The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1897-07-22
THE NASHVILLE
CONFERENCE,

CONFERENCE.
They Issue an Address and Threat
en- to Bolt the Next National
Convention.
A NATIONAL COMMITTEE
Appointed and This Committas A athor.
ICED TO Call . National Convention 10,
This Eaction-Ths Address Published In
Full and the National Orssniz.tisn Com
mittee.
TO THE PEOPLE S PARTY OF THE UNI
TED STATES.
DisclaiminR any intention to die
tate to the Populist voters of the
United States. or any feeling of bit
terness towards those who may have
honestly differed from us in the past
on matters Of party policy. in the
words Of the immortal Lincoln.
"With malice toward none, with
charity for all,' with firmness in the
right as God gives us to see the
right; we submit to every patriotic
citizen the following address:
In 1891 there was organized at
Cincinnati great political party,
whose principles were as vast an In
novation upon existing beliefs az
were the grand generalization of
Thomas Jefferson IN the Declarat ton
of Independence an advance upon
ideas commonly held by the world in
1776.
The latter proclaimed the legal
equality of all men, and their right
to liberty and happiness; the former
declared that government is q mere
instrumentality, formed by all for
the enforcement of the welfare of
all; that labor of brain and Drawn is
the sole parent of prosperity, society
and civilization. That wealth be-
longs to him who creates it, and that
every dollar taken from industry,
without an equivalent. is robbery,
that if any man will not work,
neither shall he eat; that the inter
ests of rural and civic labor are the
same. while their enemies are iden-
teal"
These ideas are the natual se-
quence and supplement to the Dec
laration of Independence. Without
them the words Of Jt fferson are a
mere "brutum fulmen." The right
to "pursue happiness is of no avail
if men are prevented by misgovern-
ment from attaining it. Liberty is
but an idle word If the human family
are to be swept through poverty and
suffering in bondage. Life itself is
not worth having at the price OF
shame and degradation. The New
World is no better than the Old
World if the condition of the people
is the same.
We escaped from England in 1776.
We are again her subjects in 1897
We are not permitted to pass laws
necessary for our own welfare, with
outh consent; and that consent can.
not be had since she thrives by
plundering us.
Cheap production in the United
States means cheap supplies for he1
citizens. Instead of a sovereign
people, leading the world to hiehe,
levels of state-craft and develop
ment, as the greatest, most power
full and most thoroughly educated
Commonwealth on earth, we are
dwarfed into mere provincials, toll
ing to enrich our cunning masters
side by side with the starving Hin
doc, the wretched Egyptian and tht
impoverished Irishman.
The Peoples party was born to iv.
and not to die. 1t was created no
to put a few IN Office, but to give t.
all men that happiness guaranteed
by the constitution of the United
States. The conditions which fv,
years ago demanded the esta blish
ment of our organization, insist to
day, with ten-fold force, that it shall
live as long as a single wrong exist
unrighted on the face of the earth.
To resist these evils, we organized
in 1891. We meet in 1897 to renew
the faith; to proclaim that the bat
tie is not yet over; that 1t is just be
ginning, and that we will continu'
the good fight as long as God let's u
live.
While we have the largest tolera
ton for all honest differences o
opinion, and will welcome to ou
ranks all patriots, We declare tina
those who think the party ought t,
die have no more place in Its rank
than Benedict Arnold had in tn
Continental army or Judas 1scario
in the Christian church. Fidelity t.
principle is above all other consider
ations, since such fidelity means tn
greatness and happiness of the hu
man race.
| While we have nothing but kindl
feelings towards the rank and file Q
our late allies, we do not believe tina
) the question of free silver is in itsel
a broad enough platform for a ms
tional party. The reconciliation q
silver would, we believe, increas
the price of labor and it's production
by increasing the supply of money
and il is therefore q matter of th
utmost consequence to all the peopl
of the United States; but it must NJ
, be forgotten that the opening Of th
. mints to silver would not decreas
one iota the robheries of the corp'
!, rations, the usurers, the ring and th
.. trusts. 1t will avail nolhing to ad
to the value of labor and its produ
tions if the exactions of plumbers Al
, permitted to increase IN equal
greater proportion.
.. As our Democratic brethren hs
! not patriotism enough to adopt fr,
> silver until we had popularized j
would they not slump back to the
!. first wretched state If the People
party were to stop its missional
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