The record-union., 1897-02-08
WASHBURNE And EDGERTON.
THE FORr1ER ANSWERS THE
LETTER OF THE LATTER.
Insists That the Peoples Party Will
be Absorbed Unless 1t Sticks to
Its Main Issue.

burn, Chairman of the Executive Com
| mittee of the Peoples party of Massa-
| chusetts, who recently issued a mani
festo calling for the Peoples party tc
| separate the Peoples party from the
Democrats and suggested the calling OF
a convention, which appeal was replied
| to by Hon. J. A. EdgertOn, Secretary OF
| the National Committee of the PeO-
| pies part has made the following reply
| to Mr. Edgertons recent letter:
Boston, Mass, February I, 1897.
Hon. J. A. Edgerton, Secretary Peo-
pies Party National Committee, Lin
coin, Neb.-Dear Sir: 1 congratulate
you on your very able letter. 1t is
plausible and would do credit to an
adroit lawyer with weak case, but you
have not made plain why two parties
should force one issue, nor have you rea-
soned away the actual dangers that
threaten the life Of our party and the
reform press.
/ do not favor the abandonment of sill
yer or any change in the platform and
my appeal must not be construed to
mean that you do not discriminate be-
tween plankS. We made subordinate
plank of the issue, trusting to win by
aid Of alliance. In the order of the plat
form, scientific money comes first. we
forced the Democrats to champion Sill
Yer, but we stand ready to defend 1T
when necessary. / have received hun
dreds of letters coming from nearly
every State in the Union, representing
every faction of the party and including
nearly every leader and the unanimous
lot
Your letter bears the distinction of
being the only one opposed to the
Rocky Mountain News" the only paper
so far as received. While | do not
ascribe to you the intent, nevertheless
your plan of having an identical issue
with the Democrats would result in
union of the Populistic lambs and the
Tammany tiger, but with the former in
side the latter While it was possible to
unite during 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 humll-
late our brave people, while mine would
inspire and ennoble them. You favor re-
tanning the subordinate plank as an is
sue | favor making the main one which
includes yours, the issue You favor a
plan that would factionize the party and
divide the West and South. | favor a
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 the discussion
when the people want to talk about
them. You favor plan that would add
thousands of adherents to another
party. l favor one that would add thou
sands of adherents to our own. Fusion
for a 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 sohuld we invite similar fate?
You favor an issue that may be aban-
doned by the Democrats through some
form of compromise. l favor a plan
that would not be affected by these
changes. You favor a plan that would
enable the Democrats to absorb the
Peoples party and pave the way for
a union of the two wings of Democracy.
leaving the future of reform a forlorn
the Democrats to advance to our posi-
ton rather than to recede from theirs
You favor a plan that would wreck
and ruin all the reform papers of the
land. | favor a plan that would pre-
serve and prosper them. Should other
questions absorb the attention of the
people or should any international
agreement be reached by the Republi-
cans it would leave the silver forces
stranded without an issue and afford
them an excuse for backsliding. The
issues | favor are the ones that will
command the attention Of the people
during the next four years. Why at
tempt to force one issue when the peo-
pie will discuss the others?
This move on the part of the Popu-
lists will place our party at the head of
the column of reform. with the Demo-
Gratis protecting the rear. Our defense
OF the greenbacks will add thousands
of voters TO our ranks. The radicals
of day are the conservatives of to-
morrow.
If we educate the people between
elections on scientific money, metal
money viii become the conservative
measure ef the future, until the inva-
riable paper dollar shall finally take its
turn and become the money of all ma
tions. The next battle may be fought
on scientific VS.. metal money.
There VIII be an informal, unofficial
conference in Memphis, Tenn, Febru-
ary 2od. Il will be attended by leaders
of the party from every section of the
country. l believe the resolutions
adopted at the time will be 50 emphat-