The representative., 1897-06-09
Strikes From the Shoulder.

Editor Representative:
In order to overthrow monopoly and
plutocracy and bring about other nee
essary reforms, it is conceded that all
reform forces must unite into one grand
army Of reform and fight under the
same banner, led by the same command
er-in-chief Yes, but which are those
sirable and necessary. The Evening
Press says that the great party Of re-
form is made up of various organized
or unorganized forces, but all standing
for essentially the same aim and ends"
Very we'll put, and for my part / sub
scribe to that Now, then, let us go q
step further and ask: Are the Populist,
silver Republican and Democrat parties
such forces that "all stand for essenti-
ally the same aim and ends?" We all
know that this is not so. AS to the
silver Republicans all they want is
bimetallism. Says Hon. Chas. A.
Towne to a Dispatch man the other
day: I'VE did not really leave the
party. The party abandoned it's ancient
position, and we stayed right where
we WERE" There you have 1t. The
silver Republicans are Republicans in
everything but the gold standard. Sup
pose the Republican party, at it's next
national convention, should declare in
favor of bimetallism at the rate of 32
to l or at any other rate-which is not
an impOssibility at all-the silver Re-
publicans would no doubt all go back to
this not so, the silver Republicans would
be found in the Populist party today
Therefore l cannot see, how they can
consistently be classed among the rS~
that monopoly can be destroyed, the
national bank-note iniquity abolished,
the transportation question settled and
solely by the introduction of bimetal-
lsm
Now what about the regenerated
Democratic party? l must confess that
l once was fool enough to believe that
that party if it got into power, would
bring about at least some of the re-
forms advocated by the Peoples party,
but it's conduct during the last cam
paign and it's actions up to date indicate
plainly that it's intention never was
and is not now to introduce any other
reforms than the remonetization OF
silver at the ratio of 16 to 1. More
over nobody needs to be surprised to
find the Democratic party captured by
goldocracy before we write 1900. At
any rate, let it first demonstrate that it
stands for essentially the same aims
and ends as the Peoples party ere
we talk any more about the union OF
forces
Again, when the re-generated Demo-
cratic party has made such progress in
the reformation of itself that it adopts
the Omaha platform with the initiative
and referendum thrown in, then and
not till then will we Populists take into
consideration the proposition of break
ing ranks and calling ourselves Demo-
Gratis
Long live the Peoples party. Pereat
fusion
AS to the Nashville conference would
committee of the Peoples party ought
to consider itself sighted in the least
on that account. The truest and wisest
reformers will sometimes differ as to
ways and means to be applied, and
nobody has any right to cry treason
because of such differences. Such pro-
ceedings SAVIOR of stop thief" 1t Is
not at all understood and there is
no reason whatever that a conference,
to be held by Populists, is to lead to a
split in the POpulist party any more
than a conference held by silver Re-
publicans would cause a split among
them We are not aware that a meet
ing of refOrmers ever endangered the
cause of reform. Gen. Standish informs
us that in 1896 we elected % congress-
men, governors and more senators
than We had before This being the
case, then I presume the general can
tell us also how many more votes the
| Peoples party pOlled in 1896 than we
| had before? If not, perhaps he will
admit that it is not any too soon to
set about finding out where we are
| at Yours for reform,
A d ONCDODEC
Henning, Mimi.