The representative., 1900-10-25

this paper has Travelled thousands of
miles. He has talked with Populists in
a dozen states-fusionists and Mid
readers. The one cry of the fusionists
Is If we could only do anything alone"
l have great deal of patience. I have
spent the best part Of my life in the
advocacy Of Populist principles. l have
sacrificed position and political honors
at that period of life when such things
were dearest to a mans heart. have
l have borne ridicule, business boycott
and social ostracism. I stand now on
the sunset side OF life. The lengthen-
ing shadows warn me that I am ap-
preaching the shore Of the Dark River,
which every living thing must sooner
or later cross. Yet even now the siren
voice of fame and fortune whispers
that 1t Is not yet too late to drink Of
the waters Of worldly success: to bask
In the sunshine Of political preference;
to SIT IN the cool shade and bathe my
Wearied feet in the waters of content
FROM material and selfish standpoint
my life. possibly, has been a failure
The same time, energy and ability l
have devoted to the cause of humanity
would have given me prominence and
aduence as politician in either the
Democratic or the Republican party.
1t would have given me wealth in the
pursuit of business, made me eminent
as a lawyer or noted in any of the
fields Of intellectual pursuit. 1 have
sacrificed all for devotion to principle
l claim no merit for all this. I have
only done my duty. ask no compensa-
tion. But in making these sacrifices |
have earned the right to be heard in
the councils of the party. Twenty-six
years of work along the lines of reform
entities me to a consideration of what
l have to say.
The Populists builded wisely at Gin
cinnati when they set up the claim that
the reforms sought by them could never
be attained through either of the old
parties. They set up the danger signal
against false issues. They designed
and had manufactured a medal, and on
that medal was inscribed the motto:
Keep in the middle of the road" It
was illustrated by a picture, on one
side of the medal, of two men in
wagon driving along road. In the
distance was a white house. One of
the men carried a banner on which was
inscribed the words: Peoples Party"
On each side of the road were stones,
stumps and fallen trees labeled "Old
party distractions. The road was
straight as an arrow. There were no
free silver bypaths or anti-imperialism
highways to mislead the wayfaring
Populist traveller. Could such thing
have been foreseen by that body it
would have labeled them "Old party OBJ
structions."
In it's early history the Peoples party
had it's traitors. 1t had it's Macune,
Livingston, Tillman and Hall. These
sought, Herod-like, to throttle it in it's
swaddling clothes. But the child lived
and grew. 1t was baptized in one of
the grandest ovations in the history If
the world, on the adoption of it's first
platform at Omaha. That demonstra-
ton is without parallel. 1t was not
applause; it was not cheers; it was the
voice of Diety through the hearts and
throats of men. For As minutes it last
ed without a break. The declaration
that went out from there gave new in
spiration to a suffering people. The
heart Of the nation was touched. We
all know what glorious campaign that
was. The million votes cast was moth
ing compared with the educational
work accomplished.
At Omaha we raised the danger signal
against false issues. We plodded along
in the middle-of-the-road. The babe
born at Cincinnati was becoming
young giant. The campaign of 1894
nearly doubled our vote and advanced
the educational work. The old party
politicians stood aghast at the growth
of the young giant. The administra-
tion Of Cleveland drove thousands of
Democrats into our ranks. The logic
of events rang out in voice of thunder
in defense of our principles.
The year 1896 drew near The Dem
ocratic Phillistines held a council The
men whom we had trusted and elected
to congress became our Delilahs. They
invaded the sanctuary which had been
forbidden them by resolution at Oma-
ha. The platform was trimmed and
fusion effected. Thus the young giant,
shorn of his strength, was made to
labor in the treadmill of his enemy-to
grind corn for Democratic candidates.
Four years have passed since that
memorable campaign of 1896. The
wreck and ruin wrought by fusion must
be apparent to ALL With few excep-
tions the Delilahs who wrought the ruin
have been discarded by the political
libertines whose embraces they sought.
The compensating hand of fate has
banished them from the public arena.
They have perished as all things cor
rupt, immoral and useless must perish.
What few are left must soon be crushed
in the fall of the temples Of political
paganism. Thus briefly have 1 gone
over the history of the Peoples party.