The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1902-10-02
LEST NE FORGET. :"

romantic features II Is lnslnld, IN
sincere and only occasional a>hese al
truth appear as a thin veneerlng Of
the whole. Like most Of his writings
it is not conspicuous for its hr-v ~,
but one must wade through mass
OF conglomerated adiectives aud
metaphors To obtain kprnal nf
truth. Hehurries through thrm-ta,
morphosis of the Populist partyr"v-
ering the period from lSS2 To $3.50,
in which latter wear ia" allied forces
o!nll other parties under the nnnIeof
Union Labor defeated the Demo.
cratic ticket. the first and Only time
since that party came into power in
the county in the early seventies
He writes that the Republicans mag
unanimously, and presumably f"r love
alone OF the Union l.aborcause. with
drew their candidates and helped
them gain u signal victory now. at
this late day, since .Atkeson became
Il Republican, in name only, he thinks
the ropulists should paythis old debt
of the Union Labor party and vote
the Republican ticket, thus carrying
out his compact to bring them into
the Republican camp, Mr.. Atkeson
neglects To tell the most important
part of the secret workings of the
forces in 1890 which brought about
Democratic defeat. He could have
told that n secret organization to
catch the unsuspecting and honest
yeomanry, under the alluring name
of Farmers Alliance, wasiormed, and
lifelong Democrats were persuaded
to iuin under solemn and sacred
promise not to interfere with their
political affiliations. They were re-
Quired TO take a binding obligatio
To support the cause, which after
wards turned out to be the cause OF
the allied forces under the name OF
Union Labor, and many over-con'
scientious democrats felt that they
were in honor bound to observe their
oaths and voted against their life
llong convictions.
Atkeson grows ferocious in his vim
dictive TRADE against Democracy
and calls it the inveterate foe of
populism, not taking into account
the fact that the Democratic party
courled defeat III the past two presi.
dental elections by making sweeping
concessions to that party's princi-
pies. The Populists in nationa. con.
vention in 1896 and again in 1900
Endorsed the Democratic platform
and its nominees. But fellows like
Atkeson, who were fighting for local
spoils and not broad national prin-
ciples, seeded and, of course, were
chastised, as they should have been.
In that matter the great majority OF
Populists in the nation, state and
county were traitors and renegades
and only such fellows as Atkeson
were patriots to their cause. Such
men as Hackett. Hendrickson, Erwin,
in fact the great majority OF the ster-
ling fellows who were battling for
principle, and when they saw the par
ty Of their first love willing to make
concessions gladly came back home,
are loathed and vilified by this para
gon OF political virtue.
We are at a loss to understand his
unreasoning and deep-rooted hatred
of Democracy, unless it be that the
Democrats Of Bates county declined
to lie down and let him have his way,
and he can rest assured that they
will continue to do so. They are
proud of the record the Democratic
party has made in the county and
state, and will remain loyal and
steadfast in its support even at the
risk of offending MIR. Atkeson and his
few followers who choose to forsakt
party principle for political revenge.