People's Pilot, Volume 2, Number 35, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 February 1893 — Our Danger. [ARTICLE]

Our Danger.

The greatest and only danger that threatens the People’s party, is the untiring effort of Democrats in the north and Republicans ih the south to enter into fusion arrangements. Fusion is, and ought to be, death to any new party, we care not what principles it may put into its platform. Our party to succeed must gain converts, and this can only be accomplished by education and a straightforward course. But the moment we turn aside and begin to dicker with Republicans we lose the ears and confidence of Democrats, and the same with Republicans when we draw nigh unto Democrats. Neither of the old parties can or will help us. They only make alliances with us to help themselves to something they could not otherwise secure. Populists don't you see the momment you agree to support Democrat or Republican, you tacitly admit that there is no just cause for the existence of your party. There is but one right way for us to do, stand by our principles, labor with all to get them to understand and embrace them. Be considerate and respectful to all but don’t fuse with any, don’t talk across the line, have no alliances or secret arrangements with any. We must remember that Democracy and Republicanism as now organized and engineered by Wall street are alike enemies of the people, to be fought and destroyed. The Populists have done themselves incalculable damage by helping to elect Democratic senators in the last few months. It will confirm some Republicans in their

belief that it is an annex of the Democratic party. It will make some Republicans that were friendly to us and studying our principles, suspicious of us and delay if it does not entirely prevent their conversion. Republicans that have not been friendly to us will feel additional bitterness, and what have we gained? Nothing, absolutely nothing. If we had put the whole Democratic party in power it would not, nor could not help us, and the same can be truthfully said of the Republican party, for there is no relief in either party. There must be no more fusion. The man that talks fusion must be regarded as shallow or something worse. Do you hear? No more fusion or logrolling.

The editor of the Rensselaer Republican appears to think that every word we say in favor of letting public printing to the lowest bidder is aimed directly at him. We wish to say, therefore, that we have no personal fight with the Republican or any other paper, but what we do object to is the law being in such a shape as to permit, and in some instances authorizing, such work to be given a paper, notwithstanding the fact that the same can be done by another just as well for one-fourth the price. In regard to the Republican's claim that we charged a larger sum for printing the sample ballots of the Remington corporation election than did the Republican, we have this to say: That we charged just what the law said we were entitled to, no more, no less, and if the Repub did not charge as much it is now too late to grieve over it. But it may be that the Republican man did not know just what he was entitled to charge for printing this ballot the first time he did it, but he evidently “got on to it” before the late election. We do not believe that the taxpayers of Remington would think any more of us for doing this for one-fourth what other papers charge than they would if we charged full price. * * * * Bro. Marshall says why pay a postmaster $1,000 per year when a man can be had who will do the same work just as well for onehalf that sum? or words to that effect. Well, there is no doubt but that there is a good field for improvement even in the post office department, but the salary of a post master does not come out of the poorer people and farmers, the principal tax-pay-ers, the same as public printing. The post master’s salary is all— or nearly all—paid by those who patronize the mails, and those are the bankers and business men and professional men, not the people who pay the most taxes into the county treasury. Now, while speaking about post offices, the Republican accused us last week of wanting the Remington office. In order to ease Bro. Marshall’s mind on that point so that he will not lie awake nights any more worrying about it, we will say that we are not now, never have been, aud don’t expect to be a candidate for the Remington post office. If, as the Republican stated some time ago, the editor’s son is a candidate for this post office, we only have to offer in excuse the fact that he is 37 years of age, has been doing business for himself and has been his own “boss” for the past sixteen years, consequently we do not feel like taking him across the parental knee and chastising him for this offense, if offense it is. What we wish to impress upon the minds of the tax payers is that the present plan of letting public printing is altogether wrong, that the rates allowed by law are too high, and that the law should be changed. It is wrong to tax the whole community to pay for a little dirty work done by a party organ. Most people do not fully understand the large sums

that are paid for this work, or the saving that might be effected by county officers buying stationery for public use where they can get it much cheaper and of just as good quality as they get now. As a general thing the advertising for road improvements is one of the largest items of expense connected with it. The work should be done for the least money, not where it cost the most. This gravel road printing and ditch notices—another fat thing for the “organs”—does not require to be published in any certain paper even under the present law, just so it is printed in the county. If other papers will do that work for one-fourth what the commissioners have been paying for it, the people should insist on its being let to those papers. Tnere should be competition in public printing the same as in any other business, and, if the independent papers all over the country will show up this present system in its true colors, there soon will be.— Remington Press.