The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-02-08
ANOTHER CHAPTER IN THE POPU-
LISTIC FRACTIONAL QUAR-
REL.
CHAIRMAN WASHBURN'S REPLY
TO THE CAUSTIC CRITICISMS OF
HIS MANIFESTO BY COMMIT
TEEMAN EDGERTON.
AT OUTS REGARDING ISSUES
The Chairman and His Followers
Favor Cutting Loose From
SilVerites.

BOSTON, Mass, Feb. 7.-Geerge F.
committee of the Peoples party Of
Massachusetts, who recently issued a
manifesto calling for the Peoples party
to separate that party from the DEM
ocrats, and suggested the calling of q
convention, which appeal was replied
to by Hon. ]. A. Edgerton, secretary
of the national committee of the
Peoples party, has made the following
reply to Mr.. Edgerton's recent letter:
l congratulate you on your very able letter.
1t is plausible and would do credit to an
adroit lawyer with a weak case, but you
have not made plain why two parties should
force one issue, nor have you reasoned away
the actual dangers that threaten the life of
our party and the reform press
l do not favor the abandonment of silver
or any change in the platform, and my ap-
peal must not be construed to mean that
you do not discriminate between planks. We
made subordinate plank the ISSUE trust
ing to win by aid of the alliance In the
order Of the platform; scientific money
comes first. We forced the Democrats to
champion silver, but we stand ready to de-
fend it when necessary.
l have received hundreds Of letters COM
Ing from nearly every state in the Union,
representing every faction of the party and
including nearly every leader, and the unani-
nous sentiment sustains my appeal. Your
letter bears the distinction of being the only
one opposed, and the Rocky Mountain News
the only paper, so far received
While do not ascribe to you the intent
nevertheless, your plan Of having an identi-
cal issue with the Democrats would result in
union of the Populistic lamb and the Tam
many tiger, but with the former inside the
latter. While it was possible to unite dur
ing a fighting campaign, it is not wise to
continue the union during an educational one
Your plan would force US to follow the
Democrats under their banner when We
should lead them under our own. Your plan
would humiliate our brave people, while
mine would inspire and enable and ennoble
them. You favor retaining a subordinate
plank as an issue. 1 favor making the main
one, which includes yours the issue.
You favor plan that would factioniZe the
party and divide the West and South.
favor plan that would unite all factions and
lead to victory You favor plan that would
suppress our main planks. l favor a plan
that would open them to discussion when
the people want to talk about them. You
favor plan that would add thousands Of
adherents to anotheS party. 1 favor one that
would add thousands of adherents to our own.
tuslon for campaign may be politics.
but permanent fusion on Identical issues
means absorption and disintegration for our
party. Disintegration from the same cause
killed the Greenback party. Why should we
invite a similar fate?
You favor an issue that may be abandoned
by the Democrats through some form of COM
promise. l favor a plan that would not be
aHected by these changes. You favor a plan
tldL WOufQ enable the democrats to absorb
the Populists and pave the way for a union
OF the two wings Of Democracy, leaving the
future of reform forlorn hope. | favor a
plan that would force the Democrats to ad-
vance TO our position rather than to recede
from theirs.
You favor a plan that would wreck and ruin
all the reform papers of the land | favor
plan that would preserve and prosper them
Should other questions absorb the attention
of the people or should an international agree
ment be reached by the Republicans, it would
leave the silver forces stranded without an
issue and afford them an excuse for back
sliding.
The issues I favor are the ones that will
command the attention Of the people dur
ing the next four years. Why attempt to
force one issue when the people will discuss
the others.
This move on the part Of the Populists will
place our party at the head of the column
or reform, with the Democrats protecting the
rear. Our defense of the greenbacks will
add thousands Of voters to our ranks
The radicals Of today are the conservatives
OF tomorrow. If we educate the people be-
tween elections on scientific money, metal
money will become the conservative measure
OF the future, until the invariable paper
dollar shall finally take its turn and become
the money of all nations. The next battle
may be fought on scientific vs. metal money.
There will be an informal unofficial con-
ference in Memphis. Tenn, on Feb % It
will be attended by leaders Of the party from
every section Of the country. I believe the
resolutions adopted at that time will he so
emphatically in favor of Independent action
as TO lead to the official Endorsement by orr
national committee. In calling a separate
conference. you have unwisely added to the
confusion. Yours fraternally
n