The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1898-11-30
The cause is worthy of such sacrifices,
If Populists are not ready to make them
they are not worthy of the cause, not

How then to organize such precinct
clubs and organize the Populist voters.
The rules adopted at Cincinnati pre-
scribe that "any voter may become
member of the precinct club of any pre-
cinct by subscribing to our national
declaration of principles and our rules
on organization" that is the platform
and plan of organization adopted by the
Cincinnati convention. No one not
enrolled in such clubs--7and any one
can be enrolled who believes in the
principles of Populism as expounded by
the Cincinnati convention-can take
part in the government of the party,
vote on shaping its policy or the selec-
tion of candidates. Only members thus
enrolled as members of the Populist
party will be permitted, under the rules,
to take part in the referendum votes
or initiate changes in party platform or
management.
Such enrolment is necessary to secure
the fair and prompt taking of referen-
dunn votes, is a condition precedent to
giving practical effect to the rules CT
the referendum and initiative in party
government. Once enrolled as a mem
Der of precinct club any one can vote
on questions submitted to the rank and
file, or propose any question for sub
mission to the rank and file, save one,
fusion. From this members are in
terdicted, for when a member judges
any other party more worthy of support
than his own it is time to cease to call
himself Populist, and enroll himself
as member Of that other party.
The precinct club is then the very
basis of organization, and into such the
enrolment of the Populist voters of ev-
cry precinct is imperative And, we
repeat, the enrolment of the Populists
into precinct clubs is a work that the
rank and file must do, or it will not
be done. If the rank and file will not
do this the whole movement will COL
lapse. Therefore, to make this new and
worthy departure in party government
a success, and the Peoples Party a
power the active Populists of every
voting precinct must confer, form the
nucleus of club, and choose a chairman
and secretary, who will make it their
business to enroll the Populist voters.
Some Populists, who, we fear, are
not altogether in sympathy with the
Cincinnati movement, are now urging
the taking of a referendum vote for the
choice of presidential and vice-presiden-
tial candidates in a way not contem-
plated by the Cincinnati convention,
and regardless of the rules adopted by
that convention. Unless their efforts are
to create discord it is misdirected en-
ergy. Great steps must be taken in or
ganization before the referendum vote
to determine the acceptability or non
acceptability of the candidates of the
Cincinnati convention to the rank and
file for candidates can be taken with
any degree of fairness or accuracy.
There Is now no machinery for the TAX
ing of such a vote. To order that vote
before the organization Of precinct clubs
and the general enrolment of Populists
would be an act Of unfairness: TO at
tempt to take such vote without such
enrolment and through other means
than the precinct clubs will offer would
be to make farce of the referendum
vote to bring. a great reform undertaken
in party government into ridicule.
When the precinct clubs are generally
organized the referendum vote to finally
determine who shall be the party pres
idential and yice-presidential candi-
dates to be voted for in 1900 can be
taken in orderly and thorough manner.
Then it will be possible for the Populists
of any state preferring some other can
didates to those now in the field to pre-
sent by majority, vote Of the, precinct
club membership of their state such pre-
ferred candidates to the Populists of the
country. Then to the rank and file will
be referred the candidates Of the Gin
cinnati convention and the candidates
presented by a majority vote of the
precinct membership of any state, the
choice between such candidates being
determined by the precinct club mem
bership of the nation. Thus will initi-
ative as well as referendum be given full
observance in the selection of candidates
and the true sense of the rank and file
be determined.. --s--
To take the-referendum vote in any
other way is not to be thought-of, for in
the first place it was so ordered taken
by the Cincinnati convention, and no
one, no committee, has the right or
power to change that order, and in the
second, the taking of the vote in any
other way would cause ridicule, not re-
spect, and failing to determine the sen.
timent of Populists with accuracy,
would not iinprobably faff~to command
the acceptance and support for the
ticket that is SO imperative. When the
precinct clubs are so organized that the
vote on presidential candidates can be
thoroughly and accurately taken on the
same day throughout the country the