The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1900-07-12
ANTEBRYAN
w. r. March, State Secretary of the
Peoples Party Of Kentucky, Has
Reasons Why Kentucky POpA-
/ lists Will Oppose w. j.
Bryan.
j. H. EdmistOn Seeks Friends Among
Mfd-ROad Populists and Strikes
. Hot Number.
"Lawrenceburg, KY, June IA, 1900.

Lawrenceburg, KY, June IA, 1900.
''Hon. ]. H. Edmiston, Lincoln, Neb.
My Dear Sir-Yours OF the 18th inst.
is at hand and has been read several
times with great deal of interest,
and in reply thereto l have to say that
If you were familiar with conditions
In this state, you would not feel so
confident that I will gladly (or other
wise) assist in the work outlined in
that letter.
Il do not know what the relations be-
tween the Populists Of your state and
the Bryan Democracy have been here
tofore, but do know that in this state
no partisan slander has been too
base, and no epithet too mean or in
sulting for the aforesaid Democrats to
apply to Populists. Our leading men
have been denounced as traitors and
corruptionists, as Republican allies and
anarchists, fanatics, fools and lunatics.
Our rank and file has been denounced
without stint as visionary malcontents
needing the supervision of guardians,
and this, too, after all the services
rendered and the sacrifices made in the
interests. of this same Mr.. Bryan, whom
you laud SO highly
In Kentucky, we have an election
law under whose provisions no man
voting against the candidates nomi-
Nv, ho
have any assurance that his vote will
be counted as cast, or even counted at
all, and under whose provisions a ma
1orlty OF the voters of this state have
Just been as completely disfranchised
as If they had lived in the jungles of
Africa, instead of in the fertile land
OF the Blue Grass state, whose people
claim to be civilized, under whose pro-
visions the people of the most popu-
lous and important congressional dis
trict had their entire vote thrown out
from the totals, and men who were not
elected have been given the office to
which they were not entitled, and which
law is today exclusively depended upon
by the Democrats to give the electoral
vote of the state to Mr.. Bryan.
The Populists OF this state were the
first Of the parties to take alarm upon
the Introduction OF this law. They
saw that under It's operation they would
invariably be counted below the num-
Der necessary to give them a place on
the ballot, regardless of the vote re-
ceived. They saw that with this law
In force 1t would be useless to nominate
candidates for Office. They saw that
1t meant the establishment in the state
OF an irresponsible and self-perpetuating
political oligarchy against which the
votes of the people would be as ineffec-
tive In overthrowing it as the squirting
of water at the sun for the purpose of
ext1nguishing it's light Believing that
the most precious of all rights in a
free country is the right of the people
to choose their officers according to
their own will. and to have that right
respected; to cast their votes and have
them counted. the Populists Of this
state led the fight against the enact
ment Of that law and against it's per-
petuation since it's enactment
That law was placed on our statute |
book by the Democrats of Kentucky.
That law and it's author were both ex-
pressly indorsed by Mr.. Bryan when
in our state last fall That law was
the prime cause and the beginning of |
the trouble which has existed since the |
1899 election. All the frauds and dis |
orders OF the past six months have |
grown directly out of the enforcement !
of that law. Justice and equity were |
thrown to the winds and the people |
were denied the right of self-govern-
ment by the most unscrupulous set of |
political brigands that ever cursed a |
civilized state.
Kentucky Populists can never assist
In placing In power, either directly or |
indirectly, a party which says that its
members shall have no rights which |
are entitled to respect unless they vote |
the ticket OF the Democratic party, |
And the Democratic party is on record |
Dy resolution OF a state convention, as |
favoring that law in all its hideous- |
ness.
The Issue in Kentucky goes much |
farther than the money question:; much |
farther than the question of trusts and |
Imperialism; is more important than |
government ownership of railways, or |
any other matter that is or may be in |
corporated In any political platform.
This issue goes directly to the very
heart Of free government; and unless
this iniquitous statute be wiped out of
existence. free government in Kentucky |
is dead, dead. DEAD.
And Kentucky Populists never sup
port any party or any man on any
ticket for any Office that indorses the
rape of the ballot as made possible by
that Law, and that law 10 4 sample OF |