The Louisiana populist., 1898-01-07
WATCH THE RESULT.
PATRIOTS OF AMERICA PRE-
PAIRING TO BALLOT.
Ihey VIII, Early In January, Proclaim
Their Preferences for the Leading
Propositions Now Before All the
People.

An election Is to occur in the Order
OF the Patriots of America on the sec.
ond Tuesday in January to determine
tne relative Importance of certain ma
tlonal questions, in the judgmen,
OF the members voting.
While the Order does not claim a
very large membership, yet it is widely
scattered, being, we are informed, in
ABOUT every state and territory In the
Union; and the result of the vote will
be good indication as to whether the
nnancial question is to remain the
leading issue. 1t is claimed by the op-
ponents OF "16 to /" that it is dying
out and will soon disappear as a live
issue; this, however, has been pre-
acted before with disappointment to
the prophets. The Vote among the
Patriots will be sample vote, and a
very fair one, we should Judge, repre-
senting the six million and half vot-
ers who last year voted for Mr.. Bryan,
and for this reason 1t will be interest
Ing to tiote the result.
An interesting feature Of the vote
to be taken is, that among the ten
questions submitted are several that
represent the various reform elements.
such as that of the Single Takers"
SOCIALISM," "Greenbacks," and other
Questions that will be recognized by
their different followers as important
to them, thus giving each class an op-
portunity to show the popularity Of its
measure with the people. The finan-
clal men cannot afford to have their
question side-tracked, if it is to remain
before the people for a paper of such
wide circulation as the Patriots Bulle-
tin, that represents the Order, will
spread the result of the voting to all
parts OF the country. It is In like
manner an unusual opportunity for
those representing other reforms to
bring them to the front and forge them
to first place II they can.
The ballot IS ingenious in being so
arrainsea as to permit of one voting
Yes on Several questions and then
numbering them in the ordsr of i'm
portance they are regarded by the vot-
ers, so that by voting for what one
might regard as a leading proposition
the others to which he is favorable are
not smothered out of sight, but an op-
portunity Is given to classify them in
their order Of Importance. The great
est Interest, however, will hinge on
what question is first IN Importance IN
the minds OF the people.
1t would be we'll for the republic II
sHeh elections were frequent, as they
wotlld tend TO setting the people to
studying questions Of national policy.
It would act as an educator and people
would become enlightened On vital
questions, so necessary to free govern
ment. There is gaining sentiment
that questions of national policy should |
be separated from partisan politics and
to the Judgment OF the vot-
srs, and elections Of the character the
Patriotic Order Is submitting to the
beoole will do much toward bringing
his subject before the country. No
'epublic can long survive where the
people lapse into apathy and are tlned-
lcated on what makes and unmakes re-
'ublics. The election in January is the
irst of its kind in the United States
md has much significance aside from
n important bearing it will have on
he congressional campaign issue of
lext year as we'll as that OF 19OO.-Na-
ional Democrat.