The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1898-08-23
THE OUTLOOK FOR PoPuLIsM.

A severe attack of sickness preveR-
ted me from attending the State Con-
Vention in May, and ~indisposition since
has prevented me from writing ere
this. / have, however, kept close
watch OF the political field, both State
and National and I want to say a few
things through the columns of your
excellent paper to the true retormers,
those who have been and those who
are still being misled, as / think, as
well as to those who 'have never
lowed the knee to BaaL."
Shortly after the election of 1896, I
publicly took the position that unless
the Peoples party was thoroughly re-
organized, all traitors and tricksters
thrown overheard and all ~fusionists
[many of whom were and are perfectly
honest in their opinions), given back
seats, the party would go to ruin. In
your issue Of December 10, 1896, you
took similar grounds. I have since
that time seen nothing to change this
opinion, but a great deal to strength
en- it.
For this reason I took a deep inter
est in the Nashville conference. For
the same reason I have for some time
favored a National convention, not for
Presidential nominations, primarily, If
at all, but for thorough reorganization.
1t seems probable now that such con
vention will not be held in September
as was at one time proposed, but if it
is not held In the near future the party
is doomed. Under present conditions
the party cannot survive the contest
of 1900.
Ours is the only party that demands
time to reform all the principles that
are essential to the permanent pros
perity and happiness Of Jul people
and it is the duty of those who profess
these principles to do all that is in
their power to save it from destruc
tion-to rescue it from the hands of
the despoilers and restore it to its
true mission. The time is opportune
for Populism is more widely accepted
to-day than it aver was. Our enemies
have been our best helpers and by
their rapacity and greed r steadily
opening the ayes of the people. Peo-
pie will not make great changes in
matters of government unless driven
to it by tcsual and accumulated
wrongs Those who are depressing
the people are simply repeating his
tory. When we're greed and rapacity
ever satisfied9 When did repeated
success fail TO produce too much self
confidence and lead to pride that pre-
cedes q falI3
If our party had stood by it's princi
piles and fought for them as it did in
1892, who can doubt our SUGGEST in
19OO3 l did not anticipate a great sue
cess before that time. But, alasl
Many Of our truest men grew impa
tiant and were willing to pay too
high a price for mere temporary sue
cess, and selfish and too often unscru
pulous men took advantage Of this
impatience and secured place and pelf
by compromising principle, which has
done our cause initiate harm.
BIT, my friends, if, after all our eff.
forts, the Peoples party is destroyed
we must not despair of the Republic.
All is moi lost. The future of our
country does not depend on the life or
death of any party. The overthrow
of the Peoples party might aus delay,
but cannot prevent this great mov
ment of the deople that is o fully
under way. II we cannot reorganize
the Peoples party the forces Of re-
form will be reorganized. We must
not relax our eff ,rts. Say not, II
have done my share" No man has
done his share while there is a wrong
to be righted. We may have given OF
our time and means in some cases sut
fered r~eproach, but compare for a mo-
msnt our lot with that OF retormers
who were the means Of securing those
two great reforms of modern times
one overthroWing religious despotism
and the other securing civil freedom.
MANY of them were hunted like wild
beasts, were thrown into dungeons,
were beheaded, were gibbeted, were
burned. They esteemed it a privilege
to suffer for the Of truth, for the
welfare of humanity. And did not
John Huss err y a great privilege
when be exchanged a few hours of
mortal life for unending fame on earth
and a blessed tmmor SaliEy beyondG His
enemies believed his teachings were
crushed forever when tn y sea tered
his ashes to the four winds, but this
only seemed to scatter the truths he
taught and enable them to increase an