The Forrest City times., 1897-09-17
BACK TO HIS FIRST LOVE
Hon. Homer Prince Announces His
 Return to the Democratic Party.
Calmly and Logically states His Reasons Therefor-The Populist Party Hope lessly Divided and It's Days of
 Usefulness Are Past.
The last issue of the Searcy Beacon contained the following announcements:


 of the Beacon it is best to have thorough understanding at the outset with our patrons and others.
 For eight years we have been in the news- paper business in Searcy. and during thai period have advocated such measures and principles we thought for the best. It became necessary in the course of duty, as we saw 1t, to antagonize the democratic party and its leaders, and we discharged that duty to the best of our ability For that we have no apol- ogy to make. Believing in certain funda- mental principles and convinced that the dem ocratic pIrty as then constituted would not endorse or seek to eugraft them on our laws. we made the fight outside its ranks We hoped that good would result from such course. Hundreds of thousands of good men and true thought likewise. For time our hopes were bright and rejoiced over the conviction that the disarected elements of all parties would unite and force the enactment of such laws as would bring relief to the great masses of the people. We hoped that the people would forget parties and cling to principles; that a revival of patriotic sentiment would sweep over the land
 When the campaign Of 1896 was inaugurated, prior to the holding of the three great national conventions, we foresaw the disintegration which must follow It was then that we hoped for good results. Following the split in the republican ranks came the convention at Chi cago which nominated the great silver leader of the west for president and adopted as the declaration of the democratic party nearly all of the vital principles for which populists had been contending. No well informed man will deny that it was an honest and sincere decla- ration it was the parting of the ways between the antagonistic elements in the party. The corporate power which had so long dominated the party was overthrown-banished from it's councils
 Another great convention met at St Louis in the deliberations of which ve had the honor to participate. We believed then that a union of the west and south on one national ticket would defeat republicanism; we believe it now. The two sections should be inseparable politi- cally because of a similarity of interests. The results of that campaign caused us to enter more deeply into the study of existing condi- tions, and forced on us the conclusion that we could never secure relief from oppression so long as we were divided into contending armies. Since that campaign the populists leaders have done nothing to bring about a reconcilia- tion of the antagonistic elements within it's ranks; on the contrary they seem bent on the complete destruction of the party, and have practically succeeded
 The question now, for all honest men to de- eide, is how best to secure the necessary legis- lative relief Can it be done through a shat tered, broken. strife ridden organization, one which presents far stronger and more compact front: The peoples party is hope lessly divided. In the west it has fused with the free silver element of the democratic and republican parties; in the north and east it has no hold on the people, while 1t is too weak to accomplish anything in the south. It can elect few local officers here and there but that only results in individual benefit and does not bring us one whit nearer the goal of relief from corporate greed and legislative robbery. We have debated this question long and earnestly, putting aside prejudice and reasoning out the solution. and can see no hope in the future for the peoples party. The older and really parent organization democracy has placed it in an unenviable position-that of contending for a name when principles at stake-one which cannot be defended with any degree of success. It has fulfilled its mission-that of arousing public sentiment and it grand work, but it's future is hopeless
 It has been charged that the democrats appropriated. or stole, at Chicago (and in Ar kansas) the entire platform of the peoples party It is a fact that there is little difference in the two platforms and that the voter of one might endorse the other without outraging his sense of duty. It Is also quite true that in the last campaign the principle objection raised by populist speakers and writers to democratic candidates was that of sincerity. It was de- clared that their promises were not to be relied upon and the past was called forth to stand as witness againt the future. The atti- tude of certain populists in congress precludes the repetition of the charge that broken promise is valid reason for objection to party Truth compels the statement that the populist legislators. as body have been a great disap- pointment, to say the least. They have not voiced the will Of the people at large. and sell dom Of their own constituents at home. Failure is written in livid letters on the party diadem. But this is not the fault of the masses, whose intentions are good but of the leaders have he anfz fin that 1t cannot now, in my judgment, success fully continue the struggle for relief.
 The pOpulists have always contended that they held principles above party-that a name was nothing-and with that view we have always agreed. If the principles now advo- cated by the reorganized democracy do in all essentials, coincide with those of the populists then we fail to see wherein anything is gained by fighting each other instead of the common enemy. It should be matter of principle and not one of party success. or more properly. ofice holding. Holding to this view. we shall hereafter do all our fighting on the democratic side where there is some hope of reaping the reward we have sought for so many years and that reward is relief for the masses We have not arrived at this conclusion hastily but after more than year of consideration, and the policy Of the Economist would have been changed had 1t not been destroyed by fire
 We did not leave the democratic party in plque or through spite, nor do we return in that spirit Having never sought official honors nor allowed the of our name in such connection. we cannot be accused of act ing through disappointment We are well aware that our course will be criticised bv those of our friends who do not agree with us upon the wisdom of this act but as we are gov erned by sense of right we feel no regret. In fact, we are accustomed to criticism and don't object in the least We have the kindest feel former know that very large majority of them are governed by conscientious motives and honor them for acting according to the dictates of their hearts. The Beacon will not be found among those papers which abuse and berate them, but will accord to them the right to thelr own opinions. We wish to continue as good friends Come around and let's talk H over HOMER PRINCE
 Addisor, pilln.