The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1896-01-28

ties. The leaders of the Republican
party have and always have had a
known and fixed purpose, a known
and fixed policy, and they have always
pursued that purpose and without a
shadow of a turning adhered to that
policy. Not 80 with either of the other
parties. They declare any purpose,
adopt any plausible policy that has
the appearance of bringing temporary
success, forgetting that this means
final defeat and overthrow.
The great mass of the American PEG
pie want to know what a party is
going to do when placed in, or re
stored to power. They want to know
this, whether they agree with the
party or not. And they will put
npower a party whose policy is known,
although they disagree with that party
both in principle and policy, before
they will one whose principles and
policies are not known.
And for these reasons the people
have repudiated the Democratic party
and banished it into outer darkness,
and not because they are disbelievers
in the great and eternal bedrock prin-
pies, or because they are believers in
the doctrines, principles, practices and
policies of the Republican party, but
because they want fxedness and sta
bility in government. And if the PEG
pies party continues to pursue the pol
icy heretofore adopted in many of the
| States, districts and counties of the
United States, the same political dis
aster and distraction that overlook the
Democratic party, will overtake and
bury it so deep that the hand of the
resurrection will never reach it. If
the Peoples party means business and
desires the success of its principles; if
it desires at least the unlimited coinage
of silver at the ratio of Is to 1, and the
restoration of former values and
former prosperity; if it desires the de,
feat of the two old parties and the sue,
cess of itself, it is high time for it to
stop canoodling with either of the old
parties. If the party is based upon
principles, let it act and practice prin-
ciple.
What will it advantage the party to
swap horses with the common enemy
if it gets cheated in every trade and
strengthens the enemy's divisions and
brigades SO that he will be able to crush
US in the final contest. If we add one
cubit to the dimensions of the enemy,
] to every one we add to our side, and
he has one hundred cubits the advan
tage in the start, how long will it be
before our cubits outnumber his Gu
biteP
If we are to tickle the enemy in No
vember, one, and he is tickle us in
November, two, and so on Uice Ver8a,
it is a tickling game for plumber and
honest men ought to quit the game, or
at least they ought to be consistent
and declare their purpose.
The fellows who gets tickled, or who
desires to be tickled, will always advo-
cate the tickling game. But what
will the masses of the people say of
the game2 OF course it is fine fun for
the boys who get tickled, but it is bad
on the frogs that get stoned to death
while begging for bread, with no one
to hold their garments during the
game.
There was an alleged community of
interest between the Republicans and
Populists in the last campaign, the re-
form or the revision Of the election
laws. These laws have been amended
so as to give satisfaction to all honest
voters. This accomplished, as the
political sky now appears to a man out
of Office, and not stricken with a mania
for office, there is nothing now in COM
mon between the Peoples Party and
the two old parties. There is 20 COM
munity of interest whatever. Both
the old parties are on record for the
single gold standard. The Peoples
party is on record against the single
gold standard. 1t is also on record
against any man or party who favors
ane single standard directly or indi
rectly.
With the lights now before us, it
would seem impossible for any honest,
consistent Peoples party man to vote
for either of the old parties, or for any
member of either, unless he should re
nounce his allegiance to and repudiate
his former party affiliations.
He that is not for US is against us.