Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1903-01-24
WOULD UNITE REFoRMERs.
Joe 4. Parker Outlines . Plan Under
Which Reform Elements Might
Get Together in Iso4.

u
Which Reform Elements Might
Get Together in 1904.
Louisville, KY, Dec. Is, 1902
To the True Reformers of the Coun-
try:
BY true reformers I meau those who
desire to see such legislation as may
be found necessary to right the wrongs
OF which the laboring classes of our
country of right complain. Since the
recent election every true reformer
has been trying to think out the way
to political salvation. We find the
great populist movement scattered to
the four winds; we find lesser factions
of the reform army; we find spasmodic
and Intellectual efforts of organized Ia
Dor in different localities, and can
plainly see that for want of harmony
of effort the great reform movement is
expending it's strength against itself
That fusion is dead is no longer
open to argument; that the Democratic
party is lost to the progressive ele.
ment is also beyond contradiction.
That the honest element of the democ-
racy must soon find q new home or
stultify their past pretensiops is clear
to anyone.
The question therefore arises, What
shall we do? The fusionists and dem
ocrats will not agree to fall in line
with the mid-roaders under our lead
ership, for, while secretly admitting
the correctness of our position from
the first, they feel too much pride to
surrender; of course mid-roaders
would not surrender to those whose
leadership was so fatal in the past.
The socialists would not consider com.
promising with what they term cap
italistic party. So chaos seems to
reign in our own ranks.
feel that there is but one way to
overcome this doubt and uncertainty
this fatal division of strength-and
that is as simple and fair as it is pos
sible to conceive.
In short my proposition to unite all
who are really in earnest in the re-
form work is this:
Let the fusion committee, the Allied
Peoples party committee, mid road,
and representatives from any other
element which desires to affiliate, meet
and jointly issue call for national
nominating convention in 1904 to EN-
brace all elements which are opposed tt
the old parties and are favorable to a
new movement. Let this be the only
test. Let this convention make new
platform, if need be, adopt a new
name, if necessary, kee ping in view its
one great end-to unite the people
against plutocracy.
1t would be necessary for this join
meeting to arrange for state conven
tions in every state and territory OF
the same basis, but aside from that
neither:committeewould have any 9th
er power. The national convention
thus called would effect q new part,
organization without regard to pas
differences. In this way we coult
bury all past animosities and start il
new. If this convention should b,
controlled by the socialists, then i
would make the great American so
cialist party; if by the populists, i
would be practical reincarnasion O
the populist party; if by q new ele
ment, it would make new lines of bat
tie. But whatever the result, if tn
convention succeeded in unifying al
those who are done with the old par
ties, it would be the grsndest politica
movement of the new century.