The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1897-06-09
CUNNING
A DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY TO BRIDE
POPULIST LEADERS TO DESERT
THE PEOPLES PARTY.
Another Branch Of the scheme That
Are Being Worked In MinnesOta
Let Our People stand
Together.

making their own distinctive nominal
lions for president and vice president,
yet, when the verdict Of the convention
and did all in our power to secure the
| election of Mr.. Bryan, canvassing sew
eral states in his behalf, and issuing
an appeal, in the crisis of the campaign
votes. We believed then and we believe
now, that it would have been easier to
have united the Populist and Demo-
cratic votes on joint electors, agreed
on in the several states, than to force
| them into the support of the same ma
tional candidates.
After the loss of the battle of 1896
all we asked was that all Populists
| should stand by the Peoples party to
! strengthen it and build it up; and, while
maintaining cordial and kindly rela-
! tons with our late allies, preserve our
| own autonomy and identity, as party,
and leave the future to settle the ques-
| tons of party expediency as the occas-
ions for the same might arise We re:
garded it as highly probable that the
same necessity which forced us together
| in 1896 would force us together in 1900;
but We did not deem it wise to say
| what we would do as a party, three or
| four years before the occasion arose;
| for we could not foresee what changes
of conditions, events, death, etc, might
work in the meantime No man, even
in the simplest affairs of life can tell
what he will do or what he will not
do, four years from now. The passage
of free silver bill by congress, and
| there is no telling what extremes of
| action the dreadful state of our finances
and the universal bankruptcy Of the
| people, may drive the dominant party
to adopt, would end the career of any
| party which has set it's all upon the
hazard of that question. But the Peo-
pies party is builded upon something
broader than the issue of the remone-
tization of silverdi Among it's declara-
tons, in the Omaha platform were
! these:
WEALTH BEf.oNGs TO HIM WHO
CREATES TT! EVERY DOLLAR TAX
EN- FROM INDUSTRY WITHOUT AN
EQUIVALENT IS ROBBERY. IF A
MAN w1LLl6of WORK NEITHER
SHALL HE EAT THE INTERESTS
OF RURAL AND URBAN LABOR ARE
! THIN cANrD ,r1ICrD HNYEMJEC ABE,
IDENTICAL" =, ..~
| These are principles as grand as those
of the Declaration of independence.
They are eternaI Tney rest upon tile
fundamental rights of human nature.
| They reach down to the central core
of the divine purposes. Along side of
these the question of opening the minis
to the free coinage Of silver bullion is a
trivial, temporary and incidental issue.
The Democratic party did not in 1896
and do not now, appreciate the gravity
and grandeur of these principles; nor
did they then or do they now do justice
to the greatness and nobleness of pur-
| pose of the men who advocated them.
Their whole intent seemed to be to steal
our platform and ignore and condemn
those who built it. They appeared to
be determined to capture our following,
| and, at the same time, force us, while
| voting for Mr.. Bryan, whom we admired
and loved, to swallow man for vice
| president who was a railroad official,
monopolist. a millionaire, and who in
deed represented everything detestable
which our party had been organized
to battle against.
And now instead of letting the Peo-
pies party alone, to work out it's des-
tiny in it's own way, they have set men
like Sidney NJ Owen at work in every
state. to insist that the Peoples party
must disband; must give up its name
and principles, and die the death, so tina.
it's membership may be swallowed Up
by the Democracy
Our readers will be astonished to
learn that an organization has been
formed to bride the leaders of the Peo-
pies party with promises Of money and
office, to go over to the Democracy But
such is the fact
On June 3, 1897, we were in Still
water, Mimi, and were called upon by
Hon. Geo. T. Tifin, of Springfield, Mo-
who had come there to counsel with
us. We had met him in several ma
tional Popuist conventions we knew
! him tn no truo and able man. no wac
the Peoples party candidate for con-
gress last fail in the district in which
he resides: he had never cast vote fol
either of the old parties, but had several
times canvasseu Missouri for the Popu
list ticket
He was in great distress of mind over
the outlook for our party He said
there was a determined purpose on thu
part of certain Democrats to destroy
the Peoples party. and in proof of thai
allegation i- ia1r''eti liz the following
extraordinary document. 1t was post
marked at st. Louis, May 80. 1897. anc
addressed tol him at Springfield Mo
He gave us leave to use it. 1t is i print
ei cirsuiar, showing that many copie,
are being sent or end sent out. as Z,
believe. mainly 10 prominent rApslis
xtnmp-speakers sbld organizers
J The following = The letter:
Il THE NATIONAL VOLUNTHfNS or
j, DEMOCRACY. 'EH
/ =. .Eureaa, of Volunteer Spe1ksers