The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1897-07-15
THE NASHVILLE CONFERENCE.

Those who attended the Nashville
Conference, many il not most Of
whom were self-constituted dele
gates representing nobody but them
selves, issued a long address and
appointed a National committee rep
resenting their faction. I'VE would
have published the address, etc.,
this week but on account Of local
matter it is crowded out, but will ap-
pear in orr next issue)
They charged that there were GER
tain Populists who desired to kill
the Peoples Party, or to turn it over
to the Democratic party, and claim
cd that they represented the only
true Populists who could be trusted
to be faithful to its principles. Now
il there is a single Populist in the
United States who is in favor OF dis
banding the organic alton or of turn
ing it oyer to the Democratic party,
we do not know him; but, if there
are any such, they are very few in
number. There are certainly not as
many such as there are SO called
Populists who did all in their power
by trading and dickering and other
wise to elect Mckinley, and it is no.,
ticeable that some Of this latter class
we're loudest in clamoring for this
conference. Both Of these classes
are small and insignificant.
Next, they declare that they de-
sire to see the chickering's, divisions,
and ordinations among Populists
cease. This business has been in
augurated and carried on largely by
those who were clamoring for the
conference. We are glad that they
see the folly and wickedness of this
part Of their conduct. Therefore, if
they mean what they say, this trou-
BILE will from henceforth be at an
end.
Next they very foolishly attempt
cd to belittle the silver question by
saying that trusts and monopolies
were the great evils and that free
coinage of silver would rot help one
iota in remedying those evils. In
the first place, they show a want of
comprehension of the causes that
produce trusts. One of the most
prolific producers of trusts is the
scarcity of money and falling prices.
A sufficient increase of the legal ten.
der money of the country, whether
it comes from an increase of gold
money, silver money, or paper
money, will cause prices to rise to a
just level, and such q rise will cause
q very large number of the most
odious and oppressive trusts to
crumble and vanish as fog b. fore a
rising sun. There is another class
OF trusts, like the Standard Oil trust
and the Anthracite Coal trust that is
caused almost entirely by discrimi-
nation in transportation rates, re-
bates, etc. In short, the two great
producers of trusts are the gold
standard and the transportation mo-
nopoly. These evils must be reme-
died before trusts can ever be cur bed,
crushed and abolished. In the Sec
ond place, it is the worst kind of
politics to attempt to belittls a ques-
ton which. whether the greatest is
sue or not, is now and will be in the
next campaign, the one issue above
all others on which a great ma iority
of the voters of America will divide
and take sides. To the PEOPLES
Party IS due the credit for bringing
the silver question along with other
great issues to the front. 1t is a
part of wisdom for us to keep this
fact prominently before the people,
and to magnify our connection as a
party with the same, in order that
our party may gain recruits from
the ranks of those who are as vet
educated probably on this question
alone. Nine-tenths of the recruits
that our party has ever gained, or
ever will gain, understood and
agreed with our party on probably
not more than one issue or question
when they joined our ranks. To
say to the millions of voters who are
now aroused to the importance of
tue free coinage of silver alone that
we no longer consider it as one of
our chief doctrines is the most effec-
tive way that We can conceive of To
prevent recruits from coming to our
party. We should magnify the fact
that the silver q 1estion is our reform
in order to hold the attention and
have the ears of the free silver De-
mocrsts and Republicans, that we
may teach them the Importance of
other reforms that we advocate. It
is only through the silver question
that We csu reach the ears of such
voters to impress them with the vital
necessity of more legal tender money!
and the public operation of overv
natural monopoly.
Again, they foolishly declare tina,
Snless The next National Convention
OF the Peoples Party does what thew.
this minority faction think shouId
DO DONE that they will bolt the party
organization; and in this connection
they appointed National Commit
tee and authorized this Na.i.ual
Committee, as far rs they we're able
to give AUTHORITY. TO cell a Na+;on.i