Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1900-04-20
POST THE DELEGATES.
The Chicago Platform should BE Re-
affirmed and Closely Adj
hercd To.

What is a fair test of party sincerity
during the coming campaign? Neces-
sarily this: "a reaffirmation of the
Chicago platform"
It is also the essential test for every
public man and newspaper protesting
democratic allegiance. 1t is, moreover,
the only test that can safely be applied
to all delegates to the national conven-
ton at Kansas City, for it is they who
will nominate such candidates only who
were openly and actively loyal to that
platform in 1896 and have remained
steadfast ever since.
There are men in many of the, states
who departed from party fealty in 1896,
deserted Bryan, the selected leader of
the party, abandoned principles dear
to the people and aided in the election
of William Mckinley, and ratified the
evils of trusts and its train of militar-
ism. These men are now attempting to
return to the party, and they come
with mere lip service. They hypocrit-
ically condole with it and offer their as
sistance to give it success
While the democratic party is great
and broad enough to permit these rem
egades to return to its bosom, it cannot
sanction their betrayal of it by permit
ting them to take up the lines they
left when they departed. 1t would be
an irretrievable error, gross blunder,
to admit them to the privileges of full
membership without a long novitiate
of good works to manifest thareawak-
ened faith in them, and it is the prov
ince of a democratic newspaper to
warn the public against the silly argu-
ments of these men of suspicious faith.
They have enjoyed the fesHpots of
Egypt and will return to th3sm at the
first opportunity.
They are leagued in conspiracy to
throw the democratic party back into
the clutch of the plutocracy whence it
was saved in 1896. That conspiracy ex-
lists, and it is being perfected by the
selfish politicians who dominated the
party prior to 1896. It is being man
aged and financed by the wealth which
the Whitneys, the Lamontsz the Bene-
diets and the Dickinsons drew from
the trusts which are making herculean
efforts to control the national admin
istration for their own sordid gain.
The wishes of the people are law to
the democratic party, and it's national
convention WILL SIdC11y CuSN dcSiISS
unless the people themselves submit to
the treachery of these Pharisaical con-
spirators. q
Bind all delegates down to the most
rigid instructions. This saved the
party in 1890, and it VIII save it in 1900.
These instructions must be uniform
and Interchangeable, from the district to
the state convention, and from the lat
ter to the national convention, for it
is in the latter that men must alone be
nominated who were loyal to the Chi
cago platform in 1896 and have never
wandered from it since. Beware of the
pernicious influence of plutocracy,
which is ever active, and let this be
the shibboleth:
aReaffirmation of the Chicago plat
form and the nomination of men who
stand for all it means.
Regard all opposition to this instruc-
ton of delegates as strong evidence of
doubtful party loyalty and the badge
of conspirator against the party sue
cess. Let this be the raotto:
INSTRUCT!i INSTRECT!! IN
STRUCT!!-Press 8ullc1in.