People's party paper. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1891-1898, 1896-09-04

bling, to have compelled the party
in possession of the government with
all its powers of effecting public
opinion through federal patronage
and the great daily press to steal our
platform ia order to keep from sink
ing beneath the rising tide of public
condemnstion-to have done all this
and then to throw away the staff
from which our banner fcated and
pin our flag to that of our opponents
because they suddenly protested con.
version, leaving staff and banner
alike in their hands, was, l say, the
greatest political blunder of this or
any other century.
That those men, who are primarily
responsible for the final act in the
drama, anticipated any such result |
am entirely unwilling to believe, but
the result none the less emphasizes
the fact, so often before demonstrated
in the history of the movement, that
the road to success is smoothest in
the middle.
What has been done however is
done, and Florida, In her state con-
vention on the sta and 9th, declared
by perfectly unanimous vote that
she would abide by the action of the
St. Louis convention. If any were
in favor of rejecting either Bryan or
Watson, and half dozen of each
there may have been, Though l
think but two favored Sewall) they
were not numerous enough to count
and the convention put Bryan ana
Watson electors, and a straight mid
die. of-the-road state ticket in the
field, and will make the best fl ght
for an increased vote possible under
the circumstances, and not without
expectation of doing SO.
For the immediate future more ia
dependent upon the west than upon
the south, for while we have an IN
doubted majority Of the votes. in
Georgia and Alabama, and have a
strong footing in most Of the south
ern states, yet it is not rs that the
Democrats fear, since public senti-
ment will not yet sustain the defraud-
ed majority in forcetul means OF
compelling fair count, and nothing
less than this will prevent counting
the vote in these states as the Demo.
cratic leaders command it to be
done.
The crime sought TO be consumat-
ed at St. Louis by the endorsement
OF the entire Democratic ticket con-
sists, in part at least, in thus seeking
to compel Us to surrender our organi-
cation and eithsr abandon the fight
or follow the leadership of the Demo-
cratic party as at present constituted,
the leadership of men to whom the
ballot has no sacredness, principles
no meaning; who would have sup.
ported Hill upon gold platform as
greedily as Bryan upon populist
platform, provided only that office
lay at the end of either.
The Western Populists can not
appreciate our situation, and we are
in danger of being harshly judged
because of the action we have taken
and that we must maintain. In
many western states the Democrats
are the minority party, the Populists
being in the lead and might possibly
hold controlling influence IN any
reorganzations of party machinery
growing out Of a surrender of our
own organization. In most southern
states TO surrender means to dc go
Internationally, and to leave all
power in the hands of the men who
have no regard whatever for the
rights of the people, and in this state
they are the generally recogized
agents Of corporations; the rail road
companies especially.
We are told that if elected Mr..
Bryan will use the power or federal
patronage to break the power of pc
iitical rings and oliques which are
antagonissic to the people, but to
men educated in the spirit of true
democracy, Or an honest republican.
ism, this appears dangerous if true.
AS men claiming to be patriots, seek
ing to restore the government to the
control of the people through tho
Oa1n aful aYopnica Of tho alooAo~nj