The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-11-07
BUTLER ISSUES A PLEA.
Urges All Reform Forces to Rally
Round the Peoples Party.

Urges All Reform Forces to Rally
Round the Peoples Party.
Washington, Nov. Senator Butler
today issued the following:
ITO the People of the United States
In the remarkable campaign Just
closed the Peoples Party was the only
party that supported solidly and united
" the great and vital issues represent
ed in the candidacy of Mr.. Bryan. This
was natural. for the Peoples Party
came into existence to bring to the
front and to press to victory the prin-
cipIes of Lincoln and Jefferson already
long discarded by the two old parties
The money power feeling reasOna blv
sure Of its control and domination of
the leaders in the Democratic party in
1892, gave its support to the candidacy
of Grover Cleveland for the especial
purpose OF having him. through the use
of patronage and otherwise, crush out
the silver sentiment in the south and
make the leaders in that party as com
pletely subservient as those in the Re
publican party. To accomplish this pur-
pose four cabinet ministers We're select
ed from the south and an unusually
large amount Of patronage used on
leaders to the same ends 1t viii be re
menbered that Mr.. Cleveland demand
ed that Democratic senators and con
gressmen give a decisive vote in the in
terest of the gold standard before he
would consent to give out the postof-
fees.
This deep laid plan might have sue
ceeded had not the Peoples Party at
this juncture sprung into existence, ex-
posed the plot, stood in the breach and
appealed to the patriotic hosts of both
parties to check the scheme of the peo-
PIES despOilers and rally to the common
defense Thus the Peoples Party forced
the Democratic organization to repudi-
ate Cleyelandism and return to correct
fundamental principles. Not only this
the Peoples Party then forced the Re
publican party to cease hedging and
- of
the people and not to deceive them but
to take a stand on one side or the other
Of the issues
The issue now being squarelv Joined
It was evident that those influences in
the Democratic party which had dom
mated and debauched the party for a
quarter Of century would be driven to
tne support OF the party that took a DO
sition on the side of trusts monOpoiies
and money gamblers While on the
other hand it is evident that even a
larger percentage of the Republican
party favored the principles suuareIv
forced to the front, yet only a small
per cent would in this campaign sun
port them because they found them nm
der the DemOcra tic banner.
Had it not been for the prejudice
against the Democratic name as we'll
as q want OF confidence in Democratic
promises, for which it must he admit
ted past experience furnishes annie
ground, a majority of the voters OF this
country, in spite of tremendous and
unparalleled forces put forth by the
republican managers, would have cast
their vote for financial reform and
American Independence The PEOPLES
Party, with high, patriotic and nm
selnsh devotion to principle, greater
lhan ever before exhibited by anv
other party, stepped outside of its or
ganIzatOn to throw its two million
votes solidly for Bryan. Had not more
than this number Of those who called
themselves Democrats in 1892 given
their support to Mr.. Mckinley. the
cause Of the people and American prin- /
ciples would have triumphed this year
This class viii surely support the
party Of monopoles Their places in
the ranks of the reform hosts must be
taken by patriotic Republicans Mr.
Bryan would have been elected had
come to the rescue The election of
Mckinley and the triumph of the gold
standard does not express the desires /
and sentiments of the people The
majority oppose the policy for which he
stands and viii so vote whenever an /
opportunity is presented for a proper |
alignment The remarkable and bril- I
liant campaign of William J. Bryan /
would have aligned these forces and T
marched them to triumphant victory if |
any candidate or leader in America I
could have done so under the Demo
cratic banner.
The administration of Mckinley I
cannot bring prosperity to the Amer
lean people. The mills cannot be kept I
open. idle labor given employment and I
general prosperity restored and main /
tanned until the wealth producers re
ceive fair returns for their labor and /
thus are enabled to purchase The gold /
standard and monopoly rule, to a con
tinuatiOn of which Mr.. Mckinley stands /
pledged, means four more years of fall !
ing prices. four more years of lOckOuts /
and strikes, four more years of reduced /
wages and idle labor. This will cause
the patriotic rank and file of the Re
publican party to condemn and repudi-
ate McKinleyism as the patriotic rank
and file of the Democratic party re
pudiated Clevelandism. They cannot
believe otherwise, for have not less
confidence in this class of Republicans
than the rank and file of the Demo
cratic party has already demonstrated
"a large per cent who, though not fooled
by the specious pleas of honest money
and promised prosperity, yet would not
in this campaign fight under the Dem
Ocratic banner viii surely join hands
with the majority of the American
voters beside the old parties to over
throw a governments of trusts and mo
nopolies run in the interest of foreign
made this impossible. The position of
the Peoples Party in this great contest
has convinced every patriotic American
that the party can be trusted to stand
for the principles Of good government
and the interests of the people under
any and all circumstances. Therefore
the Peoples Party viii be the nucleus
around which the patriotic hosts viii
gather to redeem a betrayed republic
and to restore prosperity to an Cypress
ed and outraged people.
(Signed.) MARION BUTLER,
Chairman Peoples Party National
Committee"