The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1896-05-13
SOME PARTY HISTORY
Speech Delivered by Hon. e. Evans,
Chairman Of the National Com
mittee Of the National
Reform Party.
AT THE PlTTsBURG CONFERENCE, kARCH
18th, 1895.

1Zth, 1898.
The next great party born Of these and
kindred wrongs, will doubtless, as far as
possible correct these evils
In the commencement of this address
gave 1t as my opinion that the next great
battle of the ballots would be fought out
between the Reformer and the Conser-
vative. Every passing hour serves to con-
firm me in that belief.
We have now in this country a great
National Reform Press Association =
chiefly working at present in the interest
of the Peoples Party. Add to this the
scores of Prohibition, Socialist and single
tax papers and periodicals, which must
all be regarded in a measure as Reform
papers, and you have mighty array Of
literary strength and talent. Had these
children of light" been as wise as the
children Of this world, they would have
early sought to incorporate all these pa
papers into this great National Reform
Press Association. 1t is not too late now
Enemies cannot make treaties as well as
friends can make laws
Now shall, perhaps, have more to say
to this Conference before Its close,
shall therefore proceed to summarize as
to some of the things that think ought
TO go into our platform. We are attempt
ing one of the greatest achievements of
modern times. To arouse a great nation
ike this. and awaken a consciousness in
the hearts Of 10000, 900 Of people of i'm
pending danger is a hercuelan task
About one half Of the people have be-
ieved, for many years, in the immaculate
purity of the Republican party, while the
other half have equally believed in the
Righteousness of the Democratic party
The two parties have now become so close
ly identified in their measures and public
policies (they have no principles) that they
are often found changing works like
the old pioneer farmers used to do, when
they had fallow to break or a threshing
bee. Democrats and Republicans voting
for free silver. and Republicans and Dem
ocrats voting for single gold STANDARD.
What a spectacle! The enc party in favor
of tariff for revenue, with incidental
protection, and the other in favor Of pro-
lection with incidental revenue. What a
farce it is to divide great nation like
this into two hostile camps, every four
years, upon SO flimsy a pretext as this;
when everyone knows. or ought to know,
that no protection can be given to any
special industry without a corresponding
loss to o. sumo rs CT its product. Prote ton
to American manufacturers would be a
splendid thing if we could compel foreign
nations to buy all our surplus goods, but
when nine-tenths of all the goods manu-
featured In this country are consumed by
Americans themselves, then it is quite
another thing.
A manufacturer is given, we will say, an
advantage of dollar a day upon the pro-
duct Of each mans labor, and as aconSi =
Grafton therefore he raises the wages of
1000 men in his employ an additional Is
cents each day. Now, what do we find ?
Why we find 1000 men going home to
their wives and children each with % cents
additional in their pockets, while the rich
manufacturer goes to his family with 81,
500 in his pocket each day as product of
protection. Do you wonder, under a sys-
tenn like this, why it is that millionaires
have multiplied by the thousands in this
country, while the laborer who creates his
wealth Is living in poverty in poor ten
ement hovel?
"Protection to American Industries
have been "catch words used by the Re
publican party for over a quarter Of a
century chiefly to catch votes with. The
effect Of 1t has been to lower, rather than
to increase, the revenues, and while it
has shut out, in a large measure, foreign
manufa ctured goods. on the other hand it
has superinduced the importation of for
eign labor to our shores to such a degree
as to drive out and make paupers of our
own people.
The whole system is a delusive snare
from first to last, and while it may have
a tendency to keep UP the price Of labor,
it also absolutely raises the cost of living
80 that the wage earners lose all the al
legged benefit by reason of the increased
prices Of that which they consume.
The farmer stands in an entirely differ
ent attitude to the tariff question, from
that of the merchant and common laborer
The product Of his labor goes into compe-
tition with all the world. Liverpool is the
standard market for the surplus grain
products Of the whole world, so that a
r 10 -,
Australia, Argentine, the United States
or Canada, he has got to bow to the mar
ket as esta blished in this single lone City
of Liverpool. The city Of Liverpool reg
ulates the grain markets Of the world, the
same as Lombard and Threadneedle
streets in London. regulate the money
market of the world.
the privilege Of buying his goods in the
markets where he sells his grains, by rea
son of the high protective tariff, is GU
off from any benefits which may accrue
to the mechanic and common laborers.
Now, therefore, were it not for the fact
that a billion dollar congress is. on oul
hands, and must have revenue, I should
be an unqualified free trader" and if q
fair and equitable income tax, which shall
bear proportionately upon all, with rea
sonable exemption, can be enacted and
enforced, I am now ready to declare fol
absolute free trade.
would just like to see the genius Of
the Yankee pitted against all the world
with free and open market for all the
produce Of his ingenious brain.
But 1 must hasten to close.
The thing for us to consider Is the
questions which have brought us together
at this time. We are here, as / under
stand it, for the purpose Of seeing wha
can be done to unite all reformers int
one great political party.
When I say all reformers, I mean al
who are opposed to the rule or reign o.
either the Democratic or Republican par
ties. whether they be now designated
Populists, Prohibitionists, Socialists, Free
Silver. or what not. They are all Re
national reformers. A national reforme
Is one who stands for all needed reforms
in the government. He may deem SOM
measures more important than others, bu
he stands for all needed reforms ant
will no doubt seek to secure the mos
needed ones first.
In order to do this we have got to adop
some basis of union, in the form of
declaration of principles and measure
commonly called a platform" and upol
which a majority of the conference shal
decide.
The framing of this instrument will b
| the work Of committee on platform res
olutions.
To get back to the primal ideal OF ~
| Government Of the people. by the people
| and for the people," we have got to max
the question Of direct legislation
| through the Initiative prominent feat
ure in our platform. We already have tn
right to petition, but we Che people, hav
| no power to enforce that right. and sine
congress and legislators have been in tn
| habit Of consigning such things to tn
waste basket, it is important that the PEG
| pie demand laws that will make their pc
| titions more effective.