Daily capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1896-1899, 1898-01-22
THE POPULISTs.

One Of the planks OF the Omaha
convention platform was to the effect
that ~ office holder should have a
seat at a convention. That principle,
which is a sound one for any Reform
party to adhere to, was ignored at the
Portland meeting.
The office holders aud party bosses
were there, but they did not have
their way. A shrewd political move
on the part Of Mr., O'Brien, OF Una
tilla county, nOu.plusSed them, TO re-
fer the question To the people,
whether they should form Union or
I not in the coming June election.
No populist with particle OF re-
spect for the principles Of self-gov-
ernmeDt could oppose that and it
carried. 1t Is to the credit Of Mr..
U'Ren that he did not YoGe any prOx-
agains: IL himself. When he did vote
proxies before that he voted them as
instructed, often against himself
Chairman Young had too much re-
spect for his position as head Of the
state organization to seek to influence
members OF the committee one way or
the other He ruled fairly and did
not vote.
1t is stated that he is opposed to fu.
sion with the Democratic party but
not opposed TO an honorable union OF
forces on the referendum and money
questions. He will issue an address
setting forth his views. His oppon-
ent in Baker county, Senator King
had the logical side Of the question
and carried the committee with him
unitedly
THE JOURNAL believes the Populist
State Committee has taken honorable
grounds not detrimental to Union Of
forces. One thing is certain, the peo-
pie can get no reforms in this state
without the support Of the rank and
file OF the Peoples party voters at the
polls. The question that is not clear
Is whether the masses OF the peoples
party have such confidence in their
national and state leaders as to follow
them or not? DO Chey believe in
their sincerity as reformers, or do
they distrust them
This Is a question for Populists to
answer for themselves We believe
the masses of the Peoples party can
be relied upon TO support sincere
reform movement in county, state or
national affairs whether IL be under
the leadership OF their own leaders or
without them.
We believe men like Young, Jory,
Holt, Luce and Others at the com.
mittee meeting are not mere tricksters
In the employ OF Republican
or Democratic politicians, and
we do not believe Mr.. Cooper is |
or has been. The interests of union |
and of reform have been promoted by |
the Peoples party leaving its date |
for State convention March %, where |
Mr.. Young and his committee |
originally fixed IT,. The situation in |
favor Of uniCn of forces is stronger
TO-DAY than it was before the Popu-
lists met. We do not necessarily re-
gard it as Il permanent Union party.
That must be left to the future.
Whether the Peoples party shall
ever endorse Mr., Bryan again we very
much doubt. 1t is certain they did
endorse him and gave him a grand
and loyal support
The demand for Union in Oregon
grows not so much out of the union
for Bryan and Watson last year as out
Of the deplorable conditions In which
the people Of Oregon find themselves
In their state and county affairs. The
urgent needof reformatOry legislation
In the taxation and revenue laws, in
the abuses and extravaganza, in the
purifying OF our election laws, amend
ment or our school laws, and "a mul-
titude OF other needed reforms, makes
an union OF the Reform aud Silver
forces imperative and indispensable
to the progress, If not the existence of
our state So the Populists feel i'm
PEELED To a Union from within and
without. Men like Senator Holt OF
Jackson and hosts of Others who have
given up their lives and fortunes to
the building up OF the Peoples party
along educational lines, deplore this
dilemma, @
But they see as well as we do that
Union OF forces for the present
Is the inevitable tendency. The di
vision of the Republican party iLtot
factions, with the Mitchell faction
backed by the administration and
Mark Hanna, makes the situation
more complicated still. One or the
other ot these factions, Ii not both,
will bid for the support OF the silver
elements, and OF the PopullSts them
selves, IL Is going 10 take the strong
est kind OF ticket aud the best
kind OF an organization 10 hold one
element from going 10 the Simon
Jorbett faction aud the other from
going to the Mitchell faction.
Under all these circumstances the
Peoples party has done the wise
thing 10 favor Union OF forces. We
Trust and believe that their state con-
Vention will be strong body OF men
and that the ofiice.holding element
will not be sent as delegates. That
Is sound doctrine for the Democrats
ana Silver Republicans as we'll