Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1897-04-09
CAUSES A SURPRISE.
LONDON PAPER COMMENTS ON
WASHRURN LETTER..
Glad to Hear That the POpulist Party
VIII Go 1t Alone and Change the
Course OF American POlitics-Tells
Some Plain Truths.

editorial comment on the Washburn
letter:
can event has happened which has
once more changed the course OF Amer
lean politics. The alliance between
the Democrats and Populists has been
dissolved and the latter will hence
forth march alone. Such is the decla-
ration made by Mr.. Washburn, a men,
Der of the executive committee OF the
Peoples party 1t is, of course, well
known that Mr.. Bryan's candidature
last year received the support OF both
the Democratic and Populist parties,
and that it was through this joint sup
port he made SO good running. But
the alliance did not become complete
fusion, or anything at all like 1t. Inc
Populists would not support the DEM
ocratic candidate for vice-president,
but ran candidate of their own. They
bitterly complained, moreover, OF the
tactics of the Democrats, and accused
that party Of using Populist votes Tor
their own purposes. There is good rea-
son to believe that not few Populist
voters stayed at home on election day,
or at most voted only for their own
state and congressional candidates, and
that this fact accounted for the ma
jorities for Mr.. Bryan in some OF the
southern states being smaller than they
expected. There was never much love
lost between Democrats and Populists,
for their fundamental ideas, up to the
time of last years campaign, were abb
solutely different, and in the south es-
pecially, the Populists have been en-
gagged, ever since they were first Or
ganized, in fighting the Democratic
politicians. We need not wonder,
therefore, that the alliance is at an
end.
I'm his manifesto announcing the fu-
cure independence of the Popullst
movement, Mr.. Washburn expressly
attacks the program of free silver coin
age on which Mr.. Bryan appealed to
the people. Populists, says this docu-
ment, never believed in free silver as
a genuine remedy for economic evils,
either industrial or purely financial.
They accepted it as a means of break
ing down the financial monopoly, but
cared nothing for it beyond that. Their
idea, according to Mr.. Washburn, is
that the United States should
abandon both gold and silver and issue
paper currency based on average
commodity values-an idea which has
been advocated by several advanced
economists in America. Besides this,
they are not going to permit the
Aaron's rod of free silver to swallow
up all the other rods-taXation reform,
state ownership Of monopolies, legis-
lation as to trusts" and combines
the ending of the power Of "injunc-
ton" claimed and exercised by the fed
eral courts. They take far broader
view of the situation than do the Dem
ocrats, and they evidently feel that, If
they do not assert and maintain Pop
plst independence, they will be lend
ing themselves to four years barren
agitation ending in another defeat.
1--WE have said that this decision OF
the Populists changed necessarily the
course of American politics. Since the
Populist vote is admitted to be at least
two millions, since it is we'll represent
ed in congress, and holds the balance
in the senate, this Populist action is a
factor which cannot be ignored. The
one person especially and Immediately
affected thereby is Mr.. Bryan. He had
determined to head four years cam
paign for free silver, which he had al
ready begun. But now he is notified
by the more resolute and more honest,
though not more numerous, half of his
united following, that his course of
action cannot be accepted and that If
he is for a free silver fight he must
carry it on without any Populist aid.
Mr.. Bryan is, therefore, no longer, on
this showing, the one leader of the
national forces of discomfort. He is
mere general of division, not the
commanders chief; and the other d.
vision cannot be counted on to CO.
operate with him on the lines he has
marked out for himself. Mr.. Bryan's
position is thus seriously affected and
his plans frustrated. If he decides to
plunge into Populism with the belief
land a very we'll founded belief that it
is likely to carry all before it in the
trans Mississippi states, he will have
TO reckon with that section of the
Democratic party which clings to him
on the main ground of party loyalty,
he being the regular party nominee. If,
on the other hand, Mr.. Bryan sticks to
silver only and refuses to accept the
loopulist position, while he could not
hone to recover the eastern states, he
would then lose the west also. 1t is
indeed a most difficult situation, and
we can see at once how vitality it affects
the results as left by the electoral con-
test last year.
But, as is pointed out in America
the Republican party is also affected
as we'll as the Democratic. The as
ill