The representative., 1900-05-24
A Voice From the south.

De Kalb, Kemper Co., Miss, May 8.
Hon. Ignatius Donnelly.
My Dear Sir and Brother: 1 trust
that you will not regard this letter as
an infringement upon the proprieues, or
as of1icious fntermeddling in matters
where I am not concerned, for am and
have been a worker in the ranks Of the
Populist party since its organization in
our county, in fact, I issued call, by
the advice and consent of other reform
ers, to commence this work. In Novem-
Der, 1897, began the publication Of a
Populist paper and have continued in
this line until this good hour I men,
ton these facts SO that you may per-
ceive that the harness does not chafe.
Having labored all my life on the farm,
except 1861-1865, think that am in
thorough touch with the laboring classes
and have a clear conception of their
wants, etc. The great body of the
deceived that they have lost all conf
dence in mankind and are oscillating
between the two old parties trying to
choose between two evils, when common
sense should dictate to them to not
choose any evil at all. Once fix in the
minds of the voters that there is party
that can be trusted and that Its leaders
are honest, conscientious men, and sue
cess will, at once, be assured. The
question is, how shall this much desired
result be secured? By simply being
honest and truthful with all men. Re-
ligion should always begin at home
Example before precept. Let us prac-
tfce what we preach. Let us commence
with self and demonstrate by our own
life and actions that we are indeed re-
formers. But little use, Brother, in re-
ferring to the glorious past of our
fathers when we are unwilling to walk
in their footsteps by adopting their
practices.
My humble opinion is that we should
adopt, as nearly as possible, the identi-
cal platform upon which Lincoln was
elected the first time, with slavery elimi-
mated. and the Jeffersonian doctrine
that all men are created free and equal"
and that government exists by the con-
sent of the governed" So far as the
South is concerned. if necessary, to de-
fine our position by special declara-
ton (plank), then I should favor the
sine qua non of good citizenship as
prerequisite to the use of the ballot
by any and all men. Educational and
property qualification tests should be
abolished by national legislation, and
any violation OF this law by any state
should, at once, work a forfeiture of
congressional representation, and an ap-
pointment of state officials by the presi-
dent, and the appointment of district
and county officials by said appointee
In other words, the state government
should be modelled on the letter and
spirit of pure church government, that
is to say, what would work excumuni-
cation in the latter should debar the
the right of suffrage by the former. l
have elaborated this idea because Popu-
lists down South" have been accused OF
favoring social equality, which is a lie
out of whole cloth. A declaration on
this line would save world of trouble
and a myriad of untold explanations,
on our part, besides it is simply justice
and would give Populists the basic
stones of justice, truth and right upon
which to build.
Thus, above and beyond all things,
be plain and emphatic in the declaration
of positive and determined effort and
purpose to return to the remuneration of
all officials for services rendered to the
ante-bellum standards as it existed
when honest men controlled the gov
ernment That is, pay the president,
and all employees Of the
government only the salaries allowed
prior to the war. The fee system
should be abolished in toto. All reve-
nue. should be raised by direct taxation,
The tariff is not only tax but the most
Infamous fraud ever practiced upon an
ignorant people. The abolition OF all
useless and unnecessary Offices. The
eternal wiping out Of a contingent fund
for the use of national representative
bodies. The emphatic declaration OF
the momentous truth that silver, being
the money Of the constitution, has never
been legally demonetiEed and that as
soon as the Peoples party comes into
power the m1nts Of these United States