The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1899-01-18
Alta; Iowa, Jan. 10, 1899.

Editor of the Representative
Dear Sir: Enclosed find draft for one dol
lar to apply on Mr.. H. H. Peterson's sub
scription, and also an article which l have
written on how to push the organization of
precinct club. If you think the article
worthy Of consideration, publish It.
We are all solid here for Barker and
DOnnelly, and will start a club this month.
Yours respectfully,
FRED HUNT.
The letter referred to is as follows:
A NATIONAL ORGAN
The Cincinnati convention has saved the
Peoples Party from total destruction by
coming to the rescue Of the Omaha plat
form, and giving the party plan of or
ganizatlon when Is the pure essence Of
popular vote and finally by nominating two
as good and brave men as the country could
produce to head the party ticket for 1900.
They have totally baffled fusion and De
mocracy in completing its diabolical work.
So much for those brave and noble men
who constituted that small body at Gin
cinnati They have placed US on our feet
once more. Yes, the Cincinnati convention
has done its duty, but now comes the duty
of the rank and file, to organize But this
is small task, in fact 1t Is a great ore.
for discouraged and demoralzcd party
like ours. To organize these clubs all over
the nation and to do 1t quickly and sys.
tematically and to be able to count their
strength from week to week, and month
to month, should be the great question of
the hour, for time is precious and these
clubs are the great essentials. Without them
we cannot even govern our own party for
upon the precinct clubs the whole plan
of party organization rests (Sec l, NJ P.
of o..
In my judgement we should have a na-
tional organ to push this great work. and
to put new life into every Populist through
out the land. 1t should be Issued monthly
and be run by the national chairman or COM
mittee. It's duty should be the keeping Of
all records and accounts Of the party,
moneys received and disbursed by them, and
keeping the party posted as to its strength
by publishing through it's columns the num-
Der. location, membership, name Of chair
man and the money received from each pre-
cinct club In the United States. All ques-
lions of party interest could also be dis
cussed through it's columns. All initiative
and referendum votes could be called from
this official organ and all clubs could see
as to its exactness when such vote was
determined. In short, 1t would be the great
center Of Intelligence and finance of the
party.
1t would be the duty of each precinct
club in the nation to send in its monthly
statement, giving the number of club loca-
tion number of membership, amount Of
money sent and name Of chairman which
would be published in the columns of this
monthly assessment according to it's num-
Der of members. at a per capita Of ten
cents each This would go toward keeping
up the official organ, to which each mem
Der would be subscriber.
With what an interest would every Pop
ulist in the country scan down the columns
of this great paper to see how his own
precinct club compared with that Of his
neighbor, and also the growth of the grand
total in single month, for at the bottom
1t would all be footed UP. Would not this
be enough to put life and energy into the
most hopeless?
For my part, most emphatically believe
that an organ OF this kind would be a
most potent factor toward the organiza-
ton and building up of the precinct clubs
and would greatly aid in dethroning plu-
tocracy and placing Barker and Donnelly
IN the White House in 1900. This concerns
you, fellow Populist. What do you say?
FRED HUNT.
Alta, Iowa.