Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1896-05-15
MR.. BURKITT TALKS.
OPPOSED TO SACRIFi CE OF ANY
VITAL PRINCIPLE.
Tho Vice. president of tho National
Reform Press Association Favors A
Union Only on an Honorable Basis
A Clever Painter.

One OF the ShreWdeSt pOlltlclanS IN
the south is the Hon. Frank Burkitt Of
Mississippi, vice-president OF the Ma
tional Reform Press association and
late candidate for governor Of that state
on the populist ticket. He has also
been prominently mentioned as pos
sible candidate for vice-president on
the populist ticket. Speaking ola union
OF reform forces, recently, in the Peo-
pies Messenger, his own paper, Mr..
Burkitt says:
I'VE publish elsewhere communica-
ton from Brother T. N. Jackson Of
Amite favoring combination of all re-
form forces in opposition to gold
standard. Such we apprehend is the
feeling of every populist in the country
If it can be done without sacrifice OF
vital principles and an abandonment OF
old time friends, who regard the land
or transportation question as of para
mount Importance. Brother Jackson puts
stress on the fact that the free silver
party were invited to meet us at St.Louis
and seems to think, we, by this act are
under obligations to surrender part of
the Omaha platform. Just as we'll con-
tend that Brother Jackson, when he in
vites a friend to his house to partake
of his hospitality, is under obligations
to surrender part Of his family gov
eminent
Brother Jackson assumes there is a
free silver party, when in fact there Is
no such party. An aggregation of gem
tlemen, members still of the two old
parties, are dissatisfied with the man
ner in which both the republicans and
democrats deal with the silver question
and they are threatening to secede I'M
less their respective parties shall meet
their views on this subject, when their
conventions are held and nominations
are made. If this is done, we are told
the free silverites will be content to
stay with the old parties and they are
not expected to surrender any of their
old principles But before they can
condescend to fight for their rights I'M
der the populist banner, we are in
formed by Gen. Warner, speaking for
the silverites, we must surrender some
If not all of our old principles
NOW we think we know Brother
Jackson we'll enough to say that he will
not accept any such terms, for union
under such conditions would mean the
degradation and utter overthrow of our
party organization.
tn
every man in America opposed to the
English system of finance marshalled
under one banner in the coming battle,
but it must be done, If done at all, upon
terms that will be honorable to all and
humiliating to none. We are not de-
manding any sacrifice to be made by
the silver men in order that our respec-
tive forces may cooperate as allies
against the gold power, and while we
can and will make concessions for
sweet harmony's sake, We are not pre-
pared to make sacrifices of principle to
secure cooperation.
when it is an incontrovertable fact
that the peoples party is the only ma
tional organization that has pronounced
emphatically for free coinage at the
rates of 16 to 1, and none Of its members
have ever failed after election to vote
as they promised in the canvass pre-
ceding, the honest free silver man will
not refuse to vote with us as against
gold standard of a cowardly, straddling
plank in the old party platforms, and
the man who would hesitate because
the populists uphold the three cardinal
declarations of the Omaha platform:
Finance, Land and transportation
leaving him free to accept or reject
whatever he pleased. would prove
weak ally, and probably traitor in the
end should he enter our camp. We say
let's get together with Brother jack
son, but let it be upon basis that re-
quires no sacrifices at the hands Of
any party to the compact"