The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-07-21
said with apparent great wisdom tina,

Instead of attempting to mould the
government from a separate platform
1t might have been policy for them TO
have fused with the dominant party
and mould that, thus gaining their end
in a surer and safer way, avoiding
many pitfalls that would otherwise be-
set them. He believed the industrial
idea was entering more into politics
and the wants of the farmer could
best be made known and satisfied
by one Of their number. AS it was.
the Alliance was third party and
would naturally spend its force without
accomplishing through its own agency
any of its objects.
A little later Governor Humphrey.
who had forced a reSubmission ticket
in the field by his boorishness towards
a delegation Of Wichita citizens, dis
covered that the Alliance movement
was not spending it's force 10 any great
extent. 1t took bodily from the Re
publican party enough votes to come
within a few hundred votes of tying
the regular Republican candidate.
After the first election the Alliance
became an actual danger in Kansas
and the war began. Two years later
Lewelling was nominated by the Al
lance men. A few months later the
Omaha convention changed them to
Popuhsts, and as the Populist candi-
date for governor Lewelling ran.
The Alliance had grown to great mag
nitude then. Jerry Simpson, TO a re
porter for the Eagle. on June IA, 1892,
said: what a difference! Two years
ago we came into the little town of
Great Bend The people on the streets
asked us what we were going to do.
Nominate a congressional candidate on
the Alliance ticket! Everybody on
hearing it would throw back his head
and laugh in ridicule, in which we then
ourselves half conspired. 1t was
little convention, ninety-one delegates
1 think. and our only audience was
few town loiterers who dropped in be-
cause they had nothing more attractive
to draw their attention. / had no idea
1 was to be nominated. However, L
was and you know my subsequent sue
cess. Look at that convention today.
Instead of a hundred and fifty men
there were two thousand enthusiastic
human beings all cheering me who a
little while ago was an obscure mortal
in little town."
But what was dwellings platform?
1t resolved against all mOnOpolies; for
public telegraph and telephone lines,
and a postal currency for 1.-The trans
mission of small sums" also liberal
pension law, and also claw making
good to the old soldiers their loss by
reason of payment for services in
deprecated currency"
This platform condemned the rall-
road assessors for reducing railroad
valuations; condemned the Republican
state senate for not concurring in the
Alliance house measures; favored cleo
rion of senators by the people, and con-
demned the use of railroad passes.
The only reference to finance in that
platform was deprecated currency" In
the pension plank. Nowhere Is 1t IN
sisted that financial bondage Is the
trouble with the nation.
Later in the year the Omaha platform
was adopted and it did raise its voice
for silver. This Omaha platform was
entirely new to the Kansas Alliance
men. They never liked a metallic
money Of any kind and here was q
direct prayer fer it For a long time
the Omaha platform was kicked and
slammed around in Kansas as OF little
account Finally all Populists gave up
their fiat money idea and took up silver.
Government ownership of railroads,
telephone and telegraph, was now Tor
gotten as the sub-treasury warehouse
had been forgotten before them. The
howl of the POpulists had become in
a year for silver alone.
This has been the progress of the
Populistsl Populism is a condition OF
mind. 1t is Il protest. Its tendency
has always been to propose foolish
remedies. Its real Office, probably, in
politics is to stir up such "a muSs that
others will offer remedies in self-pro-
lection. Populism has never been the
same for two years.
1t is not this year what it was last
year. There is no indication that it
will be for free silver next year as it is
this year.
But critical time in the progress of
this protest has come. II it indorses
Bryan it is swallowed forthwith by the
Democratic party and the Democratic
party, always false to its promises, will
betray it, and then and there the pro
test will end without having accom-
pliShed anything.
But if the Alliance holds aloof, it still
holds its autonomy as a protest, a pro-
test against both old parties, and in so
holding aloof and Independent, it may
yet work a valuable service to the
country.
However, TO say that the Populist
party has ever been a political aggre-
cation of permanent sentiments and
principles is ridiculous, 1t has never
advocated anythying for more than
year at time. II is simply a protest
against some of the discriminate tons
and abuses of the time.
NOW THE PENALTY OF FUSION.