The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1896-10-17

not be SO duped that remains to be seen.
But at the same time he sorroWfully
admits that as a national organization
the Peoples party is extinct. we quote
his own words: "Thc Greenback party
represented substantially the same prin-
ciples for which Populism now stands.
Its growth was sudden and colossal;
its death was swift and sure. Poputism
soas but second attempt to throw off
the evil dominion of the two old parties.
Its cardinal policy soas the union
between South and West, and the one
thing absolutely necessary to the COM
pleteness of this union soas that Pop
ulists should steer clear Of both old
parties" Mr.. Watson speaks OF Pop
ulism as thing that aea8. He clearly
sees that as political organization it
no longer has existence. The language
Of his confession of this fact discloses
the sorrow in the mans heart, and
proves him to be honest and conscien-
tious in his convictions. He sees an
organization, to which years of his life
have been devoted in upbuildlng, sud
denly crumble away through the per.
fidy and deception of alleged allies and
the ambition and blind folly Of friends.
We earnestly commend the following
utterances of Mr.. Watson to our Pop
ulist friends: Fusion has become a
sort of craze, and there has been such
a swapping and trading around of
votes and offices as was never seen be-
fore. From the county tickets clear on
up to the Presidency, the science of
politics has been reduced to the good
old business rule of How much have
you got?' and what will you take? =
Deep down in the hearts of these men,
who want no Office, is settling the con-
victlon that they have been tricked,
sold ont, betrayed, misled. Is this
statement of mine true or not? Let
any man shake himself loose from the
'fusionists' and mingle with the people
of the Peoples party and he will finu
the unrest and dissatisfaction almost
universal" Whether OF not Mr.. Wat
sons statement applies to the Populists
of Canyon county. we cannot say, but
If the fact that they have been "tricked,
sold out, betrayed and misled," at all
effects them, they certainly are not in
a satisfied and restful mood. Nation
ally, then, the Populist party is de-
funct, according to one Of its ablest
and most honest champions. Let us
leave the corpse, which died a peaceful
death in ten weeks after being innocu-
lated with 80 per cent. infusion of
fusion, and contemplate for moment
the wreck in our own state and county.
The Democratic and Populist con-
Ventions convened at Boise City upon
the same day and the result of their
deliberations was q fusion. From the
moment The two conventions were
called to order until the adjournment
of the combined bodies, Senator Du-
bois and other so-called silver Republi-
cans strove in every possible manner to
gain recognition from either or both
conventions. They resorted to every
device their political ingenuity could
invent. They invoked all the power
they could, by any artifice, enlist and
employed every influence they could
command. They secured the interces-
sion of the chairmen of the national
committees of both branches of the
Democratic party, and received succor
from any number of less potent sym.
pathizers. We know not the extent of
pressure brought to bear upon the ma
tional committeeman of the Populist
party but are well apprised that Mr..
Ainslie, national committeeman of the
Democratic party, was deluged with
kilograms which, like Senator Jones on
a former occasion, he prudently "con-
cealed." But the exhaustive and de.
voted efforts of Senator Dubois and his
congeners proved fruitless. The con-
ventiOns were deaf alike to their APP
peals, supplicatiOns and threats. The
combined influence of Messrs. Clagett,
Ruick and Ainslie Overpowered them.
Yet, there were many delegates in the
Democratic convention who would
have received Senator Dubois and his
assorted following with open arms.
There was avowedly one such in the
Populist convention but he found the
there so unwholesome for
his respiration that he early took occa-
sion to retire to place more congenial
to his vital organs. But mark this:
There were many in the Democratic
convention and they are not yet dead!
Receiving no comfort from Populists
and joy in its fullness not being teI.-
dered by the Democrats, Senator Du-
bois and his cOmpatrlots, in due course
of time, held in Boise a convention of
their own and upon this occasion un
dertOok to perform a most remarkable
operation in political surgery. 1t was
nothing less than an attempt to forci.