Hutchinson gazette., 1902-01-23
oOh pAa,i FUTURE.

The following article from the per
of Mrs. Diggs Is the one which ap'
peared In the Advocate of which men
tlon was made In the editorial col
umns last week. 1t Is one OF such
strength as to be worthy Of reproduc'
ti0n.
"rhere are pactlcally three courses
open TO Kansas populists' They may
play the party program alonei they
may agree with the democrats and
nominate only partial ticket, or they
may 90 into the democratic party.
The first course would remove the
party from the field Of practical poll
tics and relegate it thereafter to the
purely educational domain. There
is no possible point of view from
which success In the way Of electing
candidates can be f0reseen. III were
to consult my personal tastes, temper
ment and enjoyment Of my part OF
the work | would unhesltatingly de-
clare for n program Of this sort. lfit
were possible to maintain for years a
thorough and effective organization
solely for the dissemination OF our
ideas of government, OF economics
and of sociology, there could be moth
ing more highly satisfactory than to
devote ones best endeayor to such
purposes.
As populists we have tasted the
sweetness of presenting our theories
Of Just government, Of arguing for
them, and Of compelling unwilling
attention. We have changed the SEN
timent toward the fundamental prin-
cipal Of our platoon TISSUES, We have
done all this despite mlSunderstand-
ing of the densest sort and mlsrepre-
sentation the most cruel and unkind
Should the voice Of the conference
of February 81 declare for lndepcnd-
ent action it will be my pleasure and
my deepest interest to conduct
through the Advocate such discussion
Of political problems as will material
lie through some future organization
into votes and legislation. But
should this be the path which Kansas
populists choose let them enter there
in with no vain hope that they are to
win elections and offices, the collapse
OF such hope would deepen discourage
ment aud result in disaster.
We can not be blind TO the facts Of
history; no reform party ever renew
ed its growth after n subsistence OF
its first Jealous progress, The repub-
licans made steady progress from FIRE.
mont to Lincoln; had there been the
same ratio Of decline after Fremont
that marked the pathway Of the peo-
ple's party after the Weaver campaign
of 1892 then the republican contention
would have been fated to await an
other organization, made up of new
alignment, before achieving success.
The greenback party made II heroic
struggle to grow after its decline set
in, but it was compelled to merge
into q new political comblation.
The union labor party made aston
ishing growth, but stroye in vain to
hold Its party organization after Its
fortunes waned.
The populist party Is now confront
ing the same crisis in its party or
gani2ation; it, too, will be forced, no
matter how valiantly men "stand for
principle" to accept reorganization
under another name with new ele-
ments participating in It's leadership.
There Is nothing about this to cause
one to moan and wall, nor yet to
abandon hope. Each reform party
builds upon the sentiment and en-
lightenment Of the past, and each
new effort is stronger than the one
preceding it. 1t will be so as to the
peoples party, it will disappear as q
party, but its purposes and principles,
hroadencd and adapted to new prob
lens, will reappear in other party or
ganization. 1t is for the conference
to say what shall be done in a voting
way until the next party opportunity
is clearly arrived
The spirit of 1880" was never
more alive, intense and deyout among
the faithful Kansas populists than 1t
is today. 1t is Of that quality which
breeds martyrs and trains to heoric
endurance. 1t will be glorious If on
the 2lst we enter into compact to re-
consecrate ourselves to daily, yearly
work for the further spread of our
doctrines.
Turning from this attractive view
Of the case, let us consider the second
course, remembering always that the
man whose voice y raised for union
with democracy is not deserting his
principles, he is simply striving by
another method to enact them into