The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1897-01-19
AN APPEAL
To the POpulists of the United State.

~ 0SS
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 platform. No party ever achieved
more brilliant successor so brief a time.
Although handicapped in the late cam
paign, we emerge from the contest
stronger than ever. Our party clone
has a voting force larger than that
which elected Lincoln and an able Ell
fective reform press of nearly two
thousand papers. We elected several
governors as well as hundreds of other
State, county, and town officials. We
hold the balance of power in the Uni
ted States Senate and have four times
as many congressman az ever before.
We united with the silver forces in
the recent campaign,-nOt because we
believe free coinage of silver is the
solution. of the financial problem, but
because it would better existing condi
tions. would meet with the least resis
lance and become the entering wedge
for our main issue, viz, full legal
tender paper money, issued and regu,
lated by the government alone. Having
proved our loyalty at the polls, we are
free to act separately on advanced
lines and to emphasize the real issues
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
continue the silver fight. Two parties
cannot exist on the same issue. The
greater absorbs the smaller. Therefore,
if we remain mere camp followers of
another party, d~isintegration will re
suit. Our party SUCCESS alone forced
the democrats to adopt the Chicago
platform and nominate a pok ocrat for
President. Converts made by party
regularity cannot be trusted with the
reforms of the future.
DEMOCRATS TRIED TO ABSORB POPULIsTs
While chairman of the Chicago
branch Of our executive committee
during the campaign, my contact with
the chairman of democratic State com,
mittees revealed to me the fact that in
many cases they were more anxious to
elect their State tickets and absorb the
populists than they were for the sue
cess of Bryan and the Chicago plat
form, but this does not apply to the
chairman and officers of the National
Committee.
We are not democrats and cannot be
classed as such. We simply united for
a single campaign. The democratic
party is but the rear guard of u own.
We do not stand for redemption money,
but for a scientific dollar, kept invari-
able by proper regulation of the money
volume. Then why should a high
school graduate Renter the intermedi-
ate grades Our grandest achievements
are in the future, if we inspire the PEG
pie through seperate party action with
our chief issues, and hold our forces to-
gether by taking the lead which be-
longs to us in pressing to success the
reforms of the day.
The millions of converts to silver
during the recent campaign must ad-
vance. They will not remain where
they are. We must educate 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 demo.
cratic party to it's present position or
compel it to advance.
SEPARATE PARTY ACTION PROPOSED.
History teaches that to achieve con
sentative results, a radical position
must be taken. The substitution of
our main plank for a subordinate one,
as the fighting issue of the next four
years, is in line with the best sentiment
of our party and requires no change of
front, no abandonment Of principle, no
new platform. The main army merely
moves up to occupy the position held
by the skirmish line.
President Cleveland supplies us with
fresh incentive for renewed effort, in
his official demand for the retirement
of the g~reenbacks and the issue and
control of paper money Except coin
certificates by the banks. Senator
Quay says this should be made an issue
by the republicans, and advocates the
of United States notes,
payable in gold, for the greenbacks.
Here we have a living issue with
both wings of the gold forces. which