The representative., 1900-12-13
FROM AN ILLINOIS CORRESPONDENr
Flora, Clay Co, Ill. Nov. 26. 1900

suggestions as to the Futre.
Flora, Clay Co., ILL.,. Nov 20, 1900.
Dear EditOr:-The interesting letter
of ex-GOv. Wait in last weeks Repre-
sentative develops innumerable ideas as
to why and wherefore the greatly de-
creased vote of the Peoples party.
He procaims, I'VE must cease to be
fools,'' which carries with it the sup
position that unwise action ruled the
spirit of those who controlled the cam
paign conduct of the Peoples party in
the late, as we'll as the campaign of
eight and four years ago. No student
OF history and no Populist desiring the
triumph Of principles, distinguished
from politics as a profession, has at any
time, past or present, doubted the fool
ishness Of Bryan's St. Louis nomina-
ton in 1896. But a condition and not
theory confronted the Peoples party
In 1900. A close observer of human
nature" in American politics and man
kind in general, afFrms that nothing
short of an extraordinary national SEN
satiOn, equivalent to COxey's army Of
the commonwealth, Debs railway union
strike, or some revolutionary appeal 70
arms could have engaged the peoples
attention from Bryan and Mckinley
this year. AnayZing the situation dis
closes that the alliance of four years
ago created generally the impression
with the people that the principles of
the Peoples party and Democratic par
ty were Identical, and the newspapers
of both old parties took up that refrain.
Then the Office seeking and office hold
Ing politicians of both old parties gave
voice to the same thought and so fierce
were their contentious that anyone
wildly expressing a supposable doubt
as to the orthodoxy of such exact fact
was in danger of crucifxion, or a worse
martyrdom.
This idea having became so prevalent
through daily iteration and reiteratio1
could not be refuted or eradicated in
the time which intervened between the
holding of the Kansas City convention
when the duplicity Of Democratic pro-
fessions towards reform principles be-.
came indsputably evident-and the
national election. And, therefore, no
factor but that of time could be made
available in imparting to the people the
fraudulent character of the Kansas City
convention proceedings. While these
declarations of similarity of intention
and purpose were so industriously cir
culated to our injury the Republican
administration put forth every possible
effort under the gold standard system of
Infamous usury in the direction of cur
rency expansion, claiming to have in
creased the volume of money more than
rs per cent, and. although this increase
was built upon a quick-sand founda-
ton. nevertheless prices of some farm
products advanced, and straight way
the idea seized the pubicans and sin
ners that the Republican policy of pro-
lection and the gold standard instead Of
causing scarcity Of money had, in
fact brought about more abundant
supply. And to those who have only
a limited knowledge of financial and
worldwide commercial interests such
men seeking truth discover beneath the
veneering of plausible sophistry the
personal greed and selfishness of corpor-
ate tyranny, resulting in the constantly
increasing Indebtedness of the people,
the annual shrinkage of producing prop
erty values, as shown by state equali-
Zation boards; the financial deprivations
of the people, as experienced in the
larcenous ustry of the loan shark and
pawnShOp; the strenuous demands OF
charity commissions; the statistics Of
criminality, suicides, insane and divorce
court proceedings. These proofs of nev-
er-ceasing expressions are the guiding
fingers pointing to reasons scorn of an
ethical code which betokens only a delu-
sion of. much-vaunted good times, or
election bridge properties The people
frenzied under the extortions of usury
and desperate from the exactions Of
corporate burdens, ambushed and forti
fed in statute language of subtitle and
deceptive meaning, with mobilize en-
ergy lavished their confidence first upon
Bryan, but later and with no more rea-
son, turned to Roosevelt in their hero
worship-ever the blind leading the
blind
The Peoples party had no recourse
save to await the passing fancy Of the
mob That mob is now resting and
waiting, and "Watchman, what of the
night?"
Gov. Wait recognizes the Farmers
Alliance as the father of the Peoples
party and that Farmers Alliance senti-
ment dominates majority of the states
whence is derived the Peoples party
vote. His statement raises the ques-
tion Of why the Farmers Alliance is not
continued in it's good work If It has
been abandoned or destroyed, why not
again seek similar aid by renewing it.
Or at least some organization of farm
associations portentious of victorious
battle in the conflict against the oppres-
sors of humanity? Surely the mission
of the Farmers Alliance is not fulfilled