Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1897-12-22
LET'S BE LIBERAL.

son for it. Men Will differ in their
views as long as time lasts and all may
be honest. We have read numerous
communications on this subject but
none occur to us more favorably than
the following from the pen of w. A.
Turner in the Oklahoma (Guthrie)
Representative. We submit it as a
PLAIN statement of facts and sound log
ic.
Ed. Representative: l was greatly
interested in your article Threatened
Secession" and desire to say Mr.. Bar
ker and MIR. Morgan may be very bad
people, but my experience does not JUS
tity me in so declaring, neither do l
agree with their mode of procedure,
nevertheless, do not wonder at it.
Men left the two old parties in good
faith. Many ruined their business and
spent much money and time by 80 do
ing, say nothing OF lost friendship and
social ostracism thus produced, and
when forced by the inaction of our ma
tiOnal committee to support the old or
gained frauds or not vote it was
enough to cause men to rebel against
such an outrage. Today socalled lead
ers demand repetition Of that imposi.
ton, Notwithstanding the fact that the
democratic party, neither in the past or
at the present, advocates single vital
Populistic principle. The teachings
and practices. past and present, are in
the fullest sense opposed to the teach
ing OF the platforms of the Peoples par
ty. The democratic party is and al
ways has been against paternalism,
government control of public utilities,
and always has supported the competi-
tive system, arguing that individuals
should not be interfered with, or pro.
tected advantageOusly in business.
They (the democrats, always have de-
clared that supply and demand should
be the regulators of wages and prices.
All Of these beliefs and teachings are
contrary TO the beliefs and teachings Of
POpulists. Experience has taught US
that the competitive system could be
permitted in new countries with crude
appliances with but little detrimOnt.
but III a settled country with improved
machinery and where portion OF the
people co-Operated IN their business
transactions, that the few must in a
short time become the masters of the
many. Thus perceiving, we went out
and organized the Peoples party, based
on the principles In opposition to dem
ocracy, and we grew year by year until
we began to bunk with the fusion harlot
that required pelf or power only las
compensation for the use of her per-
SON." Thus politically conditioned is
1t any wonder that people are threaten
ing to originate another committee if
the present one continues to shape the
affairs of the Peoples party in the III
tereSts of the democratic party? You
say Sensible party men succumb to
The majority OIL matters of policy, 80
long as they agree on questions of prin-
ciple." Just so. But no such "princi-
PLEAS was forced upon the members of
the Peoples party last fall by the COM
mittee was promulgated by our party,
viz: That said committee was commits
stoned to put off our convention Until
it pleased the democratic party, there
by greatly advancing that party g
chances for success, and sowing the
seeds of disruption and decay in our
ranks. OF course, if our party is only
drag net by which voters are to be
fooled into boosting the democratic
party into office, why our committee is
working the matter to a finish, and
should not be questioned. But if our
party is party in fact and not an an
mex, then our committee has and is
usurping power and should be gwen to
understand that we will no longer SUBJ
nit TO being delivered into the hand 8
of the democratic party at their beck
and call. If we should be able at the
next election TO place the democratic
party in power what could the masses
gain thereby, judging their future &C
tons by the past? Every honest per-
son who has given the question any
thought, must answer nothing" You
say that 1.-THE proposed action could
not be more satisfactory to the old par
ties" In this statement you cause one
to infer that 1T would be detrimental to
do anything that would please either OF
the old parties, Notwithstanding the
fact that that is just what our commit
tee Island has been doing, and said &C
tons IS the sole cause Of the trouble to-
day. No one for minute thinks there
would have been any middle -of-the
road people, as they are termed, haC
our committees run the business of oul
party in the interest of our party in
stead of going into partnership will
one of the old parties. This, then, i,
the contention. Genuine Populists ash
that their party be party in fact, il
the fullest sense, while fusionists de
mand that our party must follow tn,
dictates of the democratic party anC
simply boost them into power by Pop
ulist votes, thereby being a party to til,
crime of keeping alive with filled cot
fers one of the most damnable organic
ed impOsitiOns that eyer imposed OF
and fleeced a long-suffering people. A
continuation OF such committee worl
will In short time disorganize oul
party completely. These infantil,
nau h,rth doroOora o;as ,1;a ro,,.,.. g.. :