The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1896-02-19
BUTLER TO The SILVER MEN.
The POpulist Leader Outlines Plans
For Union of Forces.
NO STEP BACKWARD BUT PREPAR.
ATOMS FOR STEP FORWARD.
The Omaha PlatfOrm-WhatI 1t Is
and What 1t Stands For.
All Who Think Alike on the Main Question
Should Fight Under the Same Banner.

Should Fight Under the Same Banner.
Senator Buffers speech before the Silver
Conference in Washington.
l wish to thank you for the honor of
the invitation to address this conference
/ trust you will pardon me to say a word
about the party of which 1 have the
ally to the wise and patriotic action talk
en- by the national executive committee
of the Peoples Party at st. Louis last
week. (Applause)
When the Peoples Party was formed
1t was composed very largely of men who
knew but very little about practical poll
tics; that is, it was composed of men
who had never taken the lead them
selves, but who had always followed the
lead of others, and who became dis
gusted with the record and course of
their parties and lost confidence in the
leadership which they had followed.
They came together and formed the Peo-
pies Party, and wrote the Omaha plat
form as the declaration of their princi-
pies That platform is broad, bold
manly and defiant protest against every
form of organized monopoly and Oppres-
sion.
The same evils which existed when
that platform was written exist today,
but in more aggravated form. | be-
lieved in that platform then and 1 be-
lieve in it now. | believe that every
plank in it must be enacted into law
before we can have a return to a true
republican form Of government.
But the members of the Peoples Party
have learned great deal about prac-
tical politics since that pltform was
written. That is, they have learned a
great deal about the tactics and methods
which-itsis absolutely essential to use to
face and successfully contend against
the common enemy.
We realize today that large major
,ty of the voters of America are opposed
10 the policy of both of the old parties
Yes, large majority of the voters be-
lieve that the present distress of the
teal politics since that platform was
md vicious legislation, for which both
sid parties are equally responsible Now
t is perfectly clear that if these voters
IAN be brought together and organized
f they can be induced to combine their
votes on next November, that we can de-
.eat the gold combine and the monopo-
country has been brought about by bad
liberty and good government.
Unfortunately majority of the vot-
ers of the country are not ready to accept
The entire platform of the Peoples
Party, but we realize that we should
have no quarrel with a patriot who is
opposed to present conditions and who
is willing and ready to join with us to
right the wrongs of the people, yes,
such men, because they do not believe
in and agree to everything that we be-
lieve in. If he is against the policy of
the two old parties, then he is with us
and on the side of the people in this
fight. Then let us join hands on what
lists, and win triumphant victory for
say, we should have no quarrel with
we do agree on. Even if we cannot eX-
actly agree on the kind of rules needed
let us agree to fight the common enemy
Is it better for the British gold trust to
rule this country. or is it better for
those who are opposed to it to shape our
laws?
The national executive committee of
the Peoples Party at ST. Louis after
viewing carefully the whole situation
decided that it was our patriotic duty to
extend an invitation to every individual
opposed to the tyranny of national bank
currency, who is opposed to the further
issue of bonds as burden upon future
generations, who is opposed to a further
contraction of the currency as curse to
the present generation who is opposed
to the British gold trust dominating and
controlling our government in every
branch to join our ranks for the COM
ing fight, or to hold conventions at the
same time and place with u.s. so that we
may put up one candidate for president
and vice president on whom every pa
triot in America can unite in the
next campaign. l say that when the
Peoples Party rose in obedience to the
gravity and importance of the situation
and took his position. that it did the
wisest and most potriotic thing that any
party has ever done in the annals of his
tory. (Applause)
The action Of the Peoples Party made
It possible to defeat the gold combine
in the next election. Today you have
accepted an invitation on behalf of the
silver forces and thereby you have
turned the possibility into an almost
certainty. (Applause)
If the Peoples Party had not taken
this position a gold bug WOULD have
been elected president next November
lust as surely as the sun shines on that
day. Your action in accepting this invi-
tation is equally as patriotic and equally
as necessary to bring about a union of
patriotic forces and give chance for
victory. (Applause)
The Peoples Party and the silver
forces, as represented here today, do not
by any means constitute all of the forces
that will be united before next Novem-
ber in a common fight against a COM
mon enemy. There are tens of thousands
and millions of voters who are still nom
inally in the two old parties who will
not stay in them a day longer than their
national conventions are held.
They love their party name and love
The principles which those party names
used to represent, and they are hoping
against hope that the traitorous leaders
M their patty will be converted to prin-