Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1896-07-23

MAYORS OFFICE, WEBSTER, ,. ID.
10 the Editors Of he Reporter and Far
mer:
On account of the false and malic-
ious statements now being circulated
by certain alleged would-be Populist
leaders of Day county, as to the
motive which actuated me in sever
ing my connection with the so-called
Populist party, | am constrained to
make this statement through the
medium of your newspaper.
1t is not necessary for me to say to
the people of Day county that | have
always been a Democrat. / was
born a Democrat, and | was taught
in my boyhood that the principles of
the Democratic party were the only
true and enduring principles ever
held by any political party which had
ever existed in America. 1t was
taught me by my father, and it is
hard for me now after | have come
thoroughly to believe that ] have
heretofore been mistaken, to drift
away from the tuition of my child
hood and frankly acknowledge to
the people my conversion to a differ
ent political belief. The difficulties
which 10Y lie in my path in making
this acknowledgement have been
multiplied and added to by the active
part which | have taken in county
and state politics for the last few
years.
When the Populist party was born
in South Dakota it came largely from
the ranks of the Republicans. Its
advent was hailed with q great deal
of rejoicing by the Democracy. Up
to this time we, (the Democrats had
been a minority party and a very
small one at that, with no possibility,
except through a very great change,
of controlling the affairs of the state
or becoming a factor of any impor-
lance in national politics. 1t was
believed by many of the Democrats
of South Dakota hat we would
sooner or later absorb the Populists
and thus be able to get control of
the state. 1t is true they had many
theories which were called principles,
belief in which was not shared by the
Democracy of the state, who joined
with them in the election Of county
and state officers, and especially in
the election Of members of the legis-
%lature, for the purpose of securing to
ourselves the election of United
States senator's. Ii there were many
articles in the Populistic creed in
which we did not believe, there were
others in which we did believe, chief
among which was their tendency
toward free trade. Upon this we
were agreed, and were counseled by
the national committee to act in har-
mony with the Populists on state
questions for the purpose of taking
the state out of the Republican
column.
1t is not necessary to say to our
people that none have been more
bitter in their denunciation of Re-
publican measures or more earnest in
their advocacy of Democratic Popu-
listic principles, than myself. l
must admit, whether | would or no.,
that have been influenced to a de-
gree by my personal interest in the
result of the election in Day county.
suppose in this particular am like
many other Populists. Whatever
there was in the Populistic creed that
was drawn from the Democracy, it
was to me a matter Of belief before
the Populist party was born, and l
am not the only young man in South
Dakota who was drawn into the fusion
between Democrats and Populists in
many of the counties of this state
until sight of principle was almost
entirely lost aud we became to all
~intents and purposes Populists, be-
cause that party happened for the
time being to be in the majority and
gave US the offices. For the last two
years | have been studying politics
as | never studied before. j have
tried hard to determine for myself
what was true and what was false,
what was right and what was wrong,
what was helpful and what was harm
full to this government. | acknow-
ledge that during that time | have