The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1896-09-17
TH0S. E. WATSON
NOTIFIED.
BY Chairman Butler That He is
The Peoples Party Candidate +
For Vice-President.
THE LETTER GIVEN IN PULL

Preserve Its Autonomy
"AsHTNGToN, -. g., Sept. Is, 1896.
Hon. Tho. +. Watson Thomson, Ga:
Dear sir: such is our form Of gov
ernment that the citizens Of the
United states must shape its
course for good or evil through
thu agency OF political parties.
when there il no political party
that represent. the principles Of good
government, no party that staud- for
right and the interest Of tie labgrer.
wealth producer, ami al who 4triy.
TO make an honest living IS fair and
legitimate mean, then il il impossi-
bic for the majority of the voters 10
express their will at the ballot box.
when all the political parties stand
for the selfish interest and personal
greed OF money changers, corpora
tions, trusts, and monopolies. "a does
tue Republican party under the leader
| ship of John sherman. and the Deruo-
! cratic party under tie leadership OF
Grover Cleveland, then the pro-
| ducing masses are victims without an
ALTERNATIVES. 70 withhold their votes
will furnish them no relief, while "a
cast their votes for either party j. to
sanction their Own spolation and to
stre nSthch the power Shat Expresses
them.
This was the political situation in
| 1892 when stern necessity forced or
| ganized labor, the organized wealth
| producers, and others who believe in
good government and were engaged
m legitimate business interests, to
meet aud form q new political organi-
| EatiOn known As the Peoples Party.
This new political party, representing
the true Repubiicani,m II, taught by
Abraham Lincoln, and Of true DemOc-
racy a. taught by jefferson and Jack
son, as If springing full grown from
the loins OF the people, cast over one
million votes, winning in five states
within four months from he date Of
its birth.
The Democratic and Republican par
ties no longer represented the priuri-
Piles upon which they were founded.
They had long since deserted the prin-
ciples for which our ancestors left the
old world, and which were made cur
inheritance" through the blood and
sacrifice of cur fathers in the Revola-
tiOnary war, and had embraced the
odiOus and oppressive methods So long
practiCed under the mOnarchie5 and
despOtisms Of the old world The en-
emies of good government, the enemies
of the peoples prosperity, and the en-
imies of struggling humanity had dom
mated and controlled both of these par
ties for twenty years. Both of these
; parties had long since ceased to regard
| hn II,ff ft iel.t md Is,a
> the agents through which corporations
| and trusts exploit the people; both of
these parties have betrayed the people
: and have Iegislated in the interest OF
bankers. spectators, bcndholders and
monCpolists, thus enabling the favored
few to absorb the millions of prOperty
earned and created by the tOiling mas
SEES. They have been the agencies for
rObbing the millions to make the few
milliOnaircs, and worse than this
they have placed the welfare ana hap
piness of the whole nation in the hands
of, and subject to the confederate ed
money power of the world. The cand-
idates Of both of these parties for the
past twenty years have been pledged
to the gold standard, and have used
the power of the government on the
side of gold. No matter which party
the people voted for, their votes were
cast for their enemies and to enslave
themselves. No matter which party
. went into power, times grew harder
and the wealth Of the many conCen
traJ ed into the hands of the few.
Another party, an American party
was wanted. There was need for sucl
party to keep alive the American
| spirit Of 1916, to advocate ant
f enforce the principles of the Declara
= ton Of independence, to advocate The
: rights of American labor and Amer
9 can manhood, to restore prosperity +
a suffering people, and TO rescue
) great and rich nation from the quick
=. sands of bankruptcy and ruin. Thu
4 the Peoples party stands for the srea
= principles Of a republican form Of gov
eminent as represented by the fore
fat hers. and came into existence to re
:. store the government to the people.
The Peoples party was the first Pc
litical organization in tWentythrp
, years that made an honest demand 70
the free and unrestricted coinage u
/. silver. Until the present year boil
old parties put into their platforms
}. demand for the restoration of silver
but coupled with 1T qualifying an
ambiguo phrases that negatiYed til
demand, and then rallied the voters c
the West and South for silver, and tn
IN Northeas for the gold standard, o
# the same platform. The Peoples part
g was the first political Organizatio
n that declared against the surrender {
i. the governmental functions of issuln
IA paper money to National, State, or pr
ii vate banks. The Peoples party wa
m the first political organization TO max
70 definite and specific what is meant b
ct opposition to monopOlies instead {
~ INDUCING in glittering generalitie
n The Peoples party was the first polt
as cal party to nominate candidates ft
Io President ana Vice President tn.
or were not gOldbugs and did not recei'
tn goldbug support. 1t is the only part
now in existence which, with an III
divided membership and a solid from
is demanding legislation for the SUI
preston of mouopOlies and for Il
equal protection of all citizens again
zee the encroachment of individual al
th corporate power. SO successfully b.
Use it exposed the shortcomings of the w
he old parties. so vigorously arraign,
of them fer the betrayal of the people,
& vigorously has it taught the principl
of true democracy and true republica
ism, that one of these old parties b
. been forced TO retrace its erring ste
&c and cast off, for the time being at lea
" its base and treacherOus leaders.
ne 1t was the Peoples party tn
nd brought the all-impOrtant and owe
IN shadowing question of tnsncial r
es. form to the front. 1t was the PeOpl
,as party that made it impossible for t
~ old parties TO longer keep in the bac
IN ground the real national issues VIII
'lii they fought sham battles over the tar
or, and other minor local issues. I
nd Peoples party is the real force,
maius-Ing behind this great pOliti
,b r,To,uiiou. 1t is the indOmital
NJ. force that has driven the Democra
W. party to make its patriotic declarati
ST in the Chicago platform, and is III
nd. the constant and strengthening fo1
rd | that holds them IN tn that dec