The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1898-01-05
A Voice From Arizona,

Pa, My Dear Sir: 1 feel that as mat
ter of courtesy 1 should at least make
some reply to your favor of the End
inst, although more DESTROYS of listen
ing to others at present than of ex-
pressing my own opinions. will,
however, venture to say that l have
very high respect for your abilities,
earnestness and general political views,
but as to the advisability of a more
than two years presidential campaign
on platform made so long in advance,
it seems to me it is quite as possible to
hold convention too early as It was 70
hold it too late, nor does it appear to
party can be closed by few men how
ever well meaning and earnest, under
taking to take charge of the Peoples
party movement set aside it's regular
organization and have a minority OF
it's members control the majority or else
eXcOmmunicate them. Further, it ap-
pears to me that the proposed re-orga-
nization is too partisan and contracted
in it's views, too much like the boss
ism and party whip action from which
we have all revolted in the past In
convention of boilers and is it likely
that the majority of the Independent
Republicans or of the honest Bryan
Democrats will allow themselves to be
forced into our party any more than we
would allow ourselves to be forced into
theirs? Are those millions to have no
representation or recognition, but be eX-
pected to "ko-too' to us, adopt our
platform, put on our party collar and
indorse our nominees and surrender to
a fractional part of the Peoples party,
self-appointed redeemers, who sit in
judgment upon and condemn eve"y
other man in the party who has
thought different policy to that of the
minority advisable, and who apparently
expect seven millions of voters to let
three hundred thousand at most con-
troll them, dictate the platform they
must stand on and make their presi-
Dental nominations
1t appears to me that the seven mil
lions will simply smile at such egotism,
get together later and make such
platform and such nominations as they
then see fit, and the seven millions will
probably seriously outnumber the $780,
600 on the day of election.
If the American people cannot get
together on some broad humanitarian
basis. very unlike the contracted fol.r
by five, proposed by the Populists
dissatisfied with their own party and
on basis of representation that would
make it in fact as we'll as name party
of the people then farewell to present
hope Of reform by the ballot, for no
dozen men can get together calling
men of their own party as honest and
sincere as themselves traitors and sell
outs and expect that they and their few
followers will have influence enough to
accomplish more as a disintegrated
fraction of a party than when they were
united as whole.
Surrender Of the Peoples party regu-
lar organization to either machine
Democracy or Republicans or to mi
nority appointed re-organizers, or in
any other way is not to be thought CT;
but a joint action of all the forces OF
reform, of the Populists, Of the indie
pendent Republicans and of the true
Jeffersonian, Bryan and Altgeld kind
of Democrats with the Populists leading
the way is imperative, or the united
forces of monopoly and the money pow
err, masqueradng as the regular Repub
lican or Democratic party will succeed
again and who can then forecast ::hat
the end will be? l like your point that
the government should provide work
for the unemployed, the demand should
be made even more radical, for those
born on this planet have a right to live
on it by honest labor, anything less
tran that is murder, but that is not
a portion of the suggested platform,
and the Endorsement of the initiative
and referendum is tame in view Of the
fact that in direct legislation, rests the
safety Of the people from the corruption
of all parties, and the way is opened
for progress as fast as the people are
to advance therein. A popular
movement must be popular one in
fact, party of the people should be
as much as possible, a party of The
whole people and not of a fractKn,
there must be union of all who be-
lieye in Fopulist principles, independ-
ent of their individual views as to what
is the best party policy. which must
be left always to the judgment and de-
cision OF the majority, or there can be
no union and there should be an invi-
tation to joint action, but not a de-
mand that they surrender to US except