The independent. [volume] (Lincoln, Neb.) 1902-1907, 1904-07-21

ton to be held In Lincoln on August
10 is to be fought battle that will
decide the fate of the populist party.
The decision there arrived at will not
affect the party in this state alone,
but in every state in the Union. There
is a fateful moment in the life OF ev-
cry man and every party and that mo-
ment will arrive when the permanent
organization Is affected in the peO-
pies party state convention OF that
date. If that convention shall put
democrats on it's ticket who support
Parker, that ends the long fight some
of us have made to establish an indie
pendent party, opposed to the money
power and standing for the interests
of the millions of workers in these
states who produce its wealth and have
heretofore been compelled to turn
most of it over to the few men whose
headquarters are in Wall street, and
who have now chosen Parker and
Roosevelt as their rd-bearers.
The proposition that we will be
asked to adopt is SO absurd and so
dishonest that it will meet with the
condemnation of every honest man in
these United States. 1t is simply this.
Nominate two electoral tickets, the
candidates on one pledged to support
Parker and Davis, the candidates on
the other to support Watson and lib
bles. Then fuse on the state ticket
giving half of the Offices to the pop
ulists and half to the democrats. That
will enable the democrats to get the
federal Offices and the populists and
democrats to get the state Offices, if
the scheme proves effective.
The scheme is dishonest and every
man will know, without being told,
that it is dishonest 1t is using politi-
cal parties which are supposed TO ex-
list to advocate certain principles OF
government and securing their enact
ment into law, not for that purpose
at all, but simply to get offices for
few political roustabouts, populist and
democratic, who want to feed awhile
at the public crib.
1t is absurd. Can any sane man be-
lieve that the busy citizens Of this
state will leave their stores, their
shops and farmers, spend their money
to attend conventions, and go out and
work for the sole purpose OF enabling
two dozen men, many of whom they
have never seen and in whom they
have no personal interest, to get a
good paying position for two or four
years? A man who can believe that
has less intellect than an old-time re-
publican mullet head The scheme
could not end in any other way than
a $4,000 republican majority in the
state and solid republican legislature
But that would not be the worst of
it. The populist movement which now
has firm footing in at least 3S states
would receive shock that would take
the life out Of the populist campaign
in every state in the Union. Ne
brasha has been a leader in the pop
ulist movement and if the party in
this state should make such an absurd
and dishonest movement, honest men
everywhere would lose faith in the in
tegrity Of the peoples party.
The Independent asks the honest
populists of this state to come to Lin
coin in drOves and see to it that their
party is not dishonored and destroyed
by such action as that
&cSSSSA
Capt. w. E. r. French, or the United
States army, in an article in The
Arena says: "As nation, we are
drifting rapidly into plutocracy, If,
indeed, the ship of state is not already
at anchor in that foul harbor.' With
such state of affairs, which every
honest man Of intelligence is lowering
about us, there are some very good
men in Nebraska, whose brains are so
befogged that they want us to fuse
with the forces trying to make Parker
president OF the United States, backed
as he is by Belmont and the whole
nlufncraiic forces of Tho conntr,.