People's party paper. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1891-1898, 1897-03-05
OUR PARTY'S FUTURE.
HOW A PATRIOTIC GEORGIA EDITOR
VIEWS THE PRESENT SITUATION.
Wilson of the Alliance PlOw Boy Reviews
the History of the Past and is Hopeful
for the Party's Future-Keep the Powder
Dry and be Ready for Action.

On this my SIND birthday, regret tt
see that some of our journals and some
of our journalist friends seem to be dis
turbed about the future Of the "ThirC
Party" therefore 1 am constrained tC
add my mite in the way of encourage
ment.
Is it mistake to assert that the or
ganization of the Peoples Party was {
public necessity? Is it not true thai
corporate power was, and is yet, run
ming, rough shod, over the liberties OF
the people of this free republic? Is moi
every department of industry in charge
of trusts, combines, corporations and
heartless money mongers? Yea, is not
the government itself, in a great meas
ure, dominated by class who seem TIC
have no regard for the rights of others?
Are not millions of our fellow-men
without employment, consequently
homeless, half-naked and hungry, in a
land literally Glowing with milk and
honey?" How about the suffering OF
innocent women and children? Have
they the necessaries to keep their
bodies comforta BILE? Does not igno-
rance and vice stalk, hand in hand,
over this sun kissed land? Are not our
almshouses being enlarged, insane
asyIums over-fowing, our jails and
penitentiaries crowded? Murders and
suicides are on the increase? These
can't be denied Yet, it can be asserted
without fear of successful dispute, that
not voice has been raised to attempt
to stay the hand that brought this
once free and happy country to this
cursed condition and not a theory. "
Then is it any wonder that patriotic
hearts were touched-co constrained -
forced to look to other sources than the
old party organizations for relief? The
powers of the oppressor must be cir
cumvented. This could only be done
through the formation of a new politi-
cal faith. Our western friends, whom
we had met in the Alliance, said: I'VE
ty," and we of the south said: We
cannot go into the Republican
party" So we all agreed to meet Sin
the middle of the road" and form new
party" This was done and named the
Peoples Party. But our western allies
seem slow to believe what it cost us
''old hayseeds" of the south to try to
maintain our positions. The ground is
literally strewn with the dead in Geor-
gia, to which little attention is paid.
A slight retrospection of the battles for
the last four years may interest them
and encourage southern populists.
THE STORY OF THE PAST.
It is useless to repeat that the Far
mers Alliance ana IndusGrlaI Union,
composed of the farmers and laborers
of the country, had adopted set of de-
mands, which they had urged before
congress without attention from either
old party, Not only SO, but it is well
known that they were scorned by both.
Then came the convention at ST.
Louis Feb. 22 1892, composed of the
labor organizations of the nation.
This convention endorsed the former
demands of the alliance and entered
into political compact to have them
legislated into law.
Then 1T was that the fight was on;
then it was that men showed their
true colors; then it was that towards
''tool6 to the woods" The whole coun-
try, Georgia especially, is full of cow
ardly deserters who fled at the first
fire of the enemy. Deserters were not
all, they took up arms against their
former friends. Scores of loud-mouthed
fire eaters, who literally fayed the life
''out Of both old parties, are this
minute ensconced in fat offices, procur-
ed through peridy to their former
allies. They have been rewarded for
treason.
HOW THB PATRIOTS FOUGHT.
But the honest patriots, encouraged
by promises of support from their
western brethren made at St. Louis
and conscious of the business of their
cause, pressed forward and attempted
to stay the hand of the oppressor.
This first battle was fought in 1892
against great odds. A party, well Or
gained, was met entrenched behind
unlimited capital and led by unscrupu-
lous politicians. These were assisted
by a thou and or more trained speak
ers, as aides de-camp. headed with free
passes and tickets to lunch counters,
who had little regard for the truth and
less for the proprieties. But they were
backed by all the daily press and sus-
tanned by over one hundred and fifty
old established weekly papers in the
state. These alone were enough to
weaken the stoutest hearted But
reserve force had 10 be met consisting
of the railroad corporations, banking
institutions, manufacturers, big preach
ers, and land owners, to say nothing
of ward-heelers and cross road politi-
clans. Added to this array there were
three counters at every precinct, back
ed by the whole judiciary of the state.
Against all these and few stale eggs,
thrown in for good measure now and
then, the indomitable Col. Peek in the
lead, the old anarchist n'gger equal
izer'' was allowed about 10000 votes.
Faint heart never won fair lady,"
so the fight was continued until 1894,
with conditions little changed, when
Judge Hines, the jurist, was placed in
command, with every subterfuge known
to willy enemy thrown in his way.
Intimidation, coercion, money, whis-
key, ballot-box stuffing, counting out,
SANDER and abuse were continued
without let or hinderance. In spite of
all these $4,000 votes were counted for
Judge Hines. And up to this time few
fair-minded men will dare deny that
Hines was fairly elected, though coun-
ted out.