The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1895-05-29

VINO Will not see the clear purposes OF
the conspirators-are as blind as bats.
Yours truly. BLANTON DUNCAN.
Los Angeles. May 10.
A PROMINENT MANS VIEW.
AS TO HOW TO CARRY ON THE 1895
CAMPAIGN-THINKS WE SHOULD
MAKE THE GREAT BATTLE ON
FREE SILVER-LET THE DEBATE
GO ON.
To the Editor:
The Forum of 1.-THE Representative"
is a most admirable vehicle for the in
terchange Of thought, and might be
made very useful, if all Populists would
avail themselves of it, to develop the
sentiment of the party But those who
write ought to be careful not to express
themselves in such way as to shut of
discussion, or to leave the impression
that the views of the writer are the only
views tolerable upon the subject Sc
lected.
notice that many who write are
violently opposed to what they call q
one-idea platform, while they assume it
is the effort of some members to fix
upon the party. For my own part am
most anxious, not SO much for the sur
vival of party, as for the freedom, in
dependence and welfare of my country
do not favor one-idea platform, but
do favor a platform which has the
immediate advantage Of my country in
view, and is most likely to call the
friends of humanity together and cause
them to combine and lift that country
to higher plane, industrially, intellec-
tually and morally. How can this be
achieved?
understand the opposition of those
opposed to q one-idea platform to be an
opposition to making free coinage Of
silver the only issue. They evidently
conceive that if such an issue is made,
it will limit the purpose Of the party
and produce its dissolution when the
one purpose is acceMbl ished. That may
or may not be true. If the party should
make its platform as expressive of it's
hostility to monopolies as it always has
been, but throw down the gauge of bat
tie on the silver question at this time,
and make that question it's chief sub
ject Of discussion next year, fight the
battle on that Issue, its success could
not possibly limit it's usefulness nor di-
| minish the greatness of it's mission. On
the contrary. Suppose the army of the
Potomac, on reaching the Wilderness,
| finding the enemy massed there, had
refused to fight on that battlefield, or
| to make it one of the chief points of
military dispute; on the ground that
| Richmond was its objective point; what
chance would it have had of at last
reaching Richmond? Or again: When
! the Confederate army was marching
north, supposing the Union general had
| lead his army south instead of encoun-
| tering the enemy at Gettysburg, what
| sort of figure would the Union cause
| cut in history today?
Let me say that the Peoples Party, in
| order to do any good for itself, or any
! body else, must consider human nature
and fight its battles with that in view.
| You can't jump to your destination at
one bound, because mankind is intellec-
tually short-legged. You must do as a
good general does in time of war-pro-
tect your base of supplies and keep the
road well open between it and the main
body of the party. Now the monopo-
| listic forces are invading the peoples
| territory. They have captured post az
ter post. They are driving the farmers
and citizens before them. They have
very nearly destroyed by bombardment
one of the chief fortresses-one of the
great -bulwarks of popular rights-sil-
yer money. The people are aroused
They are gathering to protect their own
| You--the Peoples Party-must fight
your battle of Gettysburg right there
at that fortress, or submit to defeat and
the imputation of having deserted the
peoples cause. If you do not help the
people when they need you-and wher
they call for you-the people will never
have any confidence in you and will lei
you die by the way. The road to equal
ity and justice runs by an old landmark
called the fortress of Silver Money
There the enemy stands ready to fgh'
you. You must retake that fortress Of
retire.
st. Paul, May Is.
A PATRIOTIC LETTER.