Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-08-25
OUR LETTER BOX.
AN OPEN LETTER

llSb Edfby AiaDdHlH
| To the State Herald:
The question that confronts the peoples
! party in this nation campaign is very
| simple one, but very serious one: Shall
| we sacrifice our prejudices, our ambition
| to control and the emoluments of office
| for patriotism? Shall we reject our par
| ty favorites and vote for nominees of the
| reform democratic party to put in exc
| cution the financial policy and principle
we have advocated and demanded since
| our organization? Shall we refuse to re-
| store prosperity and liberty to the people
| by refusing to insure the election of Will
| liam j. Bryan to the presidency because
our most worthy and gallant friend and
| party man cannot be the nominee on the
democratic ticket for vice president?
| Must we, directly or indirectly, join the
| robber party of goldbugS in this state
| and help elect Mckinley electors to still
| further Cypress the common masses by
| higher taxes, by building up, through
| legislation, more powerful and soulless
| corporations under the single gold stand
| ard to dictate prices to producer and con-
| sumner?
Are we populists, the farmer and la
| boring class, going to sacrifice our only
opportunity to regain our rights, our
| prosperity and our liberty because of
! petty spite and prejudice, because of
| some real or fancied injury, desert our
| worst enemy for consolation? Reason
| able men will not do it. William j.
| Bryan is our friend, indorses our prin-
ciples and viii protect the masses against
! the classes. His nomination was a con-
ceSS1on to the populiStS as an advocate
| of humanity against the soulless dollar
| and powerful corporations. If he had
| been the party nominee of the populite
| party only he could not be elected. Then
| why burden him with the best and purest
N n nJ1 w W. n iE n
| elect him and have our humane princi-
| pies OF equal rights and exact justice to
| all put in execution. No man has
! greater admiration for our gallant and
| worthy Hon. Thomas Watson than my
/ self, but 1 cannot sacrifice Watson and
4 Bryan both because Of my admiration
| or party ties. l would much prefer, were
| it possible, to elect the distinguished vice
| nominee of our party from the grand aid
| state of Georgia, but under the present
| circumstances such a thing is not posi-
| BILE. There is no power to take Sewall
| down; he can only volunteer to give way,
| which, should he be willing to Go and
| the democratic committee not fill his
| place, might cause the defeat of Bryan.
AS populists we cannot afford to take
| the risk of defeat when success is sure
| il only prejudice and party can be sub
| dued and let common sense and princi
| pies rule instead OF man and self-inter-
| est. If by any plan both vice nominees
| could run without danger to Bryan and
| the strongest man get the electoral votes
for vice president it could not be objected
| to, but can 1t be done? l think not.
| Therefore there is but one thing that
| can secure success, and that is to let the
| ticket stand that brings the least cornpH-
cations and the greatest security for sue
| cess.
Whels the Farmers Alliance and Indus
trial union organized themselves into
| political party 1t was to protect the agr-
| cultural and laboring interest by enact
ing certain principles, and not merely for
the spoils of office. 1t was to protect
| themselves against trusts, syndicates and
| monopolieS, who had combined to dictate
| prices and gS&her all the fruits of labor
| by controlling the legislation of the coun-
| try through the national bank and money
| power. Now thatthe time has come when
| we can and must free ourselves through
the election of the democratic nominee,
| or else become slaves TO the greed of
| money changers, by the election of Nc
| Kinley, we are hesitating and are ready
to sacrifice the farmer and labor interest
| and liberty for Office, or rather chance
| for office. 1t must not be done. We must
vote for Bryan and Sewall and secure
our freedom and financial policy There Is
no cause to disband our party but keep
up the good work for equal rights in the
congressional districts until we force our
principles and demands upon our
statutes, state and national. Remember
If we fail to elect Bryan we never can
| expect to see the national banks abolish
| ed or the free coinage of gold and silver
on any ratio. Instead we will have only
| bank currency, that will be entirely I'M
| der their control, to expand and contract
as their interest dictates. In fact, It
means perpetual slavery of the common
masses TO enrich the bankers and specu-
fiators. 1t means robbery of the masses.
| 1t means monarchy in it's absolute form
and financial despotism.
II Is time that the farmers and iaborers
that belong to the peoples party should
stop and think before we sell ourselves
into perpetual slavery to-the corporations
under McKinley's high tariff and monop-
oily laws. This issue is not merely ques-
ton of finance 1t Is a question of liberty,
a question of monarchy or republicanism!
Can 1t be that any populist can so far
disgrace himself and family as to vote
with the class of goldbug robbers that
| met at Lakeview for the purpose of elect
ing Mckinley? viii they sacrifice both
principle, party and prosperity because
of petty spite to please our worst enemy?
1 feel certain that the greater body of the
farmers and laborers will not be such
fools as to be led into such trap to graft
fly such men 90 as Jones and the Adver-
tiser
1t is wealth against labor and the gold
bug employees of this state. working for
their masters corpora ions to get share
slave the common masses, caused the
Lakeview meeting. We can protect our
selves only under the flag raised at Chi
cago and placed in the strong hands of
Stonewall Bryan and Arthur Sewall We
cannot protect Watson and win free coin
age of silver In this fight principles and
49, A. B. BRAssELL.
| small bank given for thirty days