The independent. [volume] (Lincoln, Neb.) 1902-1907, 1904-12-15
Still For Fusion

EQltOr lnQopcnQeUL. hesitate SOLle-
what to express an opinion on the
question, What should populists dog"
as do not like to dissent from what
seems to be the cherished view OF your
excellent paper. But trust a hearing
from the other side will not be wholly
unwelcome. | have not been affiliated
with the populist party as long as the
editor of The Independent and many
others, and as note that most OF what
may be called the old line "pOpuiistS
who have expressed themselves, concur
In your views on the subject OF indie
pendent action, will try to speak with
becoming modesty.
Your referendum vote at this writing
stands: for peoples party organization,
4,ar1; for cooperation with democrats,
SOP; but true populist is not to be
dismayed by the fact that he is in the
minority, if he is SO. However, doubt
very much whether your referendum
vote is safe index Of the sentiments
OF the populist party at large. There
were twenty thousand votes cast tor
Watson and Tibbles in Nebraska alone
aDG yet the referendum Of the whole
country thus far. only reaches total
Of 5.279. Moreover, I think that as a
rule, it is the mid-roaders who take
the trouble to express themselves. The
others probably do not consider it a
matter of sufficient Importance to vote
upon, and hence / believe your refer
eldum vote will be in the nature Of n
Judgment by default In addition to
this, the readers of your paper are ap-
proximately the only ones who vote,
and they would naturally be inclined
To agree with you.
I fully appreciate the great ability
and influence of your paper, and be-
lieve that it is about the only national
Iopulist journal extant. but you will
pardon me for saying / do not believe
you represent the majority sentiment
Of the party in this state on the QueS-
tioE of cooperation with the demo-
Gratis. | have observed that when
ever the question of fusion has come
Up iii populist state conventions that
your view has been over-ruIed by
decisive vote. / am convinced that
most Of the populists are fusionists,
anG ii you ALLEVIATE them there will not
he very many left to uphold populist
policies.
1t is therefore my belief. that most
Of the votes received by Watson and
TibhleS in Nebraska were cast by that
class of populists who have hereto
fore been in favor of fusion. The flu
re 90 70 nh
tends, are the most earnest. devoted,
aggressive believers in populist prin-
ciples in the party On the other hand
there is ground for believing that
many OF the so-called mid-roaders
voted for Roosevelt, and that many of
them have been either voting the re-
publican ticket, or wanting to do so,
for good while. In this connection, ii
may be observed that the Watson Tib-
bles vote was considerably swelled by
the votes of democrats who were too
loyal to their populistic convictions, to
vote for Parker.
1t occurs to me it is too early to
vote adyisedly on the question what
should populists do?" | disclaim be-
ing an opportunist in matters of con-
viction, but as to party policy ! do
not wish to be foolhardy. The wisdom
of forejudgment on this subject may
well be questioned. What a populist
should do depends largely upon what
the future shall develop, and it may
become more question of what he can
do. than of what he should do.
Every competent man may Justly
have full power over his convictions,
but as to his course of action he is
more or less creature of circum-
stances. The sensible man will hold
himself free to follow the reckoning of
favorable events. Personally, | have
always been populistic in sentiment,
though not a charter member of the
party. To me, populistic principles in
the main are eternal, but the populist
party is secondary and it may be tran
STORY. If it best represents my views
and offers Il best prospect of pro-
noting them. I am heart and soul
populist, in name as we'll as in opinion,
but II some other party gives better