The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1897-07-14
WHY THEY REFUSED TO COOPER
ATE.

mittee of Iowa to the People.
An attempt has been made in Iowa
| to unite all parties that favor free sill
yer in behalf of one ticket; and a large
| number OF Populists withdrew and will
set up their own ticket They have
put forth an address, setting forth the
reasons for their action, from which we
make the following extracts for the in
formation of our subscribers:
| Up to within the last Two years the
Peoples party of Iowa has been an
active and aggressive political force in
the state. 1t fought it's own battles
against all corners, kent it's own course
and defied all opponents in the field of
politics and political philosophy 1t was
harmonious within it's own ranks and
courted favors from none. It was united
upon the principles enunciated in the
Omaha national platform and it rapidly
Increased it's membership, drawing al
most equally from both opposing par
tles About two years or 50 ago some
OF our trusted leaders began to use So
ductive influences upon the party and
to advocate fusion with the Democratic
party. At the convention of 1895 this
took shape by Gen. Weaver persistently
and strenuously insisting upon the nom
ination by that Convention Of Fred
White for governor, with assurance that
the Democrats were almost certain to
also nominate him. The Peoples party
at that time had moral stamina and
party discipline enough to refuse to do
So and nominated a straight ticket with
S. B. Crane at it's head *.
During months following that con-
vention the silver question was pushed
to the front and an effort was made
to make it the dominant issue; in fact.
matters were SO skillfully managed thz
at the spring convention of 1896, the
conspirators against the life of the par
ty almost succeeded in committing the
party to single silver plank
When charged with trying to commit
the party to single Issue the leaders
seeking to thus emasculate and weaken
the party shrewdly denied any such in
tention, but at the same time sought to
instill the idea that the people would
| listen to but one issue at time. When
the party assembled in national conven-
| ton at St. Louis it was demanded of it
that it should indorse the Democratic
nomination of Bryan and Sewall and
we were implored to make the free COIN
age of silver the issue :. for this cam
paign.''
| The local and state campaigns were
| assumed by the Democratic manage
ment, Peoples party committees ignored
and the state flooded with Democratic
| orators to educate Populists on the
| money question. While our leaders lost
no opportunity to assure us that we
were retaining our organization and
Identity, yet we were not permitted or
| encouraged to enter into the manage
ment OF conduct of the campaign.
All through the intervening months
the conspirators have been at work
| undermining the party. AS soon as the
| call was made for the Democratic state
nominating convention at Ottumwa
| they assumed the right to attend that
convention and enter into an agreement
with the Democratic leaders parceling
| out the offices between them and the
Peoples party, and leaving to our con-
veniOn, which met a month later. the
high privilege Of indorsing their self
assumed work in perfunctory manner
This also was submitted to by a docile
constituency. Ever since then every
method known to the shrewd, unscru-
pulous Mephistophiles of Iowa was re-
sorted to to break down all party spirit.
all party organization and all party dis
cipline and to obliterate If possible all
trace OF difference between POpulists
and Democrats. They were told that
the Democrats had become Populists
and there was no difference between
them excepting a mere matter of name,
whereas as matter of fact there is no
substantial agreement between the two
parties excepting upon the one issue of
the coinage of gold and silver at the
ratio of l to 49, Those Of us who dared
to stand for our party were denounced
as traitors because, forsooth, We refused
to become party traitors, 9s4s{n 80
For the sake of brevity let us hasten
on to quite recent events. In May the
chairman Of the central Committee
called it together, but few came There
were not more than three members of
the committee there, although one or
two more represented by proxies, one of
which was held by J. B. Weaver. Here
again it was practically decided what
the party should do and hovo the Offices
should be allotted. Then came the most
Infamous and villainous act Of 1all::2 the
call for the state convention. In this
| call the bars of party lines were entirely
thrown down by the insertion of the
following clause: >
All voters of Iowa who are opposed
to fostering the interest of capital at
the expense of industry, which has been
the policy Of the Republican party and
OF the late Cleveland administration.
are cordially invited to participate IN
the primaries for the selection OF dele.