The independent. [volume] (Lincoln, Neb.) 1902-1907, 1904-08-18
NEBRAsK A.

ling licked. but tue Aoi uc1 IL 10
pounded, the stronger it grows. 1t
received a rather severe drubbing last
week but feels none the worse for
wear now. Nearly two years ago The
Independent saw the drift of the DEM
ocratic party back to it's old policy OF
being mere echo of the republican
party of being party Of negation, OF
denunciation and protest. 1t saw then
that the democratic party would in
evitably do what it did do at ST. Louis
this year-not in full detail, OF course,
but with sufficient clearness to war
rant a sounding OF alarm and the for
mutation of some plan Of action which
would prevent real reformers from be-
ing shut off without party to voice
their sentiments. It's editorial entitled
Marion Butler, LISTEN in The In
dependent of November y, 1872, was
the first step toward defensive ac-
ton
The Independent gave hearty sup
port to Bryan and Watson III 1886,
and to BRYAN and Stevenson in 1900,
because it realized that If the demo-
cratic party had for once in its his
tory become really democratic, agrees
sive and constructive, there was no
need for the people party. 1t was
never deceived into believing that two
parties could permanently maintain
cooperation or fusion" 1t knew that
the weaker party must eventually be-
come absorbed by the stronger. But
il the stronger were as promising Tor
reform as was the democratic party
of 1896, under Bryan's leadership-that
was all any reasonable populist could
ask Let the peoples party SO down
what OF it?
But when The Independent saw that
the democratic party would 60 back
like dog to his vomit, it sounded the
alarm and urged some action to unite
the peoples party-which had split in
1900 over. the question of fusion"
It's persistent agitation paved the way
for Mr. Edgertons call for the Den
yer conference and it contributed no
little to the success of that meeting
The first week after the Denver
conference number OF populist pa
pers in Nebraska and Kansas COM
mended it's work Then came Mr.. Bry-
ans famous Denver manifesto" in
which he, by inference, claimed all
populists as his very own by prescrip-
ton, and great many of the edi-
tors turned tail and ran, and in short
order they began to denounce The In
dependent as "mid-roader,"
The term "mid-roader' in Nebras-
ka is one OF reproach because a GER
tain Glenn Beaver and others put up
boiling ticket in 1900 and pretended
to support it, but really voted for Nc
kinley, and Glenn afterwa1d got his
reward-receiver of the land Office. In
passing, it may be suggested that
those democrats" who helped nomi-
nate Parker and Davis electors at the
recent convention and who say pri-
vately that they will vote for Koose-
Welt, are not in position to cast any
rocks at Glen Beaver.
Then came on the state convention
at Grand Island (19O3). The lnde-
pendent had a resolution introduced
approving the work of the Denver
conference. Mr.. Bryan proved up
his pre-emption on the peoples party
by long-distance telephone; his trusted
lieutenant, Michael F. Harrington.
carried the day for him-and the an
proval of the Denver conference was
tabled
OF course, the Denver conference
did not contemplate more than indie
pendent national action, and did not
undertake to specify what should be
the policy locally. Populists believe
IN home rule" in politics as we'll as
government. 1t was the general feel
ing that II Mr. Bryan should by some
tnen unforeseen stroke dominate
his national convention and keep the
party in line with its 1896 and 1900
platform. then the peoples party
would pass OFF the stage. And very
many populists believed that il any
event there would be no more fusion
even locally after 1908.
After the ST. Louis convention The
Independent, took the position that
fusion with the Parker democracy
even on the state ticket, In untenable,
and made the best fight II could To
prevent any such embarrassing alli-
ancc. It's latest licking was over
this point Mr. Harrington again led
the forces who administered the pun
ishment lie Ia reported 10 have said