Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1896-06-27
BEMETALLISM MUST NOT DEPEND
ON EXISTING PARTIES.
skVer pcoDI& of the United states
VIII he Compelled to Drop
Party Affiliations.

st. Louis, June l9.-~Ine SlINel hA0AA W.
H. conference again today. They nave
ISSUED the following address,
..To the People of the United States
obeying the call OIL uuty ana justified by
the common citizenship OF THIS repuplc'
we address this communication 10 'he
o.ople and the forthcoming conventions
Of the United States In DONG So we
claim no authority or right other thahlhd'
which belongs to every man to express
his personal convictions, but we respect
fully solicit the cooperation OF all VINO
believe that the time has come LOT d
return to a simpler and more direct meth
cd of naming men for national service
than has obtained in recent years.
Parties Should Not RetrOGrade.
Political party organization is neces-
sary. because without it the individual
voter is dumb, but the party is only the
means. not the end; it is the voice ana
rot the sense. As the world adVa IS o
this wonderful epoch of intellectual oe-
velopment and physical Improvement
there is a constant requirement Tor pet-
ter things. The individual feels that
requirement and needs it or fails IN ire
endeaVor Parties must also OBEY lhe
same law. 1t follows, therefore, that the
moment a party shall choose to stand
still or retrogade, it also becomes IN
efficient to achieve the end to which the
people are necessarily destined. There
Is no sanctity in mere party name. ara
the mark of deep decay is set on the 'ndl-
vidual strength Of the nation when TIE
absolute rule of political organization
eoerces men from the truth Tor the sake
Of expedience and establishes lnS1ncere
submission to partisan rule for the sake
OF power.
Recognizing the value and the splen-
did achievements of political parties in
this country. as elsewn ete, We are yel
constrained to believe that for more than
10 years no one of them has been en-
tirely sufficient for the needs Of the peo-
Pile The great trend to better things rest
ing in the heart and purpose OF all men,
has been staid during the latter part OF
this generation by the failure Of parties
to explain in their achievements the high
est hope and aspirations OF the mass of
the people who constitute the parties.
And there has been growing in This
country, swelling with each recurrence
of the national elections. a great mass
of independent thinkers and voters which,
failing within itself to control. has sraVi-
tated between the two great parties.
Since 1872 excepting possibly the election
of 1870, the pendulum has swung from
side to side with each four years. In 1872
the republican party elected the president;
in 1876 the democracy claimed the cleo
ton; in 1888 the republican, elected; in
1892 the democrats elected N 1896 (until
within a few weekS) it has been conceded
that the republicans would elect. What
has been the cause Of this mighty oScil-
lation of a mass which this year has
probably obtained the controlling proper
tons? Every man can answer for him
self If he has been an observer; if ne
has had interests that were affected; il
he has felt a hope to see greater justice
done, and has seen that hope blasted: il
he knows that the general dissatisfaction
has arisen from the fact that party prom
ises We're broken TO the people by party
performance, he knows that soon as
the election was over and the successful
candidates installed. they became the
servitors of the party and the advOcaters
OF narrow and nOn-progressive policy
with which alone there seemed to be ar
assurance Of selfish safety and partisan
approval. During all of this period We
have lacked a great constructive admins
traton. No new social truth has been pu
forward in an effective way. While in al
the departments OF physical life there
have been developments and achieve
ments of ease and comfort to ne favored
of mankind, in the still greater and more
important domain of social reform, We
have stood still or retrogaded.
1T is not that the people have not feIt
the STRINGS of determination that this
inactiQn has endured, but because of the
rule of the party which has largely con
trolled men IN and out of office. 1t ha.
been source of reproach to any ,nal
that he should dare to renounce allagi
ance to organization. Men have been ex
pected to submit their views to the dicta
ton of the conventions, although it /!
common knowledge that conventions hay,
been swayed to views and declaration
not the most approved by the mass o
people, nor progressive for their wei
fare.
We do not arrogate to ourselves on,
iota more intelligence, patriotism or cour
age than is possessed by other of Gu
fellow citizens. But we feel that tn,
time has come for the performance q