peoples party
against fusion, would not call 1t by
that name, but insisted rather on call
ing it 'Huddle and fight" They OBJ
Jected, also, to the charge that the
fight was to be made on the single is
sue of silver, but insisted that it was
to cover the whole financial grounds.
The evidence developed by the Iowa
Convention had a tendency to show
that there was some kind Of dicker
In that State by which fusion on the
silver issue was to be consummated.
The Leader, Democratic paper, pub
lished in Des Moines, says: Some OF
the most influential leaders of the
Populist party. who had been encour-
aged by the apparent growth of the
silver sentiment among Democrats and
Republicans, had devised a plan of
campaign which involved two princi-
pal points and upon which it has hoped
to carry the State: First, an express
sion from the Populist Convention that
as it considered the silver question the
leading one before the people and the
particular reform which should be at
tempted, the Populists of the State
were willing to combine with any party
in Iowa which would also declare for
the free coinage of silver at 16 to 1:
second, that the nominee of the con-
vention should be free-silver Demo-
crat, whose nomination the Democrats
of Iowa, at Marshalltown, with some
show of consistency, could indorse.
The candidate who was selected for
this double candidacy was no less
person than ex-Congressman White.
This plan was laid before leading sill
yer Democrats and had their indorse-
ment They were to work to capture the
Democratic Convention, while General
Weaver and his friends attended to
the Populist Convention. The details
of this conspiracy, If such it may be
called, have never heretofore been pub
lished, but that it existed those con-
cerned will hardly care to deny"
In our opinion, it was we'll that
General Weaver and his friends" were
not able to attend" to the Populist
Convention. General Weaver has been
leader of the reform movement in
Iowa, that we know of, since 1878. The
policy unusually pursued there has
been to fuse. While some one would
occasionally succeed in being elected
to office, the growth of the movement
has been so retarded that Iowa is be-
hind every other State that forms her
border. AS General Weaver has been
the leader, 1t shows that there is some
thing defective, either in the policy or
the leader. We do not doubt General
Weaver's honesty and patriotism. We
concede his ability as a speaker and
campaigner. But as politician he is
a dead failure. 1t is pity to humiliate
such valiant soldier as the General.
But since he insisted upon doing some
thing he was not qualified to do, and
pursuing a policy that is condemned
by nine-tenths of the voters in the Peo-
Piles party, it is well that he met de-
feat in his own State. The Populists
in Iowa, declare to the world by their
action, that they have had enough OF
| fusion, and political dickering. Gen
eral Weaver and his friends ought to
see by this time that to further insist
on Populists voting anything but a
straight Populist ticket, on the prin-
| ciples laid down in the Omaha plat
! form. is to create confusion and dis
sension in the ranks of the party, as
we'll as lose the respect of the millions
of voters who are looking around for &
party that has brave leaders, and the
courage of his convictions. 1t is useles:
to still further try to disguise the fac
that the basis of this proposed unior
of forces was to be free silver, solely
The bimetallists talk of nothing else
and a union of forces could not be eff
fected any other way. All the docu
|
and the bimetallists are solely in tn,
interest of free silver, and contain N,
arraignment of banks of issue or ex
pressions in favor of paper money
such as the Populists favor. The plat
form of the new silver party was wild
ened to include these issues, but the sill
yer men are as mute as mice on them
They are making the sole fight for sill
yer, and the real issue, who shall con
troll the currency, is being observed
We have no doubt but what Mr.. Wea
!, yer is sincere and honest in his mo
tives, but lie ought to be able to Sc
now that he is out of line with hi
!, party and its platform, and that to fur
ther insist on his policy would be t
, weaken the ranks of his party right a
the critical moment. Unless he an
his friends insist that a large ma
, jority should yield to the dictation @
small minority, we shall expect tn
General to be working harmoniousl
with his party in the future.
But this is not ali the lesson taugh
by the action of the Iowa Populist Cor
vention. We have won the respect {
our enemies, as well as encourage
those in our own ranks. The Leader
commenting on the result Of the cor
vention. says: "The defeat, therefor
in the Populist Convention of the leat
ers. who were engineering the plal
|. promises to have effect upon the po
itics Of the State more than appear
from the record. 1t means that 1t wi
. be impossible for the silver leaders {
the Democratic party to say to tt
Marshalltown convention. Here al
the Populists, about 10000 in numbe
whom you can get for your nominee
you will indorse the free coinage of 81
ver.' 1t implies that the first and ii
vital step in the programme has faile,
: that the carefully built house of cart
: has topp1ed over. Whether the Dem,
: Gratis nominate gold monometallist ,