The independent. [volume] (Lincoln, Neb.) 1902-1907, 1903-08-13

the national committee of either of tn old par
ties attempted to commit it's party to policy
Numerically opposed to the policy of the previous
campaign there -rould be protest from the rank
and file Will the rank and file of the popu!ist
party be less firm in their insistance upon voice
in determining the party's policy?
In the second place. it will be noticed that the
compromise is no compromise at all, but al open
surrender Of the regular organization to the mid
dle-of-the-road organization. The united party
adopts in toto the policy of Tho who in 1896 and
1900 bolted the regular convention and, while
pretending great loyalty to the populist party,
gave what assistance they could to the republican
party. In Nebraska the leader of the middle-of-
the-road movement of 1900 demanded and re-
ceived of the republicans federal office as re-
ward. The boilers only pOlled about one thou
sand votes in Nebraska and the returns showed
that the movement was either insignificant, or
that the men who talked middle-of-the-road pop
uism voted the republican ticket Having helped
to defeat the fusion ticket the boilers now secure
from those who voted the fusion ticket pro-
nunciamento against further fusion
The most noteworthy Iart of the new plat
form, however, is its failure to deal with several
vital issues OF the day.
While it adheres to the partys position on the
money question it fails to make specific mention
Of the trust question the question of imperial
ism. Surely the popuists cannot ignore The trusts
which are practcing extortion without let or
hindrance And what traveSty to call upon the
reform forces to unite to obtain proper legisla-
ton whereby self-government may be had for
themselves and posterity,' and then pass over in
silence the assault that is being made on the doc
trine of self-government in tie Philippines!
Solicitude for own rights will avail but little
il we ignore the rights of others, and a party that
is willing to suppress an expression on so i'm
pOrtant a subject in order to eonciate the
who helped the republicans carry out an imper-
alistic policy will not appeal very strongly to the
friends of reform.
The new platform also fails to emphasize the
demand for the election Of senators by the people
This is a reform which has grown constantly for
thirty years and is the gateway to other
forms. Until lie senate is MAJ, dependent upon
the will of the voters it will be impossible to
cure single national reform for which the pop
ulists contend.
How can they hope to secure money issued
exclusively by the government so long as the ma
tional bankers control the senate? Today both of
the senators from l,ebraSka national bankers
and pecuniarily interested in the issue of bank
notes and yet the united peoples party is opposed
to fusion with the democrats candidates who
opposed to bank currency. Fusion gave to
Nebraska the only senator we have had in recent
years who defended the interests of the people,
and yet we are deliberately Informed that there
must be no more fusion.
The Commoner has favored fusion because fu-
sion offered the best prospect of securing those re-
forms upon which democrats and populists agree.
1t the democrats had preferred cere,in defeat
der Independent action to promise of victory by
cooperation they would Lave been Justly charged
with putting party above principle Have not the
united pOpulists put party ove principle? If we
have failed to secure the success which we had
hoped for, is it not certain that we would have
been defeated even more dsastrously had we re-
fused to act gether. If some of the populsts
voted the republican ticket because of fusion did
il not show lack of interest in reform?
Some populists seem to th..k that >ne success
of their party depends upon the breaking up of