Mexico weekly ledger., 1898-11-03
He Declares the Middle-of -Eoaders
Are Boilers and IN the Pay of
and Controlled By the
Republicans.

the Secretary Of State to secure q
position on the official ballot is some.
thing of a surprise to the regular Pop.
ulists of the state. It must also come
as a greater surprise to the "Ros.ders, y
who got more than they expected and
what they did not want.
"But probably the most surprised Of
all are the Republicans, who have been
furnishing funds to carry on the pro-
ceedings instigated by the Midile-of.
the Readers, with the belief that their
proteges would be knocked out. So
sure were they OF this that arrange
ments were consummated several
days ago between the Republicans and
"Roadsrs" for union.of their forces
in this state and manifesto was pre-
pared under the direction of the Rs
publicans, appealing to the "Rosders''
to support Republican candidates all
along the line as means of sknifing'
the regular Populists and, If possible,
defeating the free silver forces of the
state. Incidentally, this decision
gives the Australian ballot system a
very black eye.
Notwithstanding the opinion of the
court, which I have no desire to crit
icise, the fact remains that the So o.called
Middle -of-the-Roa element III Mis-
souri, as elsewhere, are not Populists,
but boilers, pure and simple. Many
of them refused to support Mr.. Bryan,
the regular nominee of the party, two
years ago. They have perslatently
fought the regular party organisation
In this state and participated in the
bolters' movement against the National
Committee, which originated in con-
ference of Middle-of the Readers at
Nashville, Tenn, in 1897.
"This same element at their conven-
tion held In Sc. Louis on July z elected
delegates to the Midway Ns.tional
Convention recently held in Oinoin-
natl, o., at which Wharton F'arker
was nominated for President and
Ignatius Donnelly for Vice. President.
No sensible man will risk his reputa-
ton by claiming that these men are
the nominees of q regular Peoples
party convention. In fact, the sup.
porters of this ticket In Missouri do
not call themselves Populistal, but
Middle of-the- Readers Therefore,
T hola that M;dalo4S-<haD D,o dt~yv, Il.
not Populism. II so, then the grave
OF the Peoples party has been dug
and the corpse should be inferred, for
1t smells to heaven.
ssBut Populism is not dead in Mis-
souri,. The party organisation may
have been weakened by foes without
and traitors within, but the principles
still exist.
"The true Populist has always fav-
ored and does yet favor q union Of all
voters who are opposed to the gold
to trusts, monopolies and
Hsnuaism. They know that union 10
the only means whereby the greedy
cormorants who are feeding upon
labor and the common people ian be
defeated. The true Populist is more
OF patriot than q partisan. To the
true Populist the advancement Of
principle means more than the per-
petuation of q mere party name.
There are fully 10000 of that class in
Missouri who propose to place their
votes where they will do the most
good in checking the encroachments
of the money power. These men will
never vote the gold-bug Republican
ticket under any pretext or for any
purpose.
81 do not presume to say how others
shall vote, but for myself, and as .
Populist, having earned right to the
name by reason OF having helped to
organize the party and by faithful SER
vice ever since, while many of tho
self-styled Middle Of the Roaders
were trying to destroy the party and
ridicnIing its principles, shall sup
port in the present campaign the can
didates on the Democratic state ticket
and those on the joint ticket nom-
mated by the Populists and Democrats
in the county where live.
81 do this purely as q matter OF
principle and not as Democrat.
do this for reasons before state'i--be-
cause wish to defeat the gold power
and Hannaism in Missouri and because
the Mid way party, in collusion with
the Republicans, have so complicated
the situation that it is impossible for
me to cast my vote In any other man.
ner without rendering aid and giving
comfort to the Republicans.
"The gold standard is-a witherine
curse upon this fair land. Il makes
everything appear small (evell those
who advocate ~. Its blighting In
fiuence is felt on every hand BY those
who live by HONEST toll. Il IL the
vampire that is sucking the very life
blood OF commerce and flling the poor
houses and insane asylums with ita
victims. Believing ~ I do, ] could
NOT act otherwise without doing vio-
lence to my conscience and working
an injury to my fellow mon.
A. RoxELl.E,
Ex-C Chairman OF the Peoples Party
State Committee, and member oi
the Peoples Party National Com.
mittee.n
W. W. johnson h just recovering
from . severe wound. He siuck q
nail through his foot . foot . fSlx days
since and has suffered very much
from the effects.
Born, October n, 70 Mr.. anil Mrs.
Paai Weber, Of the Model Bassry,
son.