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About The independent. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1902-1907 | View Entire Issue (July 9, 1903)
2 ; THE NEBRASKA INDEPENDENT JULY 9, 19 OS. Tiews,,, Headquarters and hall will be announced later. Come ' . - J. A. EDGERTON. Denver, Colo. v ' - '." Care Rocky Mountain News. : I AT.T.ron PEOPLE'S PARTY. The national executive and central committees of the allied (mid-road people's party are hereby called to meet at the St James hotel in Den ver Colo., on Monday, July 27,; at 10 o'clock a. m. The purpose of ' this meeting 13 to confer with other re formers as to the future, and above all iht best plans to bring about the com plete reunion of. those who in the past, have fought within the ranks of the people's 'party, The meeting is to be one of conciliation and harmony, and while I know it will be a great personal sacrifice for the members of my committee to attend this meeting on account of the distance, I think the opportunity to bring about peace and unity is worth the hardship im posed. On behalf of the committee,1 1 cor dially invite all who are opposed to the, two old parties to meet with us In informal conference. While " this meaning will have no power to make any material changes in party organ ization, there is no doubt that some definite plan will be heartily agreed upon on which all elements can un ite, and restore our grand movement to its former vigor. The principles for which the people's party has stood from the beginning are Immor tal, and are now upheld by the ma jority of the people, and need only thorough and systematic effort to be come successful. Especially do I invite representa tive men who are tired of the old parties, but who have not affiliated with us in the past, as well as those who are so gallantly fighting for so cialism and other minor parties to be present and see what can be done. No one will be bound by the action of this conference further than he may personally agree at the time. JO A. PARKER, ; :' Chairman Louisville, Ky., July 1, 1903. ' (All reform papers please copy.) POPULIST NATIONAL COMMITTEE. Lincoln, Neb.; July 6, 1903, To the National Committee of the ..People's Party of the United States. Inasmuch as political events seem to be taking xorm ana are .snaymg meiuocivcs yi. the next presidential campaign, we be lieve that the course of the people's party should' be defined. Therefore acting upon the earnest demands of members of the national committee and , state, committees, we have con cluded to ..convene, the national com mittee for considering all matters of interest comir before it The reason for fixing the time and place herein named, is that on the 27th of July, the great conference is to be held at Den ver, Colo., consisting of representa tives of the reform forces of the coun try and looking to a union of the same. . - In the past some differences in po litical policies have arisen and" for a time tended toward a division of the people's party, but conditions have ehanged and it now seems that there is no reason for the existence of two organizations. We believe this to be an opportune time to remove every impediment that prevents men who hold the same principles from acting in unison. We stand for blending their efforts in pne concerted action and be lieve this should he the war cry from em to nran: UNION OF THE RE FORM FORCES OF THE NATION, carchlng under one banner with one official head. With an united army we will wage war upon evil and wrong. . The people's party presents its dec laration of principles first made at Omaha and afterwards on other occa sions as a rallying point for all who desire to bring .about a government for the people, by thf people, and who de sire the overthrow of the gigantic tiusts that are threatening the exist ence of the republic. With the people's party united as it will be and with, the democratic and republican parties divided as they are sure to be, there will be found wait ing many hundred thousands, yes, millions, of the best citizens of this country who are willing to Join forces In an attempt to reform abuses that Ere fast becoming unbearable. As abuses of every class and char ' acter is becoming concentrated by the trusts In the hands of a few, the peor pie begin to feel the effect and realize that trusts are preying upon the earnings of the masses and taking from the people the wealth they cre tte. As vice chairman of the national committee of the people's party I had hoped that Hon. Marion Butler would Issue a call for the national committee tc meet at the same-time as this con ference and have waited to this late date, bufc having Just received his let ter stating that he preferred to take a leferendum vote of the committee to ascertain whether a committee meet? Ing should be called, and knowing that that would make it impossible to reach the coiamittee in time to at tend the conference, and beinff im pressed with the great importance of this meeting as. well as with the very urgent demands from national and state committeemen, I have concluded to issue a call for a meeting of the na tional committee. " "' t At the last meeting of the national committee a resolution was passed au thorizing me as vice; chairman of, the national committee to convene the committee when ir. the judgment of a reasonable number of the committee it would be for the best interest of the party. ' . It is my earnest desire that It shall be understood by the committee and all members of the party that In con vening the committee I am acting upon the advice of a large number of the members of the committee as well as being governed by the resolution out lining my duties, and sincerely trust that this action will meet with the ap proval of all and result in great good. Therefore as vice chairman of the national committee of the people's party I hereby request that all mem bers of the national committee of the people's party and as many members Of the party as possible, meet at Den ver, ColO., July 29, 1903, for the pur pose of considering all matters of In terest to the party that may come be fore it. The place of meeting will be determined at that time. J. H. EDMISTEN, Vice Chairman. J. A. EDGERTON, Secretary.. The executive committee of the peo ple's party is requested to meet at the same time and place. - J. H. EDMISTEN Vice Chairman. J. A. 'EDGERTON, Secretary, (All reform papers pjease copy.) Farm Insurance. Fire, Lightning, IVindsiorms On Live Stockj Dwellirigs," jp vut- buildings & Contents. - I Farmers and Merchants Ins; Lincoln, Nebr. Established in 1885. LOSSES PAID to patrons over three quarters of a MILLION. Security to Policy Holders $354,175.54. No assessments. Assured assumes no liabilty. If there is no agent in your town write direct to the company. - RESUME OJ OPINIONS. By the time the smoke of last No vember's . elections had cleared away 'Hie Independent had received a large r.umber of letters from men promi nent in the. reform movement aULo.yer the United States, in wt'ch the mis takes' of . the past, were touched upon' and inquiry made as to what might be done in the future. Following is an excerpt from a letter written to the editor by one of the most distinguished and unselfish reformers' In the state of Indiana: , ;. "Some of us at least are, therefore, looking to , your party to take such action as the situation demands as esrly as possible. It is useless for, us to think about another national cam paign under, the leadership of the dem ocratic party. The traitors cannot be discovered and driven out of it. Enough will remain to batray it and bring defeat Thousands of voters are so firmly fixed in this belief that they will not make - move to prevent the reorganization element from taking possession of the organization. Many of them hope that this will occur, be lieving that when it does occur the separation will take place, and that all true believers in the Kansas City dec larations will gladly come out of It." ("That Poitical Chaos," p. 1, Indepen dent, Nov. 27, 1902.) In the same issue, under the head ing "Stand Firm," (p. 2.), Bernard Noon, Butte, Mont, said: "Populists! Keep up your party or ganization! It has served a useful purpose In the past, and may serve a greater in the future. We are passing today through a condition which is rapidly .plunging us Into a revolution. Populism may yet be the only bulwark to sustain our government and stand between it and its destroyers. You have begun a good work. Do not abandon It now when the dark hours of adver sity are upon it Stand by your guns. Be true to your colors. The darkest hour is just before dawn. Your party can stand defeat, so long as it con tends for the right, and places prin ciple abov6 temporary success. The same Issues that brought your party Into existence and for which you have fought so well fcr the last dozen years are still before the American people, and will stay before the American peo ple until they are settled for all time. You have a duty to perform a sacred trust to fufill. Will you abandon it cow, when It needs your support most?" ' In that same Issue, too, under the head of "Passing of Populism" (p. 4), Thomas O. Clark, Baltimore, Md., sajd: "In 1898 .'the populists took posses sion of the democratic party. In 1904 Go,, the democrats will take possession of the people's party, and their combined forces will storm the citadel of greed,," Just how this taking 'possession" in 1904 was to be accomplished, Mr. Clark did not make clear, but as 'treasurer of the people's party of Maryland, his name is signed to an "address to the people of Maryland" (see "Maryland Populists," p. 2, Independent, June 25, 1903) in which this language occurs: "We believe the time has come for action, and the large number wiio have lost "faith in 'the two old parties by reason of their utter lack of prin ciples, encourages the belief that many, if " the chance be given them, will rally to the support of a party which honestly seeks to free the peo ple from the present unbearable po litical oppression." On that day the editor gave a heart to heart talk with; the chairman of the people's party national committee (see "Marion Butler, Listen," p. 8, Inde pendent, Nov. 27, 1902) in which the situation was clearly presented and the following suggestion made: . "The Independent believes that the chairman of the people's party, under these conditions, should call a national and representative council some time during next winter and let the party make a formal and official statement concerning the policy that it proposes to pursue in the future. Let him in vite to that council representative Bry an democrats, and let both of them promulgate a statement to plutocratic democrats that there can "be np mis understanding. Let these democrats and populists bid defiance to the reor ganizes and tell them that from henceforth there is a fight on with no let-up until it is decided whether a party can put up candidates for con gress and president under one name, when it is divided into two sections holding dimaterically opposing prin ciples. Although hundreds of progressive democrats, supporters of the Kansas City platform, living In states where the neoole's narty organization had .gone down? were anxious for such a conference, none of them could om cially make sueh a call, as iiat would be a confession of defeat at the hands of the reorgahlzers nearly two years In advance. But Butler could have made the call without prejudicing in the least the cause f the Kansas City platform democrats. Yet he would not. And the winter dragged along and spring came. He had all sorts of ex cuses made to others, but to The In dependent not one word would he vouchsafe. He preferred to take a referendum vote and had lost his list of the national committeemen! It is not. The Independent's desire to harp upon this failure of Chairman Butler to act Long aso, Chairman Parker expressed his willingness, and the conference might have been held February ; 22, this year. What effect such a meeting might have had can only be surmised, but it seems prob able that the Kansas City, platform democrats of Iowa the ones who are really imbued . with the principles might have been spared the humilia tion of their recent convention experi ence. An ultimatum to the reorganiz es given, last winter in no uncertain tones would have shown them futil ity of further action. But it may all be for. the best Perhaps the Indiana democrat is right: "It Is useless for us to think about another national, campaign under the leadership of the democratic party." . Finally the calls for some sort of. populist action . became so numerous; that The Independent decided to go directly to the pop"list national com mitteemen and learn their views. Ac-, cordingly, on May 16 a letter was sent to each of them inquiring as to the status of the people's party and the outlook for the future. A brief ab stract of the published replies fol lows: ' .. Elmer , E. Thomas, Omaha, Neb.: (Citing the populist "balancing party", action in the city election, and Its suc cess): "A minority party Is a more powerful and useful engine when it makes no entangling alliances; and when it selects only such nominees as are worthy, irrespective of their poli tics...1 By the use -f the power thus . held, a small minority, party is able-toj secure good, municipal government,.; That Is. what we have (done , and this is-' why we rejoice and why we declare" that we are not dead and not going to be dead. ... The people's party could not die if it wanted to. ... There is nothing in , the situation nationally that indicates that our mission has been fulfilled.. On the contrary next year will be the year ofthe greatest usefulness and power that the peo ple's party has ever enjoyed." ("The People's Party." p. 2 Independent, May 21.) Former Governor William A. Poyn ter, Lincoln, Neb.: "The time is now ripe to regather our forces and line them up upon the principles of the Omaha platform for the fray of 1904. Whatever - disintegration has hap pened to our ranks has been caused by our union with the democratic par ty. Independent action will in large measure recover these scattered forces. Our trinity of principles enunciated in the Omaha platform, which was re ceived with such derision by the great eastern press today commands the re spectful consideration of thoughtful men everywhere. . . Party prejudice is hard to overcome. .Men will meet each other upon a middle ground. In independent action the populist party will present that injddlc ground. Dera. ccrats who believe in principle above party, and are patriots rather than pie-biters, will gladly aid the success of iopuIist principles. ..Republicans who are weary of trust domination and are tired of broken pledges will help. Let us made the platform along the lines of the Omaha document, short, crisp, and to the point, and un ite all patriots to stand with us upon it" (Poynter's View," p. 1, Indepen dent, May 29.) H. W. Lawrence, box 1374, Salt Lake City, Utah, (People's party organiza tion abandoned. Mr. Lawrence turned socialist) , , . E. Gerry Brown, (editor Brockton Diamond). Brockton, Mass.: "Next to a meeting of the' national committee I consider the work ij?ou have under taken to be the most important contri bution that could new be made to wards once again giving practical and ell-defined direction to the sp.'rlt of populism which is. the spirit of 1776. . . . The Independent is right in say ing that the people's party Is pot dead. . . . The cause for which we fight can rever die, and never did it need ev ery one who places principles above party and the man above the dollar as it needs them now. . . .Mr. Editor
