The Louisiana populist., 1897-07-23

tlOIi tiluu IliC ClNOISCtISuI Va tildt
nomination would have been to
make the success of the gold stand
ard, in the person of Mr.. Mckin-
ley, doubIy assured, we looked up
on the action of the Populist con-
vention, in endorsing the work of
the Democratic convention, as the
part of the highest patriotism. We
would have greatly regretted last
summer if the Populist convention
had taken any other course. If,
indeed, it had been fated for the
PopuIist convention to meet before
the Democratic, the Chicago con-
vention might have been constrain
cd to follow the lead Of the Popu-
list convention even as the st. Lou
is convention followed the lead of
the Chicago convention and it
might, we believe it would, have
been better for the cause Of the
people. But because Senator But
Ter made a mistake in postponing
the holding of the Populist con-
vention until after the meeting OF
the Democratic convention, as we
believe he did, or because he erred,
as we believe he did not, in leading
the Populist convention to endorse
the work Of the Democratic, is no
reason to accuse him Of being false
to his party.
We ask NO man to compromise
his political principles, for princi-
pies can no more be compromised
than religious beliefs. But we
have dissension, a breach Of unity,
among those who entertain the
same political beliefs, we have dis
sensions bred of jealousies, and
such dissensions certainly can and
should be mastered, If we cannot
master our jealousies, our petty
dissensions, we are unworthy OF
our professed aims.
And for good reason, or for bad,
we have a schism in the Peoples
party. But whatever the reason
for that schism, that schism must
be healed before the Peoples
party can become power. There
is no room or occasion for dissen-
sions among those of the same
faith, yet dissensions we have. To
heal them is necessity. The de-
sire to do so, the belief that Sena-
tor Butler is untrue to his party,
responsible for the schism, and that
the party direction must be taken
from his hands in order to heal the
dissensions, led to the assembling
of the late Nashville conference to
devise means for the reorganiza-
tion of the Peoples party. That
conference, thoroughly representa-
tive of a goodly part of the Popu-
list party, acted with commendable
self-control, without display Of
prejudice or petty feeling. The
sum of it's nbOrs and conclusions
it boiled down into an address to
the people Of the United States
declaring that the Peoples party
was born to live not to die, that the
aims of the party could not be ad
vanced by smothering the party
identity in fusion deals. with the
Democratic party, that the Peo-
pies party can better serve its
purposes by maintining lis indie
pendence than by subordinating
itself to another party, and that,
therefore, fusion arrangements,
whereby the party loses its identi-
ty and sacrifices the advancement
of all but one of its aims for the
advancement of that one, cannot
be regarded as permissible by
good Populists.
The address, or rather appeal,
of the Nashville conference for
union has in parts the ring Of lofty
patriotism; it is ever marked by a
spirit of rare toleration for those
who entertain honest differences Of
opinion, a liberation doubly COM
mendable in conference growing
out Of political schism. ''Let
dissensions cease" reads the ad-
dress. ''Close up the gaps and
forward to victory. Let every
Populist become q missionary, to
prosclyte the unthinking and con-
vert the mistaken. Let us meet
prejudices with facts, passion with
patience and ignorance with intel
ligence. The fat Of God must be
respected: Let there be light. y
A shipment OF produce was re-
| Gently made from Hitchcock which
sold for S1O7O. Of this amount