Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1902-01-10
ADDRESS AND CALL.
TO THE PEOPLES PARTY OF THE
Estate OF KANSAS:

questions have arisen involving
the rights and liberties of the
people composing ourparty, their
powereto make their will effective
through the ordinary methods
and forms of law, and that the
election machinery, whose object
should be to aid the. people in
stlle expression of, a free choice
among men and measures, has
been perverted SO as to .thwart
such expression.
Believing that in all times Of
doubt and danger, as well as
when questions involving the
rights and interests of the people
are pending, and having in view
the fundamental principles of
Populism which demand that
they, the entire party member
ship, shall have a voice in decid-
ing party policies and party ex-
pressions, we have determined to
Gala delegate conference in which
the whole partyin the state may
be represented and counsel to-
gether as to a future course.
Harmoniously united in our
devotion, to the principles for
which our party has stood
through all it's history, as well
as our attachment to the organi-
zation in which we have stood
shoulder to shoulder for d de-
cade; with no thought OF aband
Oning our warfare on economic
evil nor of lowering in the slight
est degree the standards OF civic
Righteousness we have set up, yet
we cannot ignore the. fact that
conditions confront. us which
render new political methods in
dispensable to success.
Possessing the power to harass
and Oppress opposing parties,
our republican opponents in the
last legislature used it to enact
a ballot lawwhich deprives those
parties and the people. who COM
pnse them OF the right to nomi-
nate and votefor such candidates
as commend themselves to their
Judgment and. to their conscien-
ces; and at the same time render
the ballot a Juggling puzzle to
every voter who is not a party
slave. i BY such Legislative OPP
preston and infamy they evi-
IDENTIFY proposed to insure for the
republican party a perpetual
lease of power, and they have
succeeded in practically disfran-
chisingo nearly one-fourth OF the
voters who participated in the
last electionssince the enactment
of that partisan, unjust and un-
fair ballot law.
To take measures. and decide
upon a line of policy to circum-
vent these plots and machina-
tions of our republican oppo-
nents, we have deemed a confer
ence representing the entire mem
bership of our party both pru-
dent and necessary. We must
decide whether we will go into a
triangular contest, thus allowing
the common enemy to divide and
conquer us in detail and render
.ing success impossible next year
or for years to come, or whether
we will plan to continue cO-Opera-
tion with those who have been
our allies daring the last two
acknowledgements, in working fol
the overthrow of the republican
domination and the restoration
and preservation of those rights
and privileges of which that
party has plotted to deprive US
Various plans have been sug
gested by which we can circum
vent our adversaries and tht
delegate conference which W.
have agreed to call will undoubt
edly be able to. decide whether
any of them are advisable. anC
in that way we can make our in
fiaence most effective for the pro
motion OF those principles o
government to WHICH we are de
voted. 1t is earnestly requested
and desired that in each count,
the conventions to select dele
gates to the coming conferenc,
be as largely attended as. pos
sible and that the fullest an
freest expression as to our futur
course be encouraged, to the en-,
!. that the conference may be abl
to crystalize the thought an
wishes OF our entire membership
eE. r. RIDGELY, Chairman.
J. I'll. CURRAN, Secretary.