The independent., 1903-07-02
ALABAMA p0PUlISTS
Mr.. johnson Has word to Say About
Fusion

Mr.. johnson Has word to Say About
Fusion
! Editor Independent: A few days
ago / received t marked copies OF
your paper, accompanied by sub
Scription order biann. | cheertully sub
scribe to your pales, as you say you
are going to devote your time to thu
rebuilding of the populist party. Whiie
you did not send along an invitation
to write, | will take an ell for the inch
you gave and write any way, although
| do not expect you to publish 1t. as it
will contain too plain an expression Of
the feeling held By middle-of-the-
road populist toward one who did all
in his power to strangle the young
giant who had just put off his swai-
ding clothes and was coming forth
for the deliverance of the struggling
masses Of this nation.
But if you do not publish 1t, | will
have the satisfaction of having had
my say.
Why your infatuation for Bryan and
Bryan democracy, | cannot see, as
they were much closer to republican,
| ism than to populis.l. They had only
adopted one populist plank, that of
free silver, and they would not have
done that but it was question that
was rending the democratic party
asunder.
The democrats knew that after four
years of Cleveland's administration
they were not going to elect a presi-
dent on any platform, and by adopt
ing a free silver plank and going
down to defeat on 1t in the next cam
paign, they could claim that the silver
question had been settled four years
before and they would hunt up an
other battle cry. No one made mora
fuss than did Mr.. Bryan himself when
they hit upon "anti-expansion." Be-
sides that, populism was playing thu l.
der with them down south and they
wanted to induce us to go into Their
camp, so that when they went dowl
to defeat there would be no populists,
but all would be democrats, thereby
settling the question of silver in the;..
own ranks and killing populism. both
of which they would have acconl-
plished had it not been for that de-
spised crowd of tr le populists that
Senator Allen wanted bounced over
the transom for desiring to stand for
populist principles and the populis-
party.
surely said thank God, when AL
len and Butler were both defeated as
reward of their treachery. The az
tion of the fusioni3ts we'll nigh de-
stroyed the party and you violated the
covenant when you dill it. The no.
bic and true refCrmers IT Omaha, re-
membering the fate of the greenbac'1
and union labor parties at the hand IF
a treacherous democracy, adopted the
slogan cry, I'm the middle of the
road and we of the outh thought
our party was anchored to that rock,
but, bless God. as soon as we showed
strength enough to be accounted with
at the elections, you fellows let that
same old democracy walk right in and
seduce you away from the very peop,e
that were threatening their destrur-
ton.
If the populist party had not in
dorsed Bryan in 1896, democracy would
have carried only two states in the
union, Mississippi and South Care
lima; and that by means known only
to the democracy of tie south. I ID
not know how it is with you, but you
would be amused down here to hear
the old gang that made so much fuss
over Bryan and free silver now hol-
lering for German or Parker and all
willing to swallow even old Grover.
If you go to work to assist us in re-
viving the populist party, I can for
give you by looking upon you as Oh
jects of pity rather than blame for
being hoodooed by your leaders. Allen
was willing to advance the cause of
reform by an alliance with the de-
stroyer of every reform that had
arisen, for he saw in it democratic
senatorship, and Marion Butler did
| not know whether he had his weather
eye on democratic vice presidency o-
republican senatorship so he was
willing to contract with both.
J. GILBERT JOHNSON.
Orrville, Ala.