The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-01-11
PLEA MADE TO THE PoPULISTS
WAsHBURN URGES THEM TO STAND
BY THEIR PARTY.

lists Do Not stand For Redemp-
ton Money, But For n Scientific
DoIIar-A Living Issue with Both
Wings of the Gold Forces.
Boston, Mass, Jan. 10--George f. Wash
burn, member of the peoples party ma
tional executive committee, and chairman
of the western headquarters during the
late campaign, has issued the following
appeal to the populists of the United
States:
AN appeal to the populists of the United
States:
1--WE are to be congratulated upon the
growth Of our party and the fact that in
the recent election nearly half the voters
of the union Endorsed much of our plat
form. Our party alone has a voting force
larger than that which Lincoln polled
and an able and effective reform press of
nearly 10000 papers. We hold the balance
of power in the United States Senate,
and have four times as many congress
men as ever before. We united with the
silver forces in the recent campaign-no-
because we believe free coinage of silver
is the solution of the financial problem
but because it would better existing con-
ditions would meet with the least resist
ance, and become the entering wedge for
our main issue, viz, full legal tender paper
money issued and regulated by the govern
ment Having proved our loyalty at the
| polls, we are free to act separately on adj
vanced lines and to emphasize the real is
sues our party was born to advocate. We
cannot in honor lay down our arms and
! cease our activity until the war for which
we enlisted has ended in victory for our
| cause.
THE democratic party proposes to con-
tinue the silver fight. Two parties cannot
| exist on the same issue. The greater alb
| serbs the smaller. Therefore, If we re-
main mere camp followers of another par
| ty, disintegration will result. Our party
! success alone forced the democrats to
adopt the Chicago platform and nominate
| a popocrat for President. Converts made
| by party regularity cannot be trusted with
| the reforms of the future. We are not dem
ocrats, and cannot be classed as such. We
| simply united for single cam
paign. The democrats are but the rear
| guard of our own party. We do not stand
! upon redemption money, but for scienr
| tifc dollar, kept invariable by proper reg
| ulation of the money volume. The mil
! lions of converts to silver during the re-
| cent campaign must advance. They will
not remain where they are. We must ed
! ucate them up to the main issue and the
time to do it is now, not just before a
presidential election. We must also hold
! the democratic party to its present posi-
ton or compel it to advance.
president Cleveland supplies us with
fresh incentive for renewed effort in his
! official demand for the retirement of the
greenbaeks and the issue and control of
paper money Except coin certifcates) by
the banks. Senator Quay says this should
be made an issue by the republicans and
| advocates of the substitution of United
States notes payable in gold, for the green
| backs.
Here we have living issue with both
| wings of the gold forces, which brings our
| main question to the front: Shall the pa
! per money of the country be issued and
| regulated by the people or by the banks?
| This will precipitate hot debate in con-
| gress that will cause public attention upon
| the relative merits of scientific and re-
| demption money, which will become the
| absorbing question of the day, just as the
| silver movement followed the silver debate
| year ago, and will afford our senators
| and congressman an opportunity to meas
| ure the true attitude of the silver demo-
| cratic and republican leaders on an issue
| vital to our party and the welfare of the
| country, and to determine to what extent
our recent allies can be depended upon.
The proposed retirement of the green
| DICKS anu the ulSCuHSiOn VI NnG IdClllC
| railroad question will bring before con-
gress the two strongest measures of our
| platform; and whatever issues the other
! parties may adopt, the logic of events will
so force upon both congress and the peo-
| pie the consideration of these measures as
to overshadow all others and win to our
ranks thousands of voters from both the
| republican and democratic parties.
| Let us act with patriotism, courage
and sagacity. Let us lose no time. II any
lack incentive, 1t will be found in the
intense suffering everywhere and In the
| increasing arrogance, lawlessness and
heartlessness of the trusts and monopo-
lies. Against their power we put princl-
pie, against their money we match man
hood, and urge all populists to continue
this contest during the next four years,
| and then hold an early national conven-
ton to strike the key note of the next
| presidential campaign, or If desirable es-
tablish an honorable alliance on leading
issues.
81 also suggest that a national confer
ence of party leaders and workers be held
as soon as practicable, that we may have
a full and free expression of opinion re-
garding our future work, We hope there
fore that the reform press will give the
fullest possible exposition of their views
of this important subject; and our
friends are invited to write me or our ma
tional chairman expressing their ideas on
posed.
"shan we march to victory under our
own banner, or continue as stragglers I'M
der another? George l.. Washburn."
In commenting upon the appeal MIR.
| Washburn gives the following reasons for
its publication: II believe the silver de.n-
ocrats silver republicans and populists,
constituting the allied forces, will decide
to work separately, but on parallel lines
during the next four years. In this way
..Ffn ega.Ff4 afFsNaa 1T,
II combined four years hence, will give an
impetus TO the campaign which II would
lack. II the three worked together during
All that time. We have other issues OF
greater Importance than the free coinage
OF silver though It will remain part OF
our platform.
Then, again, should other questions oc-
cupy public attention or should the re-
publicans secure some form OF internal
tional agreementh VI will leave the demo-
Gratis stranded high and dry and we do not
propose to be caught in such p-cd!cs-
/