The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1901-04-04
Con1nlOner Comment.
Extracts From W. j. Bryan's Paper.
JUSTICE TO THE PopuL1srs.

JUoIlCE III HE POPULISIS.
The populist party, ridiculed by the
republicans and denounced by the gold
democrats, has really been a great ed
ucator. 1t is an historical fact that
many political organizations have been
influential in moulding public opinion,
even though they have never secured
control Of the federal government. The
populists have never had at any time
more than score of members of con-
gress, and yet they have given an i'm
petus to several reforms which must
ultimately be accomplished.
For years the democrats preached
tariff reform in states like Kansas, Ne
braska, Colorado and the Dakotas, but
they seemed to make little progress be-
cause republican prejudice was bar
r1er to democratic doctrines. The pop
ullsts did not denounce protective
tariff in their platform, but in attack
Ing the republican party they weak
ened the protective sentiment among
their members and today tariff reform
is much stronger in the west than it
would have been without the assist
ance of populism. The Wilson bill,
the only tariff reform measure enacted
since the war, could not have passed
without the aid of populist votes in
the senate.
The first national platform written
by the populists demanded the election
of United States senators by a direct
vote of the people. That was before
the matter received serious attention
in congress, but since then the house
of representatives has three times
adopted a resolution proposing the
necessary amendment. In 1900 the
democratic platform Endorsed this re-
form and it is now receiving the sup
port Of many prominent papers which
until recently have been silent u.a,n
the subject or opposed to the change.
The populist party is an advocate of
the system known as the initiative
and referendum, whereby the people
can compel the submission of impor-
tant questions and pass upon the acts
of legislatures. This reform has been
Endorsed by many democratic state
conventions and was last year APP
proved by the national convention of
the party.
Prior to the organization of the pop
ulist party, comparatively few men
advocated the municipal ownership of
public utilities, and yet today business
men in every part of the United States
are openly defending this policy.
Whenever the question has been sub
mitted to the voters large majority
has generally been polled in favor of
this reform, once denounced as pop
ulistic but now regarded as prudent
business policy for community.
On the money question the populist
party has done a great deal of educa-
l 4
| Tended the greenback against the at
tacks of the national banking interests
and has insisted that the right to issue
money is sovereign function of gov.
eminent which cannot safely be dele
gated to private individuals or corpor
ations. The democratic party has il
two conventions supported this doc
Strine. although differing from the pop
MistX on the subject Or redeemability
TN eAacrats advocate :. legal ten
IN, lhe aem ok, issued by td, govern
u mant sfe eedas lille in coin, VI Govern
ment to exercise tS,e w.. .S.asto which
coin, while the populis $ IL, u a.
irredeemables .graenback. ms s1su -
ence, however, has. not prevented tne
democrats and populists from acting
| together to save the greenback from
The populists, as might be expected,
oppose imperialism and trusts. They
also unite with the democrats in fav-
oring arbitration and condemning gov
eminent by injunction and the black
list.
No one who understands the history
of the last ten years can doubt the in
fiuence which the populist party has
exerted upon public affairs. 1t has been
a. great educational factor and the
democratic party has strengthened
rather than weakened itself by indors-
ing number of propositions which
are called "populistic." To repudiate
our populist allies and surrender to the
corporate influences which now domi-
nate the republican party would be as
impolitic as it would be unpatriotic.
The democratic party has no reason
for existence except to champion the
cause of the people. 1t must stand
ready to cooperate with those who
are fighting organized greed, for to re-
fuse such cooperation is to give aid
and comfort to the common enemy.