The Louisiana populist. [volume] (Natchitoches, Natchitoches Parish, La.) 1894-1898, 1896-03-13
ETERNAL VIGILANCE.
fCpCllSIS WILL DO WELL To
KEEP THEIR EYES OPEN.
The Silver Men Have Not Yet With
drawn frole the Old Parties-The
Timetable Convention May Not Rep
resent the People.

This paper has repeatedly advised the
silver men of the old parties who could
not now see their way clear to join the
peoples party, to withdraw from the
golShug parties and form a party of
their own, and expressed the belief
that If they would do so nothing could
keep them and the populists from COM
ing to an understanding. We said that
when old party ties were severed they
would not see so much in the populist
platform that was Objectionable to
them. When the single plank platform
was first advocated we asserted that
the money question in its broad sense
was alone worthy of dozen campaigns.
But we opposed the single plank move.
The party was advancing rapidly on
the Omaha platform. The railroad and
government loan and postal banks
propositions were dear to many of our
people. These principles of the party
had gathered to us, we had reason to
believe, a large per cent of our strength.
They were concrete and caught the at
tention of people whose attention could
not be attracted by the abstract money
question. They were a great aid to
the party instead of hindrance. as the
one plank men thought.
While the question was up for dis
cussion the bimetallic party was formed
at Washington City. In it's platform
there was none of the alleged objec-
tionable planks of the Omaha platform.
We hoped this new party would be
able to gather around its banner mil
lions of voters. But from all appear
ances it proved complete failure. One
trip across the continent by Mr.. Sibley
and little was heard of it afterward.
The silver men-most of them, who
had abandoned the old parties found a
suitable place in the peoples party and
this left no room for the bi-metallic
party.
Our national committee by a majority
vote of those present, decided, last
week, at Its meeting in St. Louis, to
ask those desiring financial reform but
who are not ready as yet to join the epeo-
pies party, to hold a national conven-
tion at same time and place as the popu-
list convention with the view of getting
together.
Months ago this paper suggested that
the silver men of the old parties form a
party, IL they could not come to us.
appoint their county. state and national
committees and call a convention at
same time and place as the populist
convention, and expressed the belief
that the two bodies would agree. It
would seem that we have no room for
complaint at the committees action.
But the silver men have not withdrawn
from the old parties. They have not
formed state organizations. 1t is pos
sible that the bi-metallic convention
will have no constituency That the
delegates will not be appointed by the
people. That the bi-metallic conven-
ton will represent a very few people.
That 1t will simply serve to give the
one plank men a strength much larger
than the one plank sentiment, in case
the two bodies go together. and that
with a part of the populist convention
and all of the bi-metallic, they will be
able to dictate platform and candidates.
On the ether hand. there may be a
bolt from the republican convention
and there is pretty sure to be one from
the smocratic convention. and it may
furn ont that the bi-metallic convention
will represent millions of voters. We
hope so. But let populists bear in mind
that Eternal vigilance is the price OF
liberty."-Missouri World.