Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1903-08-13
The Commoner has ia, orcd fusion be.

The COmmoner has sorcd fusion be-
Cause fusion offered the best prospect of
securing those reforms upon which demo.
Gratis and populists agree. II the demo.
Gratis had preferred certain defeat under
independent action to promise of vic.
tory by cooperation they would have
been justly charged with putting party
above principle. Have not the united
popnlists put party above principle? II
we have failed to secure the success
which We had hoped for, is it not Ger.
tain that We would have been defeated
even more disastr ously had We refused
to act together. II some Of the popu.
lists voted the republican ticket because
Of fusion, did it not show a lack Of inter.
est in reform?
Some populists seem to think that the
success OF their party depends upon the
breaking up of the democratic party ;
some of them have not forgiven the
democratic party for having indorsed
some reforms. first advocated by the
populists. Instead Of rejoicing that a
great party organization had espoused
the income tax, the election Ct senators
by popular vote and direct legislation,
some OF the populists were jealous
enough to complain that We had stolen
their platform If these reforms were
urged by the popullsts merely as a means
Of winning party victory there might
be some excuse for desire to monopo-
lie the advocacy Of them, but it they
were advocated because they were good
for the people, then the friends of these
reforms ought to have welcomed indorse-
ments from every source. If the repub.
lfcans would reform the tariff and re.
sumo bimetallism, destroy the trusts and
abandon imperialism, they would gain a
party advantage over the democrats,
but what loyal democrat could complain
if the republicans did for the country
what the democratic party is trying to
do?
The manifesto issued at Denver will,
if endorsed by the rank and file, put
the united populists just where the
middle. Of the.road populists have been
for seven years 1t will, if Endorsed by
the rank and file, direct the populist
fight against the democratic party in
stead Of against the republican party, for
to justify their action the members oil
the populist party will have to empha.
size the differences between themselves
and the democrats, whereas in recent
campaigns tito regular populists have
emphasized the differences between
themselves and the republicans. The
fight which will then ensue will provoke
bitterness on the part Of the democrats
and the real friends OF reform will be
divided into warning factions, each fac.
ton distlusting the other.
How can the situation be met?
First, by an appeal to the members Of
the populist party. They did not author
ize the committee to issue such declara
ton of war against the democrats and
should not endorse it. Let them exer'
else their right to self government and
insist upon being heard before the popu
list party is converted into an assistant
republican party, for the natural and
necessary result OF the committees &C.
ton is to make the populist party the
secret ally OF the republican party in the
next campaign just as the gold demo
cractic party and the middle-of the-roaG
party were secret allies OF the republic
cans in 1896 and 1900.
As matter OF fact, the committee's
action was based, not so much on the
failure Of fusion in the past as upon tile
fear that the reorganizers will regain con
tro! Of the democratic party. The actor
Of the populist committee was ground
less assumption and will naturally en-
courage the reorganizers who will assume
that the populist committee speaks fol
the voters of the party-it will be an easy
assumption, too, because the leaders O
the reorganizers are always assuming t.
speak for the whole democratic party
But the Kansas City platform democrats
need not be discouraged. The reform.
advocated in the platforms OF 1896 ant
1900 were advocated because they were
right and not merely TO catch populis
votes. Let the party stand by it's princi
pies and then if the populists attempt tt
help the republicans defeat those princi
pies the earnest reformers in the populis
party will, as individuals, cooperate
with the democratic party. Even SOM
Of those who signed the manifesto vii
hesitate to follow their own advice whel
they see the logical and inevitable resul
of their middle-ofthe.road policy.
The reforms for which the Chicago ant
Kansas City platforms declared are to-
important to be jeopardized by division
among reformers and the democratic
party can we'll afford to allow the popu
lists to bear the blame if those division
arise, but until the rank and file Of tn,
populist party declares against fusion
The Commoner will refuse to believe tina
the committee spoke for the party.