The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1895-10-30
WILSON'S VIEWS.
WhATOUR PLATFORM
SHOULD BE.
We Must Go Back to the Ocala
Platform, and Keep Clear of the
Suspicion of Socialism.
WHEREIN THE PARTY HAS
MADE A MISTAKE.
Interesting Views of One of Our
Leaders-Let the Discussion
Go On

In the United States are some 12,-
600, 900 of voters-divided mainly be-
tween three parties.
or those voters it is safe to say that
three fourths do not understand and
do not intelligently approve the poll
Cies which now dictate our laws.
The Republican part is upheld by
small minority Of brainy men who are
personally interested in the policies
they advocate. They are the Manu-
facturers, the Railroad magnates, the
Bondholders, the National Bankers.
These men by shrewd anipuaticn
and by the purchase Of newspapers.
pamphleteers, boOk-writerS. cartoon
lists and professional politicians, abso-
lutely control the Republican party,
and by throwing out a sop or two in
the way Of pension laws to the rank
and file, they keep the Rep ublican or
ganiZation committed to the Hamil-
ton principle-that men who own the
wealth should run the Government in
their own interests.
The same thing is true in regard to
the Democratic party. A few brainy
leaders, personally interested in high
Tariffs. in protected Monopolies, an d
in class legislation, rule the party
throwing out an occasional sop to the
Southern imbecile who can't sleep of
nights for fear "the nigger'll git on
top"
Not only is this the real truth about
both the old parties named, but
great majority Of the voters of bo tn
those organizations see it and abhor
it.
Then why don't they break loose,
and join the other party-the POpu
lists?
There's the rub; and until the Popu-
lists leaders can solve that problem
no national success awaits us.
Reflect moment:-where were we
in 1889 and 1890!
On a boom from ocean to ocean!
We swept ingalls, out of the Senate
in Kansas, captured the Legislature
in Georgia, and our future looked as
rosy as the summers dawn.
What was our Creed?
The Ocala platform:-a plain, moder
ate, practical scheme of governmental
reform.
United upon this platform the
farmers of the West, though Republi-
cans, united with the farmers of the
South though Democrats, in de-
nouncing the Force bill; and, in obedi-
ence to the Western farmers, the
Western senators defeated the Force
bill.
Great was the hope of the people.
Throughout the entire year of 1891
the work of education went on.
The Ocala platform was eXpOunded
North, East, West and South, and it
swept mems opinions into unani-
nifty not known in this Republic since
the Civil War.
The Republican party had to lay
aside the bloody shirt and the Demo-
cratic party almost forgot to repeat
its chronic croak 1.-The nigger'll git on
top"
Only the sub-treasury detail was
disapproved-dis mind you,
in words of exceeding mildness, and
in tones which soothingly deprecated
resentment.
The Pat Calhoun business had hurt
us Georgians-hurt us badly-but the
general trend of the reform move
ment was unmistakably upward and
onward.
This was in 1891.
Then came the ST. Louis convention
of Feb, 1894.
With both the old parties commit
ted to our Ocala platform, it is clear
that, as we contemplated the forma-
tiOn of new party, we should resist
all charges in the creed.
Every instinct Of prudence dictated
that we should give our enemies no
excuse for withdrawing their endorse
ment, and that we should give no pre-
tence to the weakened Allianceman
to desert his cOIOrS.
But the Land-Dlank was modified.
the Soldier resolution thrown in, and
the Tariti-plank omitted entirely.
The Omaha convention soon repudi-
ated The Soldier resolution, but it did
not restore the original words Of our
Ocala Land plank nor did it re-inSert
the Taritf-pank. Had these things
been done we would have gone into
the campaign of 1892 united and ag
greSSive. AS it was, we were on the
defensive everywhere.
We ought never to have left the
Ocala platform-in letter or in spirit.
We ought to have re-adopted it, word
for word.
The people had been educated up to
it, and had already voted for it by
overwhelming majOritieS.
1t formed the basis Of union be-
tween the knights of Labor and the
Farmers Alliance, and good faith re-
Quired that the compact should have
been kept inviolate.
This is not an afterthought with us.
In letter which we wrote at Col. L.
L. Polk's request, in the winter Of
1912, previous to the ST. Louis con-
vention, we urged upon the party the
wisdom OF adhering to the Ocala plat
form.
In one particular only did We coun-
sci change. and that was in the rail-
road plank. The compact betwe en-
the Rights of Labor aud the Farmers