The representative., 1900-11-29
Mr.. Wash burns PIam.

Mr.. George F. Washburn, of Massa-
chusetts, who was one of the ablest
advocates in the movement to capture
the presidency for Mr.. Bryan by a
fusion of the Democratic and PEOPLES
parties, is out in letter, rather in
the form of an address, calling on all
the reform parties and elements of the
country to get together and form a new
party. He comedies to the absurdity of
putting new wine into old bottles" and
evidently he was of this opinion four
years ago, but acquiesced in the expert
ment in the hope that good would come
OF 1t, If no other way than to convince
it's advocates of the futility of the under
taking. We of the South had no sort of
confidence in the effort to inject reform,
OF any kind, into the Democratic party.
The leaders of that party are not in the
business to admit of any reform if they
can help it, and they can help it so long
as they hold the party machine and they
will hold that until the party is Destroy
ed. 1t was therefore that we kept the
camp fires of Populism burning in the
South while our brethren of the North
and West went following after strange
gods in their efforts to put new wine
into old bottles
There is nothing to be gained in dis
cussing the past. Value of the past
centers in the lessons taught and how
well they have been learned 1t is
scarcely worth the saying that no man
of ordinary intelligence, at this late
day, entertains the faintest hope that
any reform which will be any benefit
to the masses of mankind can ever come
through either the Democratic or Re-
publican party. They are both given
over to sordid worship of gold and I.
! cold commercialism that sees nothing
nobler or higher in a working man or
woman than a groveling slave begging
the right to live and serve in chains
Mr. Washburn's suggestion of a unity
of all the reform parties and forces will
very likely meet with favor throughout
the South. While we have kept the un-
tarnished cOlors of Populism to the
breeze, it has not been as sticklers for a
| done so because we were too wise to
| thrust our necks in halter and too hon.
est to surrender our principles to a
gang of political pirates whose only pur-
{v -
| them in the dust.
We are content to go on in the middle
of the road, carrying as high as we can
reach the banner of Populism, being
conscious of having done our duty to
! our fellow men, whether the party
ever elects a man to Office or not. But
we will not close our eyes to a nearer
and better way to get our principles
enacted into law. A conference, as Mr..
| Washburn suggests, can do no harm and
may, probably will, result in all~the
good he predicts for it. ,---~- .---4ses
! The commercial and speculative in
terests of the South are largely in the
hands of Republicans. In state mat
/ ters they affiliate with the Democrats
because the machinery of that party s
| in the hands of their friends but they
regard the Republican party as their
| best and safest friend as a national par
| ty. Hence it will he an easy thing to
drive the Republican and Democratic
| parties of the South together when a
formidable antagonist is in sight. To
what extent the people would follow
| their party machines in this open unity
| remains to be seen. But it is certain
| that there is an earnest and honest de-
sire among our people to drop Hamilton
and take up Jefferson.-Dalton (Ga.)
Herald.