The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-03-18

| interest the articles in your paper dis
! cussing the questions of fusion and the
propriety Of applying the initiative and
| referendum principles to the nominating
/ of our candidates. 1 viii submit q few of
| my opinions as they have been formed
! by past experience and observation.
In the years 1sS9-1S90 nearly every one
Joined the Farmers Alliance in the state
of Kansas. 1t was not a political organi-
zation. but all admitted freely that the
farmers were being wronged by some
class, believing that class to be the So
called middlemen or local dealers. The
Alliance as an order began ordering goods
from factories and wholesale houses and
they found that the saving was small
item after the railroad companies re-
ceived their enormous profit and that as
general thing the retail merchant was
not charging any more than a reasonable
profit added to the cost to him.
These developments led to a thorough
investigation which proved beyond doubt
that the injustice to the common people
was class legislation and the failure to
keep under control great corporations.
such conditions called forth that funda-
mental demand for a social system which
would insure equal rights to all and spe-
cial privileges to none, and the Omaha
platform was created by the common peo-
pie, demanding a reformation. which the
facts show were needed, and the facts
were so plain to those that were associat-
ed with the Alliance that in Kansas AMI
r%k, z,o1- N
organized fair majority of the voters
believed and advocated and voted the
principles of the above-named platform.
and I believe If the people had voted the
principles straight from that time until
now, the question of fusion would not be
with us today, but as we have in 50
many cases voted for men who did not
believe in the reform principles and who
were in no way bound to help carry them
out, we have in a great measure sacri-
feed our prestige and it has been en-
ccuraged by designing politicians TO get
into office and carry off the spoils. who
cared little or nothing about the reforna-
ton so much desired by their constitu-
ents.
Our Republican friends gave US an ex-
forever shut their mouths on fusion in
this county, or should. After J. R. Kea-
ton was nominated by the Peoples par
ty and before the Republican county ocn-
vention in this county, one of my Repub-
Ncan friends was shooting hot-shot into
us for sacrificing our principles and NOM
mating J. r. Keaton, declaring that if he
could not vote his principles he would not
vote at all. While I was CALLING some I'M
der the collar, / tried to explain 10 him
that Mr.. Keaton. while claiming TO be a
Democrat, endorsed nearly allso the re-
form principles and that we were not sac
rificing but simply supporting q man too
much attached to his old name.
Fortunately this same Republican
friend was a delegate to their county con-
vention. When he got out there re found
the leaders had all fixed for fusion, then
he tumbled in with the balance AMI said,
Well I think it is the best thing we can
do, but what In the HI can 1 tell Pot
ter He knew as all others knew, they
had to sacrifice their principles every
time they voted for the western Demo-
crat. I don't believe it is honest policy
for me to induce you to do something
that you believe to be wrong by agree
ing to do something which I believe to
be wrong for the avowed purpose of
carrying off the spoils of the deal. The
same ought to apply to political parties"
Tom Puleston another correspondent to
the Review, shows his feeling on fusion
in this utterance: I'm answer 20 your re-
quest that you would like to hear from
the various committeeman, 1 will lsay for
my part I do not believe the Populists Of
Woods county or Oklahoma were ever
benefited by fusion, neither is 1t neces-
sary, as the union of all reformers would
give us more strength than we could gain
by Democratic alliance. Let us stand
sqlIarely on our own principles even If 1t
does carry us to an honorable defeat,
which is better than questionable vic
tory gained by compromising our princi-
pies. Fusion Is not needed with any other
party. Adhesion among us to our true
party principles will be the key note to
success. Unity will carry us to COM
plete victory Lay aside factional differ
ences and each one do his best to keep
the party on the right track"