Omaha daily bee., 1903-06-01
Ar rHH rARTwe on THE WArs.


Populism in Nebraska, as in nearly all
the states Of the west, had its origin In
the popular discomfort with railroad
domination and extorti0nate ~transporta-
ton rates. This sentiment first took
definite shape in the organization Of the
farmers alliance and finally eliminated
in the peoples independent party that
held its first national convention at
Omaha in 1892 and promulgated its prin-
ciples in the Omaha platform.
The new party In its declaration Of
independence denounced the existing old
parties as degenerate and incompetent
to cope with the great problems of the
hour, but instead Of centering upon the
paramount issue Of anti-monopoly, it
scattered its fire over, a wide field and
committed itself to visionary schemes
of reform that were in conflict with the
natural laws of industrial evolution.
While the rank and file of western pop
ulists were greenbackers and did not
believe I'm metallic currency, they tenn
porarily abjured their fat faith and
Joined with the %bullionaires of the min
ing states in the clamor for the free
and unlimited coinage of silver. The
railroad issue was thus s~idetracked and
free silver made the battle cry.
With the same facility of conversion
the peoples Independent party was
switched by fusion from its original
third party independence to become an
adjunct Of democracy. The party that
had been denounced in 1892 as the
spawn of Tammany corruption became
the right wing of the reform army in
campaign Nebraska was the storm cen
ter and populism triumphed under the
flag of democracy. Not because Ne
braska had been converted to free sill
yer, but as the sequence OF calamity
in the shape Of business depression and
two successive years of drouth. With
the return Of prosperity and the e1plo-
sion of the silver delusion, the only
thing that held democrats and populists
together was the appetite for a division
Of the spoils. When the state house
and the majority Of the county court
houses were ~reoccupied by republicans
the cohesive power of fusion gradually
diminished and the leaders of the dis
lodged parties charged each other with
the responsibility for defeat.
And now the allied forces Of reform
find themselves at the parting of the
ways. Ex-Governor Poynter, who may
be considered one Of the populist wheel
horses, has served formal notice upon
the Nebraska democracy that the
peoples Independent party will hence
forth travel in the middle of the road
without entangling alliances. Governor
Poynter admits ruefully that the i'm
pending reorganization of the demo-
cratic party will compel populists to
abandon the coalition which has proved
such a disappointment. 1.-THE time is
now ripe" says Mr.. Poynter, Ito line
up the populist forces on the principles
Of the Omaha platform for the fray of
1904. Whatever ~dlsintegration has hap
pened to u ranks has been caused
by our union with the democratic party.
Independent action will in a large meas
ure Gov these scattered forces"
What Governor Poynter says concern
ing the disastrous effects Of fusion on
the populists is a reflex of what dem
ocratic leaders have been saying to their
followers concerning its effect upon The
fortunes Of the Nebraska democracy.
The truth is that the disintegradon Of
the reform forces is largely due to the
failure of the fusionists to perform as
they promised when they were in power,
as well as to the popular conviction that
the republican party under Theodore
Roosevelt will grapple with the monop.
olies and trusts more effectively than
would the democracy whether reorgan.
lied or disorganized.