Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1902-07-12
THE EPE0PLE'S PARTY
Asserts Its Independence and
Nominates a Complete
State Ticket.
Report of the State Convention
Held at Minneapolis Ju1y ,.

The sixth biennial nominating con-
vention OF the Peoples Party of Min
nesota was not the largest gathering
held by that party in the state, but it
was fully up to the standard in the
earnestness of purpose and devotion
to principles of those attending. The
Svea Silver Cornet Band, of Svea,
Kandiyohi Co., which had accom-
panied the Kandiyohi county delega
ton to the convention, played couple
of patriotic selections as the clans were
gathering. There were about 25O
delegates, nearly all from the country
districts, in their seats when chair
man Lawson raped for order at few
minutes past 10 o'clock July 2. After
declaring the convention open, the
chairman addressed the convention as
follows:
The chairman's Address.
I'm surrendering to this convention
the authority entrusted to my humble
self by your committee two years ago
l wish to thank those who by words
and deeds of encourage ment have as
sisted the committee in its work. On
the other hand We do not feel unkind-
ly towards those who have seen fit to
honestly criticise and adversely CON-
ment iu regard to the acts Of the COM
mittee This critical spirit would
seem to indicate that Our people are
learning to be more careful In trust
ing men active in public life and to in
qure more closely into the character
of those men into whose hands they
entrust the enactment and execution of
their political principles. Political
platforms are meaningless without
men behind them that have the ability
and courage OF their convictions to
properly enact, Interpret aud enforce
them. Cool principles are vital;zed
only when good men are combined
with them. Let us rot forget that
"The Peoples party has never sig
nifed any intention of disbanding or
merging permanently with any other
political organization. Our people
have always resented suggestions that
our party had been swallowed and
have stoutly maintained that the party
must live until the principles that it
stands for are enacted into law and
men are elected who will properly en-
force them.
"Even when cooperation with other
political forces has been formulated
the reservation has always been made
that our organization was to be pre-
served. On no other basis could the
fusion program have carried. But
however good the intentions of the
members of the party have been, it
became plainly apparent to your CON-
mittee soon after last campaign that
if the party was to. survive it must
forthwith proceed to declare it's inde-
pendence and exercise those functions
without which no political party can
live. Then followed a long mental
struggle within many of US. Political
association for four or six years with
men whom we have learned to- love
and respect more for their sterling
personal qualities rather than for the
principles they represent, had formed
ties which with our personal inclina-
tions we found hard to break. But
the duty to our party organization
and the underlying purposes which
created the party prevailed and we
have spared no effort to rally our
forces and make this gathering sue
cess. Let me add, that having once de-
termined on the proper course to take,
we have grown stronger in the faith
and more firmly convinced that the
peoples, party has yet a grand mis-
sion to perform in state and nation.
s'The agitation by the populists in
the past has educated millions of men,
in both the old parties. Politicians
of both the old parties are finding it
expedient to propose notifications of
j Populistlc Thunder !" Demand.
the old populist demands In order to
keep in favor with the voters. But
those politicians are careful to empha-
size most strongly those demands
which are least essential for the re-
storation and preservation Of . gov
sernment by the people. Thus we see
one great party resolute in favor OF
more stringent anti-trust laws and at
the same time declare against the gov
sernment by Injunction, not stopping
to think that the latter evil is the logi-
cal result OF the enforcement OF such
laws, enforced, as oil laws are, to the
letter and with severity in the case OF
the weak but with great consid alton,
+ II at all, IN the case Of the strong and
powerful.
..We need the peoples party TO
point out TO the people the true so
luton 81 the problems confronting