The advocate. [volume] (Topeka, Kan.) 1894-1897, 1896-02-05

AA0o IBkA@Ho VI nAAVpAt
To come back to the question, Why
has Kansas only one Populist Congress-
man nowP l answer: The people
want results. We may truly say lt Ii
unreasonable to expect legislation from
a minority, but it is nevertheless true;
and since we must have votes In order
to carry any measure, we should never
forget that very importsnt fact. The
gist of ali objections to q single Issue
from Popnlists Ia, that It will weaken
the party by alternating many who
deem the silver question Of less tmpOE
tanCe than the land or transportation
question. Are we as reformerg juatA-
fed In holding party success Of more
Importance than Che success Of meas
uCes for which the party is organized y
Should we organize In order to carry
certain measures, or should we adopt
certain measures in order to attract
people to our party and strengthen it
thereby But they say free coinage 10
only part of our platform and wa want
IL all. If l beliVed that reform meas
ures would be carried by getting them
In platform, would like to suggest
quite number In addition to those
already in the Omaha platform, / SEQ
from her article In recent ADVOCATE
that Imogene 9. Fales Ia lady whose
articles on various reform subjects
have read with pleasure and profit tor
many years. could suggest several very
important planks. Perhaps friend G..
G. Clemens would have q few more;
also ye editor. IL it was not for the
expense Of printing and time to read
there is no telling what might be done
toward extending the platform. Seri-
ously, since we have q government by
ballots, can we not ballot In an In.
formal manner what questions we will
take upp
If we Judge the future by the past
we know that we will accomplish moth
ing by the old method Of general loose
statement In q platform. We also
know from the history of the Green.
back party, and strong signs In the
Peoples party, that many voters leave
a party IL the party sccomplishes moth
ing. 1t does not satisfy that class Of
voter to tell him that minority can
not enact laws. He voted to change
something; he knows something il
wrong; but II the party he voted Tor
can't change it, he will try another.
This may not be the most intelligent
way to reason, but it is very prevalent.
/ ask my POpullst friends: 10 IL more
patriotic, Is there higher wisdom, ID
there more principle and more com.
nonsense In taking q whole lot OF
measures (some of them in q very
crude condition) TO catch votes from
classes Of reformers, than II
would be to take an informal ballot 90
decide on one measure for the coming
and then concentrate all
force and energy on that and settle itP
But If we join o silver party, what
will become Of the Peoples partyg
Why, God bless IL, the Peoples party
Of Kansas would elect Presidential
Electors for the candidate Of the silver
party, eight Congressman pledged FOR
free coinage and In sympathy for OIL
true reform, Popullst Governor and
State officers, majority Of the House
and Senate and q Populiat United
States Senator. / could see no OcCa-
sioD, 70 necessity, to give up the State
Of the party, but Il any
unforeseen occasion demanded &c, I
would let 1t 90. We must learn 10
hold measures above party. IL those
who desire free coinage Of silver unite,
regardless Of previous party affiliatlon,
and win, as they surely will, then the
Of greed, selashness and
oppression generally called the money
power would feel cold chills running
up its back. 1t would know that the
people had learned TO use their power,
and that It's doom was only question