The independent., 1903-04-02
THE NEBRASKA INDEPENDENT

ton and does not wish to mix into
any controversy. Standing alone Mr.
Ricker's language conveys no news,
but in the light of his former asser
tion, IDEAL" or arrangement or
understanding" implies prearrange-
ment. The question is: Did Messrs-
Rosewater, Bryan and Allen, prev
ious to the conventions, arrange to
have Holcomb nominated and elected
governor? Ii so, that is piece of
news TO many thousands Of Nebras-
kans. The second question is. Did Mr.
Rosewater relate tie particulars of
| this deal to Mr. Kicker? Mr. Kicker
says he did; Mr.. Rosewater refuses to
answer
No one denies that Messrs, RoseWa-
rJer, Bryan and Alien each assisted IL
the election of Governor Holcomb, and
Lo one denies that they did good
work. But Mr.. Ricker's insinuation
is that these gentlemen planned the
whole thing in advance. And il it be
true that they cid SO plan in advance,
| it is matter which concerns repnb-
| licans, democrats, and populists alike.
| Senator Allen, in the letter which fol-
lows, denies that he was party to any
such deal"
Madison, Neb., March 19, 1903.-
Hon. Chas. @. De France, Lincoln,
Neb.-My Dear Sir: | have your let
ter of the 14th inst. containing ex-
cerpts from The Independent and the
Appeal to Reason, in which it appears
| that Mr.. Kicker asserts that Mr.. Bry
an admitted to him that he (Mr. Bry-
am aud the populist leaders months
before the democratic and populist
national conventions of 1896 had ar
ranged 80 that the peoples party
would be placed in this humiliating po-
sition,' referring to Mr.. Bryans prob
able nomination by the populists at
St. Louis.
"It further appears that Mr.. Kicker
asks, "Has Mr.. Bryan forgotten the
deal between Mr. Rosewater, Mr.. Al
len and himself by which understand
ing Mr.. Holcomb was elected governo.
of Nebraska in 1894, the particulars
of which were related to me by Mr..
Rosewater some five years ago."
desire to notice Mr.. Ricker's utter
ance to the extent Of denying tha.
there was any arrangement at or be-
fore the national populist convention
of 1896 that Mr.. Bryan should receive
the populist nomination for the presi-
dency, and to express my dissent from
the statement that there was deal
between Mr. Rosewater, Mr.. Allen and
Mr.. Bryan by which Governor Hol-
comb was elected governor of Ne
braska in 1884, as there was no such
deal" | likewise have reason to Le-
lieve that Mr.. Kicker is mistaken in
what he claims Mr.. Rosewater said to
him "some five years ago."
eff there was a deal I was not g
party to it and know nothing of it; if /
there was an arrangement or under
standing by which Mr.. Bryan was to
receive the populist nomination to the |
presidency in 1896 before his name was |
actually placed before the convention |
at st. Louis am and have been ignor-
ant of the fact | am we'll convinced |
that Mr.. Kicker is thoroughly in er-
ror in respect to these statements.
"Mr. Kicker and his co-adjutors |
must adopt some other method to dis |
credit the populist party and to de- |
stroy it than by the circulation of such |
reports. | have faith in the populist |
party; faith in it's principles; faith in
it's continued existence, and faith that
it will grow and under it's present or
some other acceptable name ultimate
ly be triumphant in the United States.
I have not the slightest notion of de-
serting its standard Or of permitting
the organization to go down if | can
prevent such disaster l admire
many things in scientific socialism.
The socialism of Marx and Bellamy
would be of infinite benefit to man
kind, but it is a thousand years in ad-
vance of the age and men must be re-
fashioned before it can be successful
ly adopted. We must deal with men
as they are and nor as we would like
them to be, and on one or two vital
principles of government upon which
all can agree we should unite the re-
form forces into a compact organiZa
ton by which through party discipline
and by force of numbers we may be
able to reform the government and
bring it back TO tile old time purity
end simplicity of the fathers of the
republic. Any policy that falls short
Of accomplishing this desirable end
10 short sighted and unworthy of CON |