The morning journal-courier., 1908-08-01
TWAS A GREAT OLD PARTY
But Having Lost in Numbers, Though
Never In Integrity, Brave Old
Pops" Must Now Fall in
With Young Militant.

which the presidential candidate Of
the peoples party described the in
dependence party as owned and aon-
trolley by William Il. Hearst,
In the course of his expression
which was published here yesterday,
Mr. Watson said:
In my judgment a political party
owned and controlled by one man, no
matter how rich and good and great
can never amount to much in Ameri-
can politics, The so-called independ-
ence party Is a copyrighted affair,
financed and steered by Mr.. Hearst,
its so-called leaders are his editors
and employees, Almost without ex-
.ceptlon those who are prominent in
the movement are upon the Hearst
payroll.
In country like ours where the
sense OF individual freedom Ia so
strong the people will never consent to
compromise their own liberty OF act
ion by becoming members Of per-
sonally conducted and privately own
ed political organization.
80 The democratic party
! changes its creed every four years. but
the independence party has already
changed It's creed twice during This
year, When 1t met In Indianapolis
some months ago 1t was IN favor OF
ship subsidy and the Wall street sys-
tenn of finance In Chicago 1t adopt
| ed practically every one of the planks
which have so long been the plat
form OF the popullst party II popu-
list principles are correct there would
seem to be no reason why the popu.
| list national ticket should not receive
the votes of those who believe In
popullsm.'
TO the foregoing Mr. Graves takes
exception In the following Language;
II ask the courtesy of the Asso.
ciated Press to express my regret that
the Hon Thomas r. Watson should
have rushed so swiftly into hostile
criticism Of the independence part,
with which so large number OF tn,
populists are in active sympathy, ant
which In simple consistency he should
We Blhu 10 enuNist,
1T Is, TO say the least, ungracious
| in Mr.. Watson TO speak of the indie
pendeuts as q one-man party. He has
made OF the populsts far more a one
man party than the Independents hsv,
ever been or will ever be. He ha
been as many times the defeated can
dldate of the populists as Mr.. Bryar
has been OF the democrats. He seem!
to be by the official records. the on
man in it--as absolute as Roosevelt
as dictatoria as Bryan--and as I'M
successful as the last
He prescribes its tenets, dictates NJ
policies In things personal and Is in
variably named a Its candidate
There has not been in fifty year
convention freer from the boss ant
the steam roller than the one just ad
Iourned Mr. Hearst was 5000 mile
across the sea during all the prelmi
naries that led up to It, He reached
the convention twenty-four hours be
fore It's opening. He did not lift hi
hand TO dictate a plank in its plat
ford or to name the least of Its can
dldates He went down into It's com
mittee room on equal terms and n
more than equal terms.
"He wrangled for thirty-six hours
over the platform, winning some o
the things he advocated, and losin
others, and accepting success or de
feat with equal temper, like the gen
uine independent that he Is,
"No fair and truthful man can den
to the independence convention tn
merit of a freedom worthy of 1t
name.
"And It was as representative as
/, was free. OF the seven hundred dele
gates present from all sections, froi
every state and from all races-Car
casan, African and indian among a
these there were not a dozen men d
rectly or indirectly connected with III
Hearst newspapers
; II am perfectly sure that Mr., Watso
In his criticism speaks for himself an
, not for the popuists, There is no dis
counting the character and purpose {
that great old party There was nevt
. honester or truer political organization
in America They bettered the entl
tone Of the political era In which the
hourished. No stronger effort was eve
made In its history to reform the OF
democratic party within ranks than II
populists made RI they failed the
there Is not ehadow of encourage
ment for any other organization to IT,
But the brave old Pops have shC
their arrow now, and should fall
with new friends under new an
larger name They have gone dow
; under Mr. Watson's leadership In SUE
cesslve presidential years, steadily loe
/, ing their numbers but never their II
tegrity.
: I'm the last national campaign the
poled about 114,000 votes.
"The Independence party polled twic
= that number in the city of New Yor
: alone.
"The hope Of the popullst Is in the il
dependence party, and beyond the d
minishing few who cling to the fallir
fortunes of Mr.. Watson, the majorit
of these brave and honest men are fall
ing into line behind this young mill