The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1897-09-10
TONNES PLATFORM.
THE MINNESOTA ORATORS
BROAD VIEWS.
Hon. Charles O. Towne Avows Himself
u Convert to Direct Legislation aud
Govern nent Ownership OF Railroads.
logic OF Events.

VI NSDl
Tho logic OF Events.
EX-Congressnlan Towne. national
chairman of the Silver Republican par
ty, in his speech at Des Moines proved
that he has grown to the full stature.
He said:
u feel as though l should speak to
you with a degree of familiarity, be-
cause 1t was made an accusation
against ME last fall that l was a Pop
ulist, and during the rest of the cam
palgn l tried to deserve the name. |
have heard the reading OF your plat
'orm and am ready to indorse nearly
XII of it. cannot say l favor the in
ltlatlve, but l do favor the referen-
dun, because l believe it will do away
with the lobby. l think parties are
made to do something, and do not
believe they can accomplish anything
until they have a majority. Do not
sacrlfce your principles. | have re-
fused to do that, and as a consequence
, am a sort of an exile. Get together
and you can win.
Il favor the government ownership
or railroads, telegraphs and telephones,
but am OF the opinion the public is
not ready for this yet. You cant car
ry all reforms at once. because the ma
'ority of the human race is conserva-
I'VE. You a only take one step at a
line. But yOu needn't be afraid Of the
support Of these men when the time
comes to declare for government own
ership.
Il used to take off my hat to the
Republicans and bow down before
them, but | cannot do it any more be-
cause they have deserted the princi-
pies that once made them the grandest
organization in the world. Now | am
ready to take off my hat and bow to
the Populists.
Il want to tell you that this is an
epochal period. We are fighting the
battle of civilization which is to de-
1ermlne whether or not a free govern
ment a endure anywhere in this
world, and are not engaged in a local
light. 1t is a fight that extends over
years, and you can call me a Democrat
or a Populist. al anarchist or a hoo
doo, I care not which, so long as you
give us a chance to try the principles
Tor which we are fighting.
But l want to caution you in this
state to stand together. | hope you
will not refuse in the interest of the
principles for which you stand, to vote
under one name this fall. We must.
do this to hold the six and one-half
millions OF our supporters and to gain
to our cause the zoe, 900 Republicans
disappointed with the failure of their
own party's promises, who are ready
now to join with u.s."
MI. ToWne then paid the usual COM
pliment to what he termed the gold
bug press and, proceeding, said he
hoped that this fall the three great
silver armies would march on converg-
ing roads to one battlefield, there to
meet and overthrow a common enemy.
He said that the logic of the situation
demands the presentment of a solid
front against a common enemy, and
predicted that some day the result will
be a common party doing business un-
der a common name.
He said that just at present the
Democrats needed a sort of governor
or regulator, and that the other silver
forces are serving as this, standing with
one hand uplifted to pat them on the
back and with a club in the other. He
said the Democrats are on probation
for a time yet, and will have to remain
so before the other parties will consent
to be swallowed by them for a lone.
enough time to insure their entire sin
certify.
In conclusion he said: when O
commence to figure on cementing IN
OLD parties, just tell the Democrats to
take out a pencil and add the gold
Democrats and then subtract the Pom
ullsts and Silver Republicans and see
what they have left. Keep up the fgh
and make silver the issue, even down
to the election of poundmasters.