The Republican journal., 1896-03-19
The sOld Farmer'' on New Parties.

III The LD1IOh OF LIE COURNAL. L
have been reading the articles on ''Catch-
ing Birds with Chaff,'' in the Journal.
1t seems to me as if the writer thought
the Populists were honest and intended
to do something with their planks and
pledges. Now there is no new or old
party that gets all they want to suit every
body in a platform. And nowadays
planks and pledges are of no consequence
after the candidates are elected. The
people are badly sold sometimes with
promises. Look at the present Admins
tration. Most any party might write
pledges, and finally they do write some
thing, after planning what will take best
with the voters, and after the voting is
done the pledges are done. Now human
nature is the same in one party as in an
other. Occasionally there is a man who
will stand square up to his pledges politi-
cally, and too often the people forget such
man. When it comes to the common
people discussing such measures as free
coinage of silver, economy in this govern
ment, paper money, gold and bonds, ma
tional revenues, the fact is they know and
understand very little about them There
has been nothing like it before, and moth
ing just like it in history to judge from.
According to the records the best inform
ed people and statesmen in this Republic
are about equally divided on financial and
tariff matters, and do not propose to do
anything until they try the strength of
Then settle it by such chaff as might is
right right or wrong. Perhaps it might
be said that in this republic the people
should rule; that is, when they are in a
majority. But that is not always So
Even in this State, right among us, the
people know better. Everybody knows
that there was large majority opposed
to abolshing the district system of
schools in this State. Some champion of
the law pushed it through and left the
dolts to swallow the dose until they get
accustomed to it. Another law is the
game law. In the older counties there
is no game, and large majority of the
people live away from the wild lands
where the game is. Still the law made a
clean sweep. How much chaff has there
been in the prohibition planks in the
years gone by in Maine-just put in for
show and votes? If farmer up here
shoots little muskrat he is brought up
and fined, while there have been men in
the cities all over the State selling liquor
every day since Prohibition was made
a solid law in Maine.
1t is possible to have new party come
up and for time be better one for the
people in every way than the Republican or
Democratic party, as the two are so near
alike now. Once, and l can remember it
well, when the lanterns and night parades
and platforms and Know Nothings of the
Republican party started in. But | can
see change since then. A man now who
does not come up to some strong party
man S ideas generally gets something like
this-Socialst, Anarchist, or the platform
is called chaff. do not believe there is a
man living in this Republic who knows it
all; and new party started now may be
the salvation of this country. Politicians
are opposed to new parties not on ac-
count of their platforms, but on account
of a nearer defeat of their own 10y the les
/ SEEMING of THEN number The poorer the
! platform the less fight their opponents
will have.
L say, everybody study well your OWE
/ interest, read the whole on all sides. take
your choice in platforms and pledges, an6
don't be afraid of a new party. You may
do better sometime in the future for it
There is proof in history-volumes afte1
volumes-that it has been for the best in
terest of country to start new part,
once in awhile. Somebody has got t,
break ranks to do it, of course, and tn,
times seem to indicate that now is tn.
opportunity, for both of the big parties
have tried most everything and the Harri
son administration paved the way for ;
part of the hardships that Cleveland hat
to encounter, and neither promises any
thing new in the future, while each part,
is trying to kill the other in everything
right or wrong, and much of the needed
legislation to relieve business has got t,
hang up until they try titles with tn
voters, and then on goes trouble again.
Now the people generally think owe
matters politically somehow, and some
times quite correctly, in matters pertain
ing to platforms and pledges But, final
ly, all that is said is considered chaff will
some who are opposed to that party. Still
it is not far out of the common course O
events if one day the Populist party Shout.
come into power in this country In thei
platform there is nothing very unreason
able, and times change to the new order o
things and people wake up to new enthu
siasm with new party and study u
the situation better. If one party wa