The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-11-12
IT COMES OUT.
Watson Prints His Letter of
Acceptance
In His Own Peoples Party
Paper.
MILD ENOUGH IN TONE
Says Mckinley Was Elected Be
cause Of SeWall.
Jones Welcomed BIucher's
Troops But Not Butcher.
MILD ENOUGH IN TONE

Atlanta, Ca. Nov. 1.-THE letter of
acceptance written by Tom Watson
accepting the nomination for vice pres
ident was yesterday made public. Seven
columns of Watson's Peoples Party
paper are devoted to it. The letter is
supplemented by four columns Of ad-
vice to Populists to sit steady in the
boat and hold their party together"
The editorial tone Of the paper is one
of fulfilled prophecy. Watson declares
that the failure of POpulists to support
Bryan in the close states brought
about McKinley's election. He goes
into q long review of the circumstances
of his nomination, and accepts it BE
cause / said I would"
He declares that if the St Louis
Populist convention had nominated a
straight Popuhst ticket it would have
been elected. He complains bitterly
of the treatment he has received at the
hands Of the POpulist leaders and ad-
dresses himself particularly to Senator
Butler in this way: Senator, a. re-
form has no right to exist if it has no
valid complaint to make. POpu-
lists cannot denounce the sins of the
two old parties and then go into polit-
zeal partnership with them. The
moment We make a treaty the war
must cease And when we cease our
war upon the old parties. We have no
longer any excuse for living. whenever
right compromises with wrong it is the
right which suffers. The Democratic
managers seem to resent as strange
piece of impertinence the fact that the
POpullstS dared to nominate a ticket
differing at the rear end from theirs
Coming to them with the two million
votes they We're begging for and pit
eously needing. I can say with a per
feet assurance of telling the unquali-
fed truth that my arrival on the field
of battle was not welcomed as heartily
as Butcher was received by yelling
ET-A
Inducements but they do not want
me to lead them They need Butchers
troops, but they draw the line at
Butcher That is hardly fair either
to Butcher or his troops, nor is it the
best way to defeat Napoleon. For this at
titude of the Democratic managers you
are largely responsible You made no
effort to have me recognized You
publicly stated that I was not to be
notified of my nomination. You went
into fusion over my written protest
with all the zeal of a man who wanted
to elect the Democratic ticket. In this
1 think you were wrong. AS chair
man of the Populist committee, the
party certainly expected you to do all
you could to elect the POpullSt ticket
Had you demanded Mr. SeWallS with
drawal from the ticket he would have
been Withdrawn. I have a letter of
yours in which you state that the Dem
Ocratic committee expected you to
make the demand, but you did not
make it.
From the perversity of temper with
which the Democratic managers have
refused to do the right thing by the
POpulists, it would seem that they pre-
fer McKinleyism to anything which
might seem to be partly q POpuMst tri-
umph. Their subtle purpose is to cou-
pie the Bryan election with the com
plete destruction of the POpulist party
The position taken in this letter will
be bitterly assailed. Would that the
pathway of duty were always carpet
ed with flowers; it rarely is. By max
ing myself and the great party I rep
resent a mere foot mat for Democratic
politicians to wipe their feet upon, I
could win much applause from that
quarter But if I were now lacking in
the loyalty which will be expected of
me when chosen, I would grieve the
men who have hOnored me, trusted me
and defended and loved me
mo one regrets more profoundly
than I do that the Democratic man
ayers have so shaped the campaign
that the south must again be told she
must eroveI in the dust and let an
eastern plutocrat put his foot upon her
neck. Nor does anyone regret more
than I do that the Democratic man
ayers in shaping their fusion deals
have considered those POpulists only
who are getting lOaves and fishes.
They have lost sight of the great army
of privates whose honest hearts and
sincere souls form the strength Mr.
BRYAN needs. These Populists of the
rank and file have the spirit of cru
saders and they would die for prin-
ciple more quickly than they would
sell it These men will not vote for
Sewau nor for Sewal electors. If
Senators Jones and German really
wish to defeat Mckinley, let them lose
no time in realizing this truth"
.1r,1fr