Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1896-11-14
Tho Peoples or cutters Party, which1

AT the time for the beginning OF
| the presidential campaign OF 1896 the
| Democratic party found itself in a dy-
| ing condition and II resorted to des-
| perate remedy to save itself from dis
| solution. 1t renowned the Republic
| lican policies which it has already
| enacted into law and espoused the
| Populist creed which it had bitterly
assailed.''
Having closed the doors of the
minis to silver; having sustained Mr.
Cleveland in his refusal to allow the
seigniorage coined; having condoned
his issue of bonds in violation of law;
having acquiesced in his contraction
policy of destroying the greenbacks;
having helped to feed the trusts by the
passage OF the Wilson, German j ones
tariff bill, the Democratic party, re-
alizing that it had lost the respect, the
confidence and the patience of the
people. determined to anticipate the
triumph of Populism by public con-
fession of political guilt, an earnest
assertion of change of heart, a devout
acceptance of Populist principles and
modest demand that the Peoples
party should vacate it's quarters and
surrender it's political possessions.
very staggering piece of political inn
pudence was this. 1t was a majority
of the Democratic party which muir
dered silver in 1898. And the men who
committed the deed cannot now prom
Use more solemnly to undo their work
than they promised in 1892 to do it,"
The above is not the embittered
screed of a free silver Republic
the anguish of a Democratic thorn
in his side, at some time not
absent from his memory. On the
contrary. it is an extract from the
letter. which man who had been
nominated by the Populist party for
the vice presidency on the ticket with
Mr.. Bryan, wrote in acceptance of
that nomination. This letter was sup
pressed by one Mr.. Butler. chairman
of the Populst party, until after cleo
ton. Thus it would seem that Mr..
Butler is greater than his party and a
DlSSSI IIldu tiidI ltio ACifOW w ataoi'
who by the way weaves in striking
truths in this truly remarkable letter.
One cannot marvel at the reluctance
of Butler to give this letter out for
publication, but one may be. pardoned
a little mild surprise at the audacity
he displayed in suppressing it; for be-
ing it's national chairman he must
concur in the idea common among
Populists that their party is really
some pumpkins" Accordingly there
is a flavor of despotism about all this
performance. That a servant in Mr..
Buffers capacity should put the only
avowed candidate of his great" party
in pint pot and shut the cover down
considerable degree of elevation of
eyebrows and much Struggling of
shoulders. But how in the name OF
the patron saint of cranial wheels and
capillary chin coverings, he was
able to wholly muffle the squeals, and
surely merely putting the cover on a
fellow like Watson could not effect
such result. remains a profound mys-
terry that should be cleared. To think
that one man by the plain name of
Fuller could do all this with a ma
tional party which boasts that it will
sweep the country two years hence.
would be astounding, were we to
take the Populists at their own val
uation. BY the way what valuation
did Butler place on his remarkable
services?
Should not this Populist party, that
poses as the enemy to monopoly and
the only friend of the down trodden
masses" endeavor to ascertain wheth-
e: the divine right" formerly claimed
by monarchs and despots has really fall
len upon the chairman of it's national
committee? If this be after all the
Peoples party should not the people
be granted a peep at the credentials
of the man who stified the voice of the
party's only avowed national, repre-
sentative candidate?