The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1896-09-10

or else are lacking in political Judgment"
This editor is reported by a st. Louis
paper as saying during the sitting of the
late populst national convention: I'VE
demand a populist ticket, top and bot
ION: we have told these Bryan people
that we would be willing to take second
place if they would give us a populist
for first place. If they will not do that
and we know they will not, we shall turn
the electoral vote of Texas over to the
republicans" The pOpulist nominee for
congress in the Fourth district Davis
on the 2nd instant wrote: But, as |
said at Atlanta, if the committee agrees
with the republicans to give them eight
electors and they will vote our state con-
gressional and county tickets, | will stand
by it."
In view of these utterances the action
of the leaders at the late populist state
convention in Galveston is most Signifi-
cant, and may fOrcbOde a plain and alb
sOute surrender of the silver cause.
There the platform of the populist ma
tonal convention was Endorsed and an
electoral ticket for president and vice
president selected. But the state conven
ton announced no choice for president
or vice president. Instead of this it
adopted the plan of naming a committee
of three, which. with the state commit
tee. is clothed with extraordinary if not
plenary and unlimited powers. Dcclar-
ing against alleged ring rule, it placed
the gravCst and most important duty of
party in the campaign absolutely in the
hands of committees. A member of the
committee of three has repeatedly and
publicly announced that he will support
Mckinley for president rather than Bry
an. The cOlored delegates to the state
convention declared by resolution. while
Ia.
would support Mckinley for president.
Nchcmently protesting their loyalty to
principle, have the populist leaders ar
ranged to abandon the free coinage of
silver? VIII they come into the open
field and proclaim their purposes? The
democratic electors are pledged to the
support of Bryan and Sewall. For whom
will the populiSt electors vote? VIII they
vote for Bryan or Mckinley? viii the
committees in any contingency withdraw
all or any number of the pOpulist cleo
tors and replace them with Mckinley
electors? Under any circumstances or
for any induccment or in any manner
do these leaders contemplate lending aid
to the gold standard? These questions
deserve and demand an immediate an
Swcr The great masses of the people of
Texas. profoundly impressed with the
overShadOwing Importance of bimetallsm
and resolved to destroy the decaying light
of the goldastandard. will look beneath
and beyond any conspiracy of place
hunters. and by patriotic and united ac
ton protect themselves. This is the SUI
preme issue of the campaign. Upon this
solution now may depend the prosperity,
the welfare and the industrial life of the
Union. The gold standard has cruelty in
jured mankind. 1t has depressed values,
impoverished creditors and cnsIavcd la
bor 1t is sought to be used to fasten
upon us as insolent an aristocracy of
idle money changers as ever re-
duced to commercial bondage an UNI
fortunate and hapless people. With pro-
lection it is the inspiration aud strength
of McKinleyism and against it the peo-
pie are in revolt and rebellion. No trick,
no strategem, no bargain of leaders can
deliver them into its power or make them
the instruments of their subsection to
its merciless eXactions. There are only
two candidates for president, Mckinley
and Bryan, one favoring the gold stand
ard and the other bmetallsm. A vote
for Bryan and Watson is by indirection
Il vote for Mckinley and the gold stand
ard. If it were allowable to vote direct
ly for president and vice president the
democratic and populist votes for Bryan
could be added together and he would
votes. while the votes for Sewall and
Watson would be divided But the
votes must be cast for electors, and con-
sequently as there are separate demo-
cratic and pOpulist electors, votes for
Bryan and Sewall electors will not be
added to votes cast for Bryan and Wat
son electors. If. for instance. there were
425.OO0 votes cast in the state, 10000
for Mckinley electors, 10000 for Bry-
an and Sewall electors and 10000 for
Bryan and Watson electors, Mckinley
would carry the state, though the total
vote for Bryan would be 100000.
In affairs of this state the populist
leaders have been guilty of correspond
ing efforts at disagreement. eXtrava-
gance and deception. They have de-
clared for governmental ownership of
telegraph and telephone lines,
the sub-treasury plan and fiat paper
money. Their record in the Twenty
third legislature is in the highest degree
hypocritical and contrary
to public interests.
He then proceeded at great length to
show up the Inconsistencies of the popu-
list members in the Twenty-third and
Twenty-fourth legislatures, and their de-
partures from the demands of their plat
form planks. He also took up their
WORK Ill OInpf states OF lnp mon anu
pointed out their failures, contrasting |
them with the record democracy had
made in Texas and what the platform |
ut Fort Worth this year promised i'll |
blessings. He denied some of the criti- |
risms the populist platform made of his |
and then at length dwelt |
upon some of the planks in the Fort |
Worth platform, and closed as foliows:l
The resolute demand of the national
platform for great measures, including
I revenue tariff the taxation of wealth, |
The enlargement of the powers of the |
Interstate commerce commission, the
restoration of bimetalism and the recog- |
milton of the rights of labor has awak- |
med the nation. The revolutionary in |
'tincts of free people against oppres-
sion have been aroused. In every field, |
n every workshop, at every counter and |
n every home of toll there is renewed |
confidence. and the great party which |
few months ago was discouraged and |
detected stands now i'll battle order, |
proud. self-reliant and cumulative. the |
representative of the nober civilization |
If manhood against money. Engaged |
n mighty conflict with organized ava |
ice and greed, directed by the most |
shameless and corrupt cabal that ever |
sought to dominate affairs, democracy |
welcomes the toling millions of all |
.lasses and parties to its ranks that the |
andmarks of popular government may |
De re-established. labor and industry dis |
'nthralled. and the people blessed with |
better and happier days.