Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1898-09-09
TI1iS . Stock

ous Mckinley bill, hence this great
Republican party which you have join.
ed, stands uncompromisingly opposed
to every principle Of government for
which you contended, except that OF
the tariff, and on that issue the Demo
Gratis out -McKinleyed Mckinley.
4 How was it with the Democratic
party7 Prior to the Chicago conven-
tion, the Democratic party was domi-
mated and controlled by the same
elements as the Republican party, but
to the amazement Of the whole nation
the Populist element in the Democratic
party represented by Bryan and Altgeld
and their associates, wrested the Demo
cratic party from this control and turn.
ed the current towards the people. The
revolution was so great and the ap-
proach to Populism so near that it cleo
trlfied the Peoples party men and an
irresistable sentiment seized the Peoples
party to nominate the champion Bryan
who had. accomplished such wonders at
Chicago. This demand swept with such
irresistible force over the country that
his nomination could be neither avoid
ed nor defeated.
You and ] were in the state conven-
tion' at Huron and agreed with the ac-
.tion Of that convention instructing its
delegates to st. Louis to unite all the
reform forces on w. ]. Bryan. We
represented the state at st. Louis as
delegates to that great convention and
voted to put the Democratic Bryan on
the Peoples party ticket. That great
convention, the highest authority in
our party, declared for such union, and
it would be certainly assumption in you
and / to set up our individual Judgment
against the action of our national con-
venticn. did not Ike the idea in this
state campaign to allow any flag to fly
but that of the Peoples party. I con-
tended we should stay right where the
national convention left us. and that is
to unite with the Democrats and free
silver Republicans on the Peoples par
ty ticket. I went to Aberdeen with
that idea and contended earnestly for
it, but the majority Of the convention
was opposed to it and in favor Of three
tickets with the same candidates on
each and it would have been presump-
tious in me to say that would not sup-
port that ticket when the peoples plat
form represented my principles and al.
so the Democratic state platform, 80
far as it dealt with state issues. It is
true that I believe it dangerous TO take
one step beyond where the st. Louis
convention left us. fully realized that
the full purposes and policies of a party
are not set forth in the party platform.
Party platforms simply represent the
conviction of the party at the time they
were made, but the true policy and pur-
poses are found in the conviction Of the
men who write the platform and lead
the party. The full purposes and poll
cies of Bryan Democracy are represent
ed by the policies Bryan and Altgeld
and their associates, and these go to the,
full extent Of the Peoples party plat-
form, and if Bryan continues to control
the Democratic party they will lift it
up to Bryan's and Altgeld convictions,
which are the Peoples party declara-
tions. Z
It is true did not like the attitude Of
the Democratic party on the issues of
the war of the rebellion, and I was op-
posed to becoming a party to that his
tory, but those issues have been finally
and eternally settled and the people op-
posed to us in the Cos have frankly aud
fully accepted this settlement. The
bloody shirt which you and and the
Republican party SO industriously wav-
ed during the years of reconstruction
has been washed whittier than snow by
the blood Of our southern brothers, shed
and mingled with that Of the whole ma
ton in the fever contaminated atmos-
phers Of Cuba. The patriotism and