Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1899-06-15
Communicated,

Wnon IL comes TO base Dali their ed
ucation has been sadly neglected.
Communicated,
Having addressed communication
to The TIMES, some days since, on the
probable action OF the political parties
of this county this fall as to fusion
has been noticed by our old friend
George Mnsgrave, in communication
in the Woodbine Chronicle, which OBJ.
jects to some of our conclusions. Our
friend does not properly state our
proposition. He says:
"Mr. Harris begins by saying that lie
has been asked hundred times by
friends rs to the probability of fusion
with the populists at the next election,
aud then proceeds in a somewhat
guarded manner to make it as plain as
possible that he is emphatically op.
posed to fusion. regardless of conse-
quences; but invited the populists in.
to the democratic fold, advising un.
conditional surrender, the abandon.
ment of their organization and to
quietly undergo the simple operation
Of being swallowed whole with their
eyes shut, as the only hope of achiev-
ing party success at the polls.
He predicts that there will be but
two tickets in the field this fall-demo-
cratic and republican, straight up and
that if any populists are determined to
kick out of the traces at this arrange
ment they can do so with their eyes
open, being fore warned that any at
tempt at fusion on the old plan means
defeat"
We are not opposed to the populists.
Our position is simply this: AS we
have stated, in all probability but two
parties will be represented by tickets
this fall, and as the democratic party
name is MS old as the government, and
will continue 10 he the name of the
national party. We favor union of
all the opposing elements to the re-
publican party OH one set of candidates,
and this can be done by calling a
democratic convention, and as we
stated in our communication, no OBJ
lection will be urged to any candidate
who may have been once opposed to
the democratic party-,he only ques-
ton to be "Where are you at" now?
We have no objection to any man,
merely because he is populist, but
we can see no good in having two con-
ventions to reach the same conclusion.
Bro. Musgrave says:
cit is the populists and independent
that stand as sentinels up-
on the outer walls of the old demo
cratic party to see the interests of the
people, the producers, are not made
subservient to partisan ambitions
And in my opinion, if Mr.. Harris de-
sires the success of pure democracy
and the defeat of the gold standard
party, he will not be too particular
about methods of utilization with pop
nlists in order to accomplish this high
ly important result, nor will he again
demand that all of the concession and
come from those out side
of his own party, but will be eager to
unite with them upon the easiest and
most reasonable terms for the common
veal"
We are not going to quarrel with
Bro Musgrave as to this statement,
but if 1t is true, why not unite on one
ticket and make common cause. by
the one convention idea, every man
who is opposed to modern republican
ism can certainly find candidates in q
general convention of all men so
agreed, and have but one ticket. The
idea that we must have Just so many
democrats and so many populists on
the ticket and call it fusion, is not
reasonable. Let all, both democrats,
populists and silver republicans, meet
in common convention, and together
form q platform in accordance with
the views of the delegates assembled,
and then call in these "sentinels upon
the outer walls of the old democratic
party" and nominate ticket satisfac-
tory to all and go into battle with q
solid front against the common enemy.
But Bro. Musgrove gives us con-
elusive argument in his closing re-
marks, in favor of our idea, when he
says:
AS majority of the democratic
party, all of the peoples party, and
large number of republicans share the
same convictions upon this question,
which is going to be the leading issue
of the democracy in 1900, you will
kindly confer favor upon many of
your readers by giving space to the
above.
Admitting all the above, why, then,
have more than one convention2 Is
1t merely opposition to the name de.
mocracy? 1t is no disgrace to be called
democrat. That party was the one
who unfurled the banner of freedom
In 1776, that carried it through an
eight years war and planted it in VIC
tory at Yorktown, that overcame the
English army at New Orleans in 1915
under General Andrew Jackson, that
carried that same banner in 1915 to
the very walls Of the Montezumss and
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