The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, 1896-10-16
LOST IN A WILDERNESS
And Swallowed Bodily by the Bryan
lied Democracy.
FATE OF NEBRASKA "POPS."
Foreseen by . Nebraska P0pulist-J. v.
Wolfe's Open Letter to Gov. Holcomb.
A Tool OF Democracy-HOlcomb's
Record and Political Origin.
FATE OF NEBRASKA "POPS."

AINCOLN, N6D., OCC. lS.-lue tTIpdT-
tite deal in this state between Senator
Allen, Governor Holcomb and William
J.. Bryan, the result of which has been
the delivery of the Populist party of
the state, bound hand and foot, to the
democracy has been a source of unpleas-
ant reflection to many middle-of-the-
road Populists, and there is a very large
proportion Of them that not only resent
the sale and delivery, but are disposed
to make their objections known at the
polls in the most effective manner, and
in fact the only way now left to them.
Ever since Governor Holcomb took up
the reins of Office and began to show
his prediction for Democrats and a
disregard for the Populists of the state
who had made his further elevation pos
sible, there have been many CHECKERS"
in the Populist party who have not hest
tated to charge him with betrayal of
their political interests. Republicans
have pretty generally held aloof and
listened to the elimination and recrimi-
nation from afar off, and have not been
disposed to take a hand in the family
quarrel of the Populists and Democrats.
Just at this juncture. however, when
Governor Holcomb is running a personal
campaign strictly for himself, and after
having still further shown his Demo-
cratic proclivities by being a party to
the further betrayal of the Populists of
Nebraska into the hands of the national
Democracy, it is not amiss to quote
what a well known Populist of this
state thought about him and wrote con-
corning him in 1895, less than is months
ago. That person is J. V. Wolfe, who
at the present time is a candidate upon
the Popocratic ticket along with Cover
nor Holcomb for the Office of commits
sioner of public lands and buildings.
On May 1, 1895, MI. Wolfe published
in the Nebraska State Journal a two
column article over his own signature,
in which he excoriated Governor Hol-
comb as few public men or officials have
been scored in this state for political or
official misdeeds Mr.. Wolfe had been
a candidate for warden of the state peni-
Tertiary, as a Populist, but the appoint
ment was bestowed upon G.. W .Leidi gh.
a Democrat. Mr.. Wolfe's complaint
was not so much for himself, personally,
as it was from the fact that the COVER
nor had shown a disposition to ignore
the main body of his supporters, the
Populists, and reward a small minority
of his supporters, the Democrats. There
is probably nothing that a Republican
might say that would be given credence
OR consideration by a Populist, but an
arraignment by one of their own num-
Der is entitled to pass current among the
members of the Populist party. There
fore, remembering this arraignment by
Mr.. Wolfe, the original has been brought
to light and portions of it are given be-
low. Mr.. Wolfe says in the opening of
his letter to Governor Holcomb:
Crimes and offenses of all kinds nave
generally at least n mitigating circum-
stance. They are generally committed in
haste or without due consideration, but you
undoubtedly do not regard the act as a
crime or even as an ~offense, but coupled
with a number of other appointments of a
similar nature. and especially with MI.
Dahlman's, another leading Democrat,
made at the same time, and who was an
applicant for the same position, you are
charged with party peridy n a deadly
assault upon the Independent party
organization in this state, and upon this
charge you will have to go upon trial be-
fore the bar ~ our people, and may God
defend the right.
After a somewhat lengthy defense of
his own motives, in which he states
that he too had come out of the Demo-
cratic party, but that he considered the
Populist party '~'humanity's last and
only hope" Mr.. Wolfe proceeds to say:
l by 40 means think you are a bad man.
I only think you have proven yourself a
weak one. You are by no means the first
man. even in Nebraska. whose ambition
has o'erleaped itself" Tue political high
way is everywhere strewn wi, Ii its wrecks.
Men are more or less (and frequently
more) like pigs. If fed on too rich food
they develop too much flesh for the amount
of bone, and especially backbone. The
remedy, in the case of pigs, is to put them
on a diet of skinned milk, and 1 can see
no rea ION why it would not act as well in
n case as in the other. 1t may not be
your fault. You lave neither been in a
potion, nor in the condition, since our
reform movement began, to be able to
grasp its full meaning. You nave been in
good circumstances and drawing a liberal
salary. Your mind has been occupied
more with law and with loans than with
distressed homes and an impoverished peo-
pie. You did not, l believe, attend either
the Cincinnati or st. Louis conference, or
the Omaha national convention. You have,
therefore, probably not been baptized with
the Baptism that is unto repentance" 1
am not speaking of or dealing with your
intentions. You are too good a lawyer
not to know that all law presumes a man
to intend the consequence of his own acts,
and the soone you recognize the fact that,
when you are conserving with the Demo
cratic or any other party, you are nursing
at your bosom a torpid viper that, as soon
as it is warmed into life by Populistic
heat n strengthened by Populist nour-
ishment, will turn on its benefactor with all
the accustomed vigor n venom, the
sooner you will see and realize the folly
of your course. They (the
Democrats) may permit, and even assist, a