The Portland daily press., 1897-01-11
POPULSTS BREAK AWAY.
Will No Longer Work With Silver
Democrats.
COMMITTEEMAN WASHBURNE is
SUES AN APPEAL,

CougratuIates His Party on Its Prosperity
and Maps Out Work for the Future
Thinks Bryan Will Come to Front
Again.
Boston, January 10.-George +. Wash
burn, member of the Peoples party ma
tional executive committee and chairman
Of the western headquarters during the
campaign, has issued an appeal to the
Populists of the United States. The ap-
peal ooneratulates the party on the re-
suit of the recent election In that near
ly half the voters of the Union support
ing their platform, and that the party
elected several governors and have four
times as many congressman rs ever be-
fore.
It says that they united with the silver
forces because they believed free silver
was but the entering wedge for the is
sue of unrsdeemable paper currency by
the government, but declares that they
cannot continue as camp followers of
the Democratic party.
We are not Democrats, it says, and can
not be classed as such. We simply united
for single campaign. The Democratic
party is but the rear guard of our own.
We do not stand for redemption money,
but for scientific dollar, kept invari-
able by proIer regulation of the money
Volume.
The proposed retirement of the green
backs and the discussion of the Pacific
railroad question will bring before Con-
gress the two strongest measures of our
platform government ownership Of
railroads and issue of paper money by
goyernment), and whatever issue thesoth-
er parties may adopt, the logic of events
will SO force upon both Congress and
the people the consideration Of these
measures as to overshadow all others
and win to our rsnks thousands of vot-
ers from both the Republican ana Demo-
cratic parties
The appeal urges Populists to continue
the contest during the next four years
and suggests that national conference
Of party leaders and workers be held as
soon as practicable, that they may have
full and free expression OF opinion RS
garding our future work.
In com menting upon the above Mr..
Washburn says: SI believe the silver
Democrats, Silver Republicans and Popu-
lists, constituting allied forces, will de-
eide to work separately but on parallel
lines during the next four years. We
have other issues of greater Importance
than the free coinage of silver, though
il will remain part ef our platform.
Should other questions occupy public at
tention, or should the Republicans Sc
| cure some form of international agree
ment it will leave the Democrats strand
| ed, high and dry, and we do not propose
| to be caught in such predicament.
"When the silver question was dis
oussed In Congress, the Populists led the
| Qht in its defence and not Dnly forced
the issue upon the country, but oom-
PEELED the Democrats to support it. Now
In like manner, when she discussion OF
the retirement Of greenb backs and the
government ownership of the Pacific
railroad are precipitated in Congress, it
will involve the whole question OF gov
eminent paper money and government
ownership of railroads which will be-
come the absorbing su bjects of discus
sion by Congress, the press and people.
| cit would be folly for the Populists to
try to force the silver issue when the
whole country ia to discuss another. I
believe our defence of greenbacks the
soldiers money, will win thousands of
Republicans AMI Demcorast to our
ranks. Mr.. Bryan is far ahead of his
party and is often spoken of as Popu-
| list. Should the issues we raise become
the discussion of the whole country, and
MIR. Bryan should champion them as he
has silver, it is easy to predict the re-
suit in 1900. ~