The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1897-12-10
Vhe New POpaliSm,

estly believes that the stamp Of In
government makes money and tina
fiat money can be used to buy raj
roads, loan on real estate and bull
pnbliC institutions. All the scheme
of the old Alliance organization an
of the real Populists rest upon thi
theory, that intrinsic value is no
necessary in circulating medium
The other class of Populists merel
wants to get the offices, to draw tn
salaries, blackmail railroads and in
surance companies, and it can al
ways be depended upon when thu
Populists party is successful to xii
the schemes of the fiat mony Popu
lists.
To be honest with our political
opponents, the News believes that
the straight Populists are largely in
the majority in their party. But
the Populists for revenue have the
faculty of managing the party or
ganization, and give an illustration
of the tail wagging the dog.
We do not doubt but that the md
jority of the delegates to the Abilene
convention were in earnest when
they adopted the platform which
committed the party to maximum
railroad rates, the reduction of in
terest and other measures. But
when the legislature met at Topeka
it was an easy task for the revenue
Populists to block such legislation
and prevent the redemption of cam
paign promises. The effects Of
"fusion" and the abandonment of
principle for Office, of Tom Watson
for Arthur Sewall. were seen on
every defeat the Populists met in
the legislature, Even the pretense
of economy, the reduction and con-
solidation of state boards and state
offices, the lowering of taxes, were
lost sight of in the attempt to hold
the called forces" together on
free silver platform, half intrinsic
value, half fiat, in order to get Offices
for political strikers.
This is the party the Republican
party must meet next fall, not a
party which stands for principle.
What principle can the Peoples
party claim to represent when it has
repudated every pledge and every
Populist scheme7 The Populist
leaders can no longer denounce the
money power and abuse the old
parties, but must 60 around to their
followers saying, "Sh-sh, don't do
anything to offend our allies" In
stead of being ''reformers" they |
now show how conservative they are
and how false the Republicans were
when they asserted that the Popu-
list party would enact its platform
into law.
The Populist party to be beaten
next year is not the old populist
party, full of enthusiasm, shouting
war cries and displaying banners.
1t is a combination party of Demo
Gratis, Populists and sore-headed
Republicans, who agree upon no
proposition except to beat the Re-
publicans, and who if successful
will consider holding Office the only
necessary part of their business.
z, 1t will be easy to beat this new
Populist party. 1t has nothing to
hold it together, no inspiration, no
spirit. The old populist party,
which stood for something, even if
that something was fallacious and
wrong, was a hard enemy to meet.
But the new Populism is thin, it has
no force, it has nothing to attract
or retain, it is cowardly and it is
getting corrupt. This year it cut
no figure anywhere except in Kan
sas and here only as part of
combination. 1t ought to be knock
ed in the head and it will be.