The National tribune., 1896-09-03
AN OPEN LETTER
To Certain Errant, Stray
ing Comrades.

stage of the campaign, we were making
urgent appeals to you, in the interest O
yourselves and your comrades, to come
back into line and vote against what i:
now the Administration But you were
then too disposed to listen to the siren
song of those who were promising you
many things, and were making you alb
solute assurances, to heed our appeals.
You would go your own way, in spite
of all that we could say, and the result
was the bitterest disappointment to you.
You have since repented in sackcloth
and ashes that you walked into the net
spread for your feet, and which you
should have known was net.
Your expressions of anger were loud
and deep, and you took the first oppor-
tunity presented to you to rejoin your
comrades in an overwhelming expression
of condemnation at the polls.
Now the question that we are going
to put squarely at you is
ARE YOU GOING TO LET
YOURSELVES BE FOOLED
AGAIN, AND A GREAT DEAL
WORSE?
From the party which came into
power in 1893 the veterans could hope
for something, in spite of the spirit of
hostility expressed by the majority Of
its speakers and press. A very con-
siderable proportion of the party was
INCIDENTALLY friendly to the veterans.
There were very many Of It's leaders
and voters who had served honorably
in the war, the party had made persist
ent claims that it was even more friendly
to the veterans than its opponent had
been, thus it had It's consistency to pre-
serve, Its platforms had always expressed
warm appreciation fer the services and
sacrifices Of the soldiers and sailors, and
it was particularly anxious to get the
votes Of the veterans and the veterans
friends in the Northern States.
Few, if any, of these favorable con-
ditions exist in the Popocratic party.
At Chicago the control of the Demo-
cratic party passed out of the hands of
the Northern leaders into the absolute
and unrestricted domination of ex-rebels
from the South. The man who, of all
Others, had most influence in shaping
the course of events was the notorious
Isham g. Harris, Senator from Tennes-
see, and an accomplice of JEFF Davis
in plotting the rebellion. The Chair
man who beat the Northern candidate
for the position by majority of two to
one was j. w. Daniel, Senator from
Virginia, whom a Yankee bullet
crippled, and who is an unreconstructed
rebel. Geo. G. Vest, of Missouri, who
was Senator in the rebel Congress, was
a moving spirit. No man had more in
fluence than Senator Tillman, of South
Carolina, who boosted that he "came
from the home of Secession" A promi-
nent candidate for nomination as Presi-
dent was Senator Blackburn, of Ken
lucky, who made his strongest appeals
On the ground Of the services he had
the Southern Confederacy as
of John II. Morgan's guerrilla
band. The Chairman Of the National
and who is at present direct
ing the Bryan campaign, is Senator j.
K. Jones, of Arkansas, who boasts of
four years service in the rebel army.
The only Northern man at all promi-
nent in the Convention or the present
control of the party is the notorious
John p. Altgeld, Governor of Illinois
Except him every other prominent
Northern Democrat was turned down in
the Convention, and virtually driven
out
The platform made the scantiest allu-
sion to the veterans, and by its very
narrowness was an insult, as, doubtless,
il was intended 10 be. Absolutely no |
promises and no assurances of fair treat |
ment were made.
Now, in all candor, what can you ex-
pect from such party as this? You |
must know that every enemy you have |