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About The independent. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1902-1907 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 17, 1903)
fnin fin pnnnRp ' 'II Us UIbuiiwa MISSISSIPPI II r. Harrington la l'Uased With th Dn Ter Coafrea Ontlook Good For I'opulltm intheboulh Editor Independent: Am pleased with the Denver conference. Have never been much of a Bryan populist, although I voted for him in '90. Will never do anything line it again. Outlook for reorganization of peo ple's party in Mississippi is good. The most abominable democratic campaign in the history of the state has just ended, it was a regular mua dlnrrini attain The cfflo that COUld w " I sling the most mud got me pmms. i mL... tomi4 4Va tioorn fill- I t her a was no issue: the negro fur nished material for mua. we nas no political rights. This is as it should be: but the side that could yell "ne gro" the loudest at the other fellow was called the "white man's man." Both sides cry for white supremacy negro domination, as though the ne gro dominated, and the battle was for white man rule. - The fact is, the negro has been the politicians' scare-crow for the last 45 years in the southland the one that can paint him the ugliest is always the winner. It is intellectual suicide to speak of negro domination vs. white imnremacv in the south: there is noth ing but white supremacy and no negro domination. This is as it always wiu be. The negro is lacking in wisdom; cannot dominate; is lacking in wealth, can never dominate financially; is lacking in morals, can never dominate socially. ORANGE IIERR1NGTON. Dollie, Miss. Stand Firm Editor Independent: I am still in ttiA ptmse nf lnstices and humanity. I am reloiced at the results of the Den ver conference. May the members of that 5 conference stand as firm in the future as they did the day they met their wayward brothers and welcomed .them back to the cause of justice and enual richts. I am glad to be called . one of the Old Guard. I have been in the ' cause since the days of Peter , Cooper and know I am right The cause lust, and right will prevail. Stand firm, boys, and all will be well, is my advice. May God bless the cause. J. s. JONES.-" luka, 111. Pessimistic Editor IndeDendent: I have been in the middle-of-the-road, so far as the eld political parties are concerned, practically since 1868, when Tammany Hall sold out Horatio Seymour, demo cratic candidate for president, to the conspirators whose purpose was to supplant American liberty with Ro man imperialism; a task at this writ ing well nigh accomplished. It was the same year the so-called credit strengthening act (robbery) be gan the revolution. I have been among the first in all the uprisings of the teonle since that time, doing what little I could to avert the evil day. The people's party, the most formida- . tie opposition , to the conspirators, went down never to rise again at St. Louis in 1896 (where I had the honor ct being a protesting representative , ct the party of my adopted state, Vlr-r ginla), when Tom Watson and the populist - hosts were traded for the fal?e promise of a few Catholic votes. . Since that memorable time I have endeavored, with my paper, the Dalton Herald, to keep as many of the faith ful together as possible. The social ists have come i upon the scene and. - have, been recruited with many of our test men. But they will be tied hand fend foot, however just their cause, lone before they can get strength suf ficient to stay the victorious march of the conspirators, which has been con tinuous from 1868 till now. The Denver conference accomplished pothlne. The only escape from the Roman empire lies in the early coming together of the liberty-loving people on that issue direct and rally around some great leader in whom the people " have confidence and elect him to the presidency In 1904. It is waste of energy to talk about money reform or any other kind of reform until the liberty flag 1 unfurled upon the capi tol at Washington. J. A. BODFNHAMER. Dalton, Ga. 'Editor Herald. Unite on the People's Rule Editor Independent: I first saw the light in Trigg county, Kentucky.. over 70 years ago. Father was an old line whig. Came to Texas In 1852. Voted Several More ct Them Answer to Roll Call Ready for Duty. with the democrats until 1861. Went into the confederate army in '61 as a private. Was promoted in '62. Came out wiser, but not a democrat, after r early four years service. When the party save me Horace Greeley, I refused to vote the ticket Have not voted an old party ticket since the ereat war. Was an active organizer for the greenbackers. Voted for the immortal Peter CooDer. 5 Have been active in all the reform movements from green- backism to populism. When fusion and consequent failure came, I made one step forward to what is now known as class-conscious so cialism, which I believe to be the only solution of , the many vexed problems DVlUUUU Ul , U1Q IklCLllJ IMCU- JllVUiVUiO Il0W before the American people, and . ... the world. I reeard the Denver conference as a grand move in the right direction; it makes one facticn less. Now that the trend is to unify, the next and most important is the union o: all factions of reformers upon tne ccmmon ground of the initiative and referendum and imperative mandate. Fact is. we must be free. A unity o' the workers is the only hone, The competitive system must give place to co-operatiou with the motto, If he will not work he shall not eat, connected with equal rights ...to.-, an, scecial privileees to none. With best wishes to all I am yours in tne ngnt to tne ena. J. W. SIVELLE Bells, Tex. Georgia Editor Independent: Seeing your announcement in the Missouri World I respond from old Georgia. I em determined to endure to the nnd and be faithful. We ave arranging a Watson club in my beat and a great many .Watsons living here are all of them O. K. . The watchword on the picket line: "Watson.." Our Thomas A. Watson, Noble, frank and bold Old nlicrarrhv tremhles When the name of Watson is told. A. L. SMITH Lithonia, Ga. Feels Good Editor Independent: I was born in De Witt county, Illinois, in 1854; former politics, republican; broke away in 1890: have worked hard for reform ever since. I have been on the central committee fo rtwelve years; was a delegate to the Cincinnati con vention that nominated Barker and Donnelly and voted for them on elec tion day. As to the Denver conference I admired it -"very much. I had been waitine for somethine like, that to take place. That was the proper thing to do and it. makes, us mid-road fel lows feel good to meet you fusionists ru conference and lay down our dif ferences. Now go straight ahead as you have started and victory is ours. W. D. WATSON. Springfield, 111. Riley Co. Kansas Editor Independent: I was born in Columbiana county, Ohio, June 17, 1E29. Was raised a whig. Helped to organize the . republican party, and worked with it until 1876, when I be came a greenbacker. Have contri buted both time and means in fieht ing the battles of reform along green- bacK-popuiistic lines, I think that the financial and trans portation auestions are of ereat im portance. I am well pleased with the action of the Denver conference. & I understand it. and do sincerely hone that the scattered ranks of all the re form parties will be gathered under cne head and one name; and that name, populist, or united people's par tv. if a malorltv prefer that name. "Yours for complete victory over the twin relics of barbarism, viz: the two old parties. S. A. BLACK. Manhattan, Kas. Arkansas Editor Independent: I am one of the old guard. I am now and always have been a Jacksonlan democrat and ail Abe Lincoln rennhlican ' I left, the old parties on the financial question m the canvass or Peter Cooper. I tliink that the Denver conference was all riffht I think that, unless the re formers "organize" and stick together in a political scnooi something liKe that of the old farmers' alliance or granges that little can be done. Only think of itl Since the old alliance be came scattered here in Arkansas the democrats can secretly count tne vctes in a general election without being watched as you may It in the republican party tnere. uiveus a pure ballot and a fair count B. F- HUFFMAN. ' Minnie, Ark. Oregon Editor Independent: The writer hereof was born on a farm in Jeffer son county, Iowa, September 15, 1864. Reared a democrat Bolted Tilden m 1876. Straight greenbacker and ever since with the "under dog." Candi date for Oregon legislature on green back ticket in 1878. Greenback candi date for congress in 1880. Cam paigned my county as candidate on union labor ticket, on prohibition ticket and on populist ticket since that party's organization. Within 43 votes of state senate in 1896. Candidate tor state treasurer in, 1898, and for con gress in 1900. Attended populist na tional convention at Cincinnati in 100, also Oregon's member of the na tional committee at Cincinnati, o. Denver conference all right Prodigals return welcome. Now to bring to gether our scattered forces for the bat tle with plutocracy. Organize, agitate and educate and we will come to the frcnt. JAMES K. SEARS. McCoy, Oregon. Alabama Editor Independent: I want every body to know that I am a true pop ulist and that I have been ever since 1?M and that. I never exoect to vote another democratic or republican tick et. I cannot see any difference in them. They both belong to the monop olists. Everybody knows that Ala bama has voted the populist ticket by a large majority every time she has had a chance. I am m my 74th year and was born and raised in Spalding county, Georgia. I like the Denver meeting. I think that it was the best thing that could have been done. DR. T. PATRICK. Opp, Ala. Louisiana r Editor Independent: I was born in 1S32 and voted the democratic ticket until 1894 when I broke away and jemed the populist party. In 1896 I voted for Bryan. That was my last vote. When I saw that democrats am rot mean fusion, but their aim was o kill the populist party, I would not vcte at all. I feel all right over the . Denver conference." . S. D.DUCKWORTH. New Iberia, la. New York Editor Independent: I now have no cards left I send a dollar to pay for the four I send. I think the peo- rle of this state are slowly opening their eyes to the, true condition under republican boss rule and as soon as tfcey can get a clean cut platform io stand on as they have In Ohio, led by that honest patrit and splendid fight er. Tom L. Johnson, we will have a revolution in political management that will delight the hearts or true Americans. Majority rule is taking hold of the people all over the coun try and we may look tor some great surprises in the near tuutre. ALAN SON M. HlJNJa Buffalo, N. Y. Do 'em Up Editor Independent: I send you one subscription and will send you an other soon. I hope that we may do up both of those old parties after a wnne. To h1 with fusion, we are naiiea out up here or I would do better. Tilden, Neb. Oregon Editor Independent: I herewith send you three more subscriptions. amone them one. for myself, I am almost ashamed, to take advantage of your liberal; offer, -but dollars look unusually large to me now. So par don me for this time for I can hardly make up my mind to live without The Independent. I think you have the best paper of its kind in this coun try and if we could only get the "mul let heads" to rea l it they would soon know more than they know now. I could easily sell more of these cards If I had a little spare time, but I am vcrv busy. If you think best you night send me a few more and perhaps I can see them. s. K, f&isn. Lebanon, Ore. Not Happy Without It Editor Independent: Enclosed find a postal order to renew my subscrip tion. Many thanks for not stopping my paper for I don't see how I could bo happy without it It Is my favorite among all the papers I take. I was vtrv much pleased with the masterly manner in which De France showed the difference between what Christ taurht and the actions of UiOSe who have so much to say about "Christ within." It would not surprise me at au u tne xtev ttir.orr aa the many tens of thousands that voted for the robbery and murder of their fellow men in 1900. I agree witn the associate editor in his answer to N. M. Smith of Washington, Kas. How in thunder are we going to get to gether things that will not come to gether, without fusion on the old pop uJist plan, if it takes a century? G. W. PKKJE. Funk, Neb. Let tha FlagWava Editor Independent: The last week's issue cout&iiiiug so many good, letters with one by each of the edi tors giving a sketch of their lives and political experience, with so many others from the Old Guard has inspired the writer to come up in the rear (as women are aver expected to do), not withstanding their- hearts often ache to ta kethe place of some of their "leiges" at the ballot box who only throw their votes for their enemies. Now that the hatchet has been buried by the two populist factions at Den ver, I, would move that we forget ev ery mistake that any of us may have made in the past and start as from a new birth -and cement a persevering and progressive union to battle for our God-given rights. Let the first one tLat tries to sling mud within our ranks be branded as a traitor unless be give good proof of his grievance. I was born in Stark county, Ohio, near Canton, but with my parents emi- crated to Indiana at three years or age, when our county, Whitney, was a dense forest, and Columbia city only a hamlet of logs. My father was a republican and I thought It u. k. , married during the rebellion. My husband affiliated with the democracy until Honest Old Abe ran the second ime. he cast his first ballot for him, having become disgusted with his old party. He voted tne republican ticket until 1884 and then bid adieu to that cartv. Until his death in 1893 he was a staunch advocate of populism. In ';80 I visited my parents m Indiana and found that my father had donned the populist armor, and my brother was so full of populism that I began to investigate the situation. He was so anxious to have us converted that he bought" and paid for the Chicago Sxnress and sent it to us for a year. God bless the owner of that paper and the doner who still waves the pop ulist banner although he has had to meet much opposition, for he was one of the seven who voted, for reform jn 180. I. too, have been one of the Pettis county reformers ever since I !ound that much of my hard earnings was extorted to aid plutocracy. I send a trial card and hope to send more. Let the aflg continue to wave. MRS. M. MAGLEY. Green Bridge, Mo. For ioo, eoo Subscribers Editor Independent: Enclosed find a dollar for the renewal of my subscrip tion. I wish you had 100,000 subscrib ers in New England for light is really needed here. The most papers here are bound hand and foot to the car of Mammon. So long as The Independent continues its present course it will rave at least one subscriber from this office. Continue to show, up the ene mies of the people. Turn the light on the traitor democrats and let tne mailed hand fall on the vile gang that has its head-center and chief at traction in Grover Cleveland, that Benedict Arnold of American politics. , r. P. SANBORN. West Buxton, Me. A True Fighter Editor Independent: I am in re ceipt of the sample copies of The Inde pendent Tfind it to be a true fighter for the cause of reform and for the union of the party. I think the Den ver meeting a good thing and now that we have got together, let us fight it out In the middle of the road, en closed find order blank for trial sub scription of five months. Start the paper as soon as you get this. T. W. KAY. Lois, Ga. 'Till Gabriel's Trumpet Editor Independent: I was born in M&rion county, Ohio, September 24, lbSO. I always voted the democratic ticket until I helped to elect Grover Cleveland the first time. Then I came out in the middle of the road, have been there ever since and expect to remain there until Gabriel blows his trumpet. In regard to the Denver con ference t know nothing about it " My time ran out on the Missouri World and I am too poor to take a paper. I am an old, broken down soldier and not able to take a paper. ,.' ' W. H. LUCKS. t ' Powell, Mow