The Washington herald., 1908-07-10
STORY OF THE POPULISTS
By FREDERIC J. HASKIN.

declared themselves on two other p-op-
/ ositions which were then regarded a.
/ Populistic-the government regulation ~
railroads and rate making. and the de-
nunciation, Of government by iniunc-
uon. When the POpulists met at S.
Louis there was a great pow-wow.
maIly a majority Of the convention
ueclded that the principles they espoused
/ We're more important than the inde-
! pendence OF the partv organizstto,
therefore they indOrsed Brvan's non1i-
, nation They could not swallow SewaU
! however, so they put up Tom Watson
! ior vice President Most OF the voters.
| however. took the straight Democratic
ticket ana only few more than 200. 600
votes were credited TO The Watson tick
CT watson received seventeen electoral
! votes for Vice President. In 1900 tbs
! Fopuilsts again indorsed Mr. BRYAN AL
! though -middle-of-the-road" ticker
headed by Wharton u Barker polIed
! 5000 votes. 1''eN
-Four years ago Mr.. Watson was nom
( mated FOR President, and he succeeded
/ IN poiilhs uh05J votes. In this campaign
| ms speeches were directed more against
Parker than against Roosevelt so tt is
probable that many Of his followers DE-
clded 10 vote the Republican ticket
straight. In the same campaign James
S- Weaver who led the party when an
us highest point was on the stump for
Parker He is a delegate at Denver this
week
mus the Populist party as an organI-
zation has been practically swallowed
up oy the Democrats. As an influence
II Is TO be seen In both old parties as
living force. One OF its chief tenets
from the first was an income tax. II
was powerful enough in 1894 70 succead
IN having an income-tax provision placed
In the Wilson bin. only TO be declared
unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.
The Populists still stuck out for their
principle. OF late years II has found an
advocate in Mr.. Roosevelt. who has de-
ciared for an income tax and an in
heHIance tax which will limit the trans
mission OF swollen fortunes"
One Of the chief causes OF the rise NJ,
the Populistic movement IN the West was
me railroad question. Rates were es-
orD!taHt' rebates were granted 70 those
win power or pull. and the railroad at
torney and the railroad pass were all
powerful In politics. In revolt agains+
this order Of things. the Popullsts first
declared for government regulation and
then Tor government ownership. The
democrats In 1896 took up the regulation
idea Mr.. Roosevelt vitallzed the subfeot
oy message TO Congress soon after the
electon OF 1894. and as a result the bin
giving the Interstate Commerce Comunis-
sion rate-making power was passed. Mr.
Roosevelt has said that II government
control Is not successful. government
ownership may be expected. Mr BRYAN
mas said that government ownership viii
come II regulation is unsuccessful
PopuIist influences are 10 be 6iscarDe7
In the doctrines Of the so-carled nrogres-
sive Republicans OF the Middle West
such as La Toilette and Cummins. Mr.
Bryan's political foes delight 10 cauI
him Populist While the Populist part,1
Is still In the field. and while AIr. Wat1
son stouuy prOclaims that neither OF the
OLD parties is 10 be trusted as Id
agents OF true reform, there can be "A
denying the fact that both Of the oldl
parties have responded in some degree
10 the influence Of the Populistic uprisk
Ing OF the last decade OF the last cen
tury. In the campaign OF 1908 the Pond
ulist influence will be OF far greater i'm
portance than the Populist party organ
ization.
Copyright 1905. by Frederic J. Haskin)
TO-mOrrOw-PrOhib National
Convention