The independent. [volume] (Lincoln, Neb.) 1902-1907, 1905-01-19

enough, and matters should have
stopped there, but they did not, and
fusion remained the Shibboleth OF the
ofice-holding, office-seeking classes.
Here in Nebraska the fusion dose has
each year been mixed at democratic
headquarters, concurred in by political
schemers claiming to be populists, and
through conference committees" and
packed delegations to same time and
place" conventions, has been choked
down the threats of the populist voters,
regardless Of the consequences, here
or elsewhere. -4ch methods, running
over a period of years, is what has
s'hoodooed" populism in counties like
Custer, and made our old war horses of
the early COS feel like thirty cents.
We may be, as some tell us, up
against changed times and conditions,
but am wholly unable to understand
r. "a Are going to build up populism
in the future, BY repeating tnes f0{lses:
of the past - follies which nearly
wrecked us nationally-follies which
have reduced our strength frOmc 80 900
to about 10000 in this state. Those
who favor further cooperation with
the democrats admOnish us to be lib
eral. When have lopulists been other
wise than liberal We're we not liberal
IN 1896? Were we not still more lib
slo1a1 in 190Q2 And have we not car
downright insanity n Nebraska? How
much further can a party carry its
liberality than to destroy itself to
please those who claim to be its
friends? In our anxiety to please re
form within the party democrats, we
have, through fusion, barred our doors
against the admission of reform repub-
licans and others throughout the great
northwest, whose help we needed, and
until Watson and Tibbles hoisted anew
the flag of true populism in the late
campaign, our party had not gained a
real recruit in eight long, weary years.
Republicans Stunned us for our as
ISOLATION with democrats. Democrats
would not join us because they expect
ed Mr.. Bryan to ultimately lead us into
the democratic fold.
There never was, there never can be,
any logical excuse for the maintenance
of two political parties in this coun-
try, representing substantially the
same ideas, and keeping the people di-
vided into separate organizations,
while the united hosts Of plutocracy.
sweep Tie f5ld at saaA e1gcfnrn @-nStss,.
reform can be obtained through party
which is half for reform and half
against reform "a party which has de-
stroyed every reform party that has
sprung up in this country since the
civil war. If our democratic friends
are the reformers they claim to be,
they should now leave the party to
Taggart, Belmont and Hill, and come
into the ranks of the populist party,
where all true reformers belong. III
they are not the reformers they claim
to be, they have no right to ask or ex-
pect populists to further destroy their
own organization by fusing with them.
I can see no sense in waiting longer
for Mr.. Bryan. We have waited for
Their from us now than he was in the |
beginning. Uncle jake Wolfe says he
is fixed star" I believe he is a |
star firmly fixed" in the democratic |
armament for all time to come. Let
him continue to stand on the burning
deck of stranded and shipwrecked
party, if he will. Let him preserve his
regularity" worship the old party
name, and feed his soul upon it's past |
traditions if he must. That is his
business. 1t is our business to see
that populism lives and moves forward.
Let us act. Watson and Tibbles are
our standard-bearers-our leaders for
the next four years. They may not be
fixed stars" but they are sensible,
sincere and sane" populists whom we
can trust and who have the ability,
courage and integrity to rekindle the
populist watchfires in every states. Let
us fall in line and prepare for the
great battle that is soon to come, and
stop wasting valuable time waiting for
things to happen that may never come.
E. NJ WEBB.
In Nut She'll