The independent. [volume] (Lincoln, Neb.) 1902-1907, 1905-03-16

What Are We Coins To Dot
Editor Independent: One great trou-
Bile in trying to better our party poll
tics may be found in the want OF abil- |
ity of those that through treachery
get control of the management or the
party business. Reforms and reform
ers do not and should never be con-
strued to mean the same thing, for
reform" must ever stand on some
vital principle, while reformer may
be moved by some purely selfish motive
inspired by ambition for personal hon.
ors to be gained at the expense OF
the principle
Hero worship is another great draw
back to reform movements. Someone
has said, Never name child after
living hero" Change is the natural
order of things and man seems quite
willing to obey the law. 1t seems Inn
possible for the human mind to draw
a line between the act and the actor.
The human mind, however much the re-
fining influence Of higher life has
acted on it, still measures it's conf
dence according to the nature Of things
said and done by the individual.
Facts are said to be stubborn and on
close analysis you will find the stub
born part to present itself at the point
where conscience tells us not to do 1t,
and selfshness says go ahead.
All reform parties have similar ex-
perience, each and all battling with
the surreptuous inclined, so that the
- h0
tomorrow. When our confidence In
man is broken we are quite likely to
swing to the other extreme and do an
Injustice to the unoffending.
We all understand the necessity OF
confidence in our social life and in it's
relation to the business world, but we
all do not understand 1t alike when ap-
piled to our political life and it is in
this connection I use the word.
A political party must stand for some
definite or specific principle, not recog-
nized by either of the two old parties,
in order to claim just right to exist
as a reform party. Again no reform
party can long endure after 1t loses
confidence in the efficacy OF the vital
principle on which it was organized.
The reason is plain, because the men
comprising the organization came to-
gether with unanimity of sentiment
and purpose, and this oneness OF pur-
nose at once became the cohesive or
connecting link in their chain OF con-
duct. The populist party is or was a
registered protest against the "finan-
cial system" Of America and demand
Of 10
ton requiring congress to issue money,
and demanding that every dollar issued
by congress should have the same debt
paying value, the doing away OF ma
tional banks of issue, and the establish
ing of government postal savings
banks for the convenience and safety
of the depositors and the loaning of
the money at cheap rate OF interest
The above true summary comprenendS
the principle that gave birth to the pop
ulist party. Here the populist party
must live and do business. To side
step means death.
We are told it is an uphill business
to attempt to enthuse the masses on
the money ISSUE" Well, my brother,
that all depends on how you go about
it. 1t seems six and half millions
swallowed Parker's gold telegram. But
why must the popnlist party live or die
on the money proposition? In the
first place the elements composing the
populist party are an ingathering from
the two old parties-with larger per
cent from the democratic party. prob
ably-and these two elements carried
their prejudices with them when they
joined the populist party. The old
democrat hated the republican and the
old republican hated the old democrat
and they are not free from their old
prejudices yet for we see it crop out
all along the line.
Now take away the sentiment on the
money issue that holds these elements
together would the fellow from the re-
publican camp limp into the democratic
camp? No, indeed. Would any old fel
low from the democratic camp limp
into the republican camp? should
say not Why should either jump when
there are many parties that carry the