The San Francisco call., 1896-06-21
Declare the Former Republican
Should Head a Fusion
Ticket.
URGENT APPEAL IN HIS BEHALF
Twenty-Six Leaders Append Their
Signatures to an Open
Circular.


voters of every party. The document is
signed by twenty six leading Populists
from six Western and Southern States,
and is in full as follows:
Expressly disclaiming any purpose or right
70 bind any party or person by the views here
set forth, we but yield TO an overpowering
sense Of duty in saying what we do to mem
bers OF the Peoples party and to all other good
citizens who, experimenting the approach of
momentous crisis in our countrys life,
willing to avert it by acts of exalted pa
triotism.
We came to St. Louis as citizen members of
the Peoples party to be present at the meet
ings of the National Republican Convention
that we might determine more definitely for
ourselves the true aim of that organization in
the present struggle.
Here we have seen the "boss' in politics
more securely enthroned, more servilely
obeyed and more dictatorial as to candidates
and policy than has ever before been witnessed
in the field OF National politics. One man, the
perfection of his type, representing the mil
hOnaires, the banks the corporations, the
trusts and every other remorseless and pluto
cratic element in our country's life, has,
through the power of money, dictated the
nomination of Mckinley and shaped the plat
form of his party.
We have witnessed a convention, magnif-
cent in numbers, pretending TO represent free
American constituencies, moving for three
days as if a hand of terror was above them,
whose might they dare not tempt, and whose
imperIous pointings it was impossible to dis
obey.
This convention, slavishly responding to the
will of the money power, has forced an issue
which must be met. It is a challenge TO the
yeomen of the land. If it is declined-or, If it
shall succeed-the fetters OF a tyranny more
grinding than that of Cars or Emperors will
be rIven upon the plain people of the country;
fetters which must be indefinitely worn with
the contemplate spirit inseparable from will
ing serfs or in the end be broken with the
Irresistible power of mighty revolution.
That issue is formulated in the demand that
the existing gold standard must be preserved,
and for the enactment of 'an measures de-
signed 20 maintain invioably the obligations
of the United States and all our money-either
coin or paper-at the present standard"
This means that silver shall be permanently
degraded into mere money of change, and
that it be deprived of its legal-tender quality
except for some paltry sum.
That the greenback and all other forms of
Government paper shall be redeemed and de-
stroyed.
That the National banks shall be swollen
into power of triple their present ability to
contract the value of money, to absorb the
all industrial and commercial life, while from
time to time it terrorizes the voters into choice
OF its tools for all legislative, judicial and ad-
ministrative positions.
1t will require that all of our present Ma
tioual bonded debt be refunded and new bonds
be issued, running for half q century, and
made expressly payable in "the present stand
ard" of m oney-gold.
All other forms of debt-private, corporate,
,,1f +oT,, A.
payable in the same yellow money, or its
equivalent
With these measures enacted-the gold
pIutocracy triumphent-the condition of the
people will be no better than was that of the
recently manumitted black slaves. Their right
will be to go to the end of the chain that binds
them-a freedom of irremovable debt, of grind
ing poverty, of a black and cheerIess future.
The money power has forced this issue
now, because in its judgment those whom it's
policy would enslave are. divided into hostile
political families which cannot be united in
time to resist its onset. 1t CARDS 1t as i'm
possible that harmonious action can be Sc
cured between the different organizations that |
favor monetary reform and resistance TO their |
fnsaIiate greed. With Populists, silver Demo- |
Gratis and independent bimetallists supporting |
ifferent nominees for President and the Ma /
tional Congress, it feels assured of victory, and
it has determined to press now and without |
Abatement the advantage which this appsr-
entity Iamentable condition raises up before it. |
In this the most threatening crisis that has
mensced the country since the Cival War,
though simply citizen members of the Peoples |
party, we venture to make momentous sugges- |
tions to you, our brethren. In doing this we |
have neither desire nor thought to impair in !
the least degree the efficiency of our noble |
organization, charged as it is with the liber-
ties of present and future generations, and |
whose integrity and growth are essential to the |
perpetuation of our free institutions. Our con-
slant aim will be to defend it from foes within |
and without and to preserve IL as a power
consecrated forever to the defense of human
ity's dearest right upon the American conti-
nent.
In view of the shameless submission by the
Republican Convention to the most extreme
demands ever made upon Americans by the |
money power, every thought and effort of |
American manhood should, from this hour,
tend toward creating and cementlng union
between those who would resist the conspiracy
of wholesale robbery and grinding oppression.
A coincidence of fear, of hope, of conviction,
already exists among intelligent and OBJ
servant people. Political division alone Gre
a tes an obstacle to unity of purpose ana har-
mony OF action between them. The duty of
every patriot is to remove this obstacle, so far
a. ii can be, by honorable concessions and
sacrifices. These do not contem-
plate even the thought of merging our party
into any other or the slightest impairment of
its efficiency; but, alone, for the sake OF
humanity, and 10 avert, if possible, the dis
asters which the supremacy of the money
power now menacingly forebodes, to secure
the union of good citizens who think alike
upon the important issues of financial reform,
in Lehalf Of the election of q President who in
spirit is antagonistic to none of the funda-
mental principles of our party has openly en-
gagged in the most sturdy advocacy of our
chiefest measures
Measures must be gained or defeated through
men. After all the chief problem in this crisis
is 10 find a man upon whom patriots can
unite; whose life is witness that, if intrusted
wi th authority over National legislation and
its enforcement, he will defy every allurement
of wealth and every menace of power, stand
ing unfinchingly by the cause of the people