Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1906-08-23

The wall Of anguish set mp 10 the
anonymous communication which
appeared in the last issue of the
Webster World over the signature
Of "A Farmer" is most amusing to
those who remember the times men,
toned, i. the days when Day
county was in the political posses
SION of the populist party. 1t is
scarcely worth while to challenge
the farmer authorship of the article,
but accepting his occupation and
statements as truthful, he desire to
point out that he says he was a
populist, later becoming republi-
can, consequently admitting that he
was wrong in the first place. But
we want to further point out that
the proportion of populists who
adopted republicanism in 1896,
was extremely small inasmuch as
Day county and South Dakota were
carried by the populist party that
year. 1t was after that date that
the exodus from the populist party
set in, when they discovered that
they had been following false
prophets and that republicanism
and prosperity travelled hand in
hand. This writer goes on to COM
plain of how bitterly they were
abused by this paper and others in
those days, but he evidently over
looks the fact that their official
organ, now the Webster World, was
edited by man who welded as
vitrolic pen as could possibly be
imagined, and who "abused and
held up to scorn', the advocates of
those same republican principles
which this farmer" found later to
be the true doctrine. "Gold bugs"
money sharks" "thieves," "rascals"
"Wall street followers" "oppressors
Of the plain people," criminals of
49," were but few of the terms
of opprobrium hurled at the repub-
licans (the minority the under dog,
mind you, at the time) who had the
manhood to resist the seductions of
l6 to ], government warehouses and
other populist fallacies and to
staunchly stand up for the princi-
Piles of republicanism. When this
writer affirms that promises were
extended to the populists to become
republicans, he states what is false.
They came over to the republicans -
voluntarily, as he says in another
line because of the improved con-
diticns, the general prosperity which
followed the election OF VIM. McKin.
ley. Ask any fairminded former
populist and he will tell you this
was the true reason. Let this
writer figure up his financial and
social condition today as compared
with the time of which he boasts
1--WE were IN the majority" and he
may then realize what it would
mean il 1--WE were in the majority
again.
The calibre of this writer is fully
shown when he wants ION this con.
tinent popular form of government
in contradistinction to corrupt Jand
accursed bossism" referring evidently
to the conditions covered by the
terms of Mckinley and Roosevelt
and hoping for this popular form o
government in the shape of VIM. ]
Bryan. We have devoted too mucl
space to this article, first, becaus
no one believes it was written by
farmer, tor that class Of citizens il
too prosperous and contented to raj
against existing conditions unde
republican rule; second, because !
| is self evident that the writer is not
nor never was, republican, th
cloven foot Of Organism shows to
plainly; third, because the writer
a coward hiding behind an honore
name in an honored calling which b
is not worthy to adorn. In conclu
sion, we want to say that neither
this paper nor the republican part
is traducing the farmer or the for
MGR populist, but is simply defend
ing the principles Of the party in
factional fight precipitated by bant