Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1901-06-21
TAYLOR RIDDLES VIEWS.

cal parties in Kansas opposed to re-
publicanism aud all its blighting in
fuences, has been occupying the pub
lie press considerably Of late. While
it may seem that heated discussion
of the subject at the present time
may accomplish little, We hardly be.
lieve that the good Judgement of the
Kansas voter can be biased by free
discussion, hence We shall give space
in the DEMOCRAT to articles from
we'll known leaders of the fusion
forces. The following from Taylor
Riddle appeared in q recent Issue of
the Kansas City Times:
"The only hope of success for the
voters of Kansss who have for ten
years battled against the Republican
party, is to get under one tent. Fu-
sion in any other way is as dead as
Julius Caesar. The Populist party in
Kansas was organized as an expedient
necessity. 1t Was, has been, and is
now living protest against the
wrongs of the Republican party. At
its birth both the old parties we're
travelling the same road. A Grover
Cleveland was just as satisfactory to
the money power of the nation-the
combined forces of wealth-as was
Benjamin Harrison or Chester A.
Arthur. The great Peoples party
which rose up in few days was not q
party in the sense that it was to be
permanent.
1t was simply an agency by which
one of the old parties was to be diciplin'
ed and forced to..get nearer to the
people. In 1897 the great national
Democratic party in convention at
Chicago surrendered to the principles
of the Populist party and virtually
stole cur platform. Again in 1900 at
Kansas City a second surrender took
place.
''Do the Populists Of Kansas stand
tor principle or are they going to hig-
gle and haggle over party name? /
believe in being honest and frank.
The Populist party is not and never
will be great national party. II
has done its work in converting one
of the greatest political parties IN the
world, and having accomplished that
| object, am in favor of the rank and
Gle of the Populist party moving bag
and baggage into the Democratic
party This move will be easy-as
easy in fact as the Missourian moves,
for all he has to do, according to tra-
dition, is to put out the FIRE and call
the dogs. l believe in taking charge
of Democratic primaries and running
them, Then when we have captured
the primaries I would move on to the
county conventions end capture them
4 selecting Populists also for delegates
and would not stop there. l would
also see to it that good Populists were
! chosen for candidates for the legisla
ture and state offices, and l would dc
all this under the name of Democracy
Of course l would give the old lin'
Democrats who have stood with III
for the principles ne have fought for
q stare of the spoils, but not all o
them. Having done ali these things,
would be in favor Of house cleaning
Zl-aDd a stable cleaning aleo. Th'
Democratic leaders who have beer
directing the Democratic party il
Kansas for the spoils of Office, ant
playing into the Republican party
would take position in the rea
ranks. They would have to.
"There are those who will say tina
this plan ia not practical. Why ism
E Tit? There are four times as man,
] popuiists III Kansas as there are dem
ocrass, If we simply declare oursel
YES democrats and 60 to the primar
! les. don't you think We can do som
!. business? There won't be any trout bl
; about this thing With four to on
> majority. Well simply run it, that
. all And we will make such plat
. forms as ,he' peopie demand, an
. when made We will yea TO it that the
. are enacted into law.
Q "But the name democracy. 1t ma
. CRATE on sensitive ears, and some me-
. say, L can never be democrat
. What's In q name. anyway? | hav
. an abiding faith in the convictions
. the earnes: and faithful men VIII
. made up the popuiist party. l be
e lieve that they care more for princi
8 pie than they do for party nam,
8 But why should the name 'dembcrac
offend any pnpulis,? Here is Wei
J s;er's defination of democracy
Si "sFirst-Government by the PEI
q pie, q form of government in whie
q the supreme power is retained al
8 directly exercised by the people.
I'll .Second-Government by popt