People's Pilot, Volume 4, Number 45, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 May 1895 — LOUD CALL FOR HELP. [ARTICLE]

LOUD CALL FOR HELP.

EVERY POPULIST SHOULD CET INTO LINE. Commander Vandervoort Has a New Plan for Aiding the Party —Get a Certificate of Honor That Yonr Children’s Children Will Be Prond to Own. The People’s party national committee has indorsed the legion five times and presented no other plan. The following was adopted at a meeting at St. Louis, Dec. 29, and incorporated in legion constitution at Kansas City, Feb. 22, 1595: “Resolved, That, while we do not attempt to dictate to any state as to the plan of organization it shall adopt, we renew the recommendation of the national committee in favor of the new organization of the Industrial Legion in every precinct in the land; and further recommend that no dues shall be exacted, except from legions that operate the rebate plan, and that in all cases where members are able, they be urged to send 10 cents per annum to headquarters; that all clubs or other orders that wish to change into legions shall send 20 cents for supplies, and that original legions shall send 50 cents, but that no legion shall be denied a charter when it is unable to pay for it, and that these organizations shall be called People’s Party clubs, People’s Party legions, or Industrial Legions, in order to suit the condition in each state, and that rule 15, of instructions of the Industrial Legion be dropped, and that all People’s Party clubs or legions shall report to the same headquarters in order to avoid confusion and to perfect a systematic organition.” The following is the cordial indorsement of the National Reform Press association at Kansas City, Feb. 22: “Whereas, The National Reform Press association recognizes in Gen. Paul Van Dervoort one of the most earnest, efficient and enthusiastic organizers of the reform forces of the country, and we believe that the comrades associated with him in the work are zealous Populists whose hearts are in this great work; therefore, Resolved, That the National Reform Press association indorse the Industrial legion, and pledge its hearty co-operation in the movement.” Just call the people together, elect officers, either a captain, adjutant or quartermaster, or president, secretary and treasurer, and send names and 50 cents to me at once. Don’t delay. The enemy never sleeps. People's Part}’ alliances and all other farm and labor orders chartered for 20 cents postage. All are urged to.contribute 10 cents per member, in advance if possible. It is used to push the legion work, and we can hardly get stamps to answer correspondence.

Circular No. 2. All the committees of the People’s party have been called upon five times by the national commir fee to “organize the legion in every voting precinct in the land..’ The Reform press, at the largest meeting they ever held, on Feb. 22, indorsed the legion and pledged their support. There should be no further delay in organization, no toleration of sideshows. Whatever non-partisan orders we may belong to, we should all join the legion for partisan w T ork. It stands on the Omaha platform, and each member must take a pledge to maintain and defend it. There is absolute need of this, for the men w r ho mean to switch our party are openly boasting that they will control the convention of 1896, and are setting up their plans in every state to do it. We cannot hope to gain the four million votes we need unless we are thoroughly organized, and if we had a legion in every precinct we could guard the .ballot box, force an honest count, and combine all the energy of all our people In superb missionary work. Our committees are too slow. They will wait until we are dead. While we have many zealous members the great mass of them are not doing efficient work. Many have good reasons. They are true and loyal almost to a man, but not active; they are sentinels on the outpost. A holy trust has been confided to them and they should either do their duty or give place to men who can and will. They number a mighty army, and should be on the alert, but how few respond to the calls w r e make, and yet we depend on them to organize or recommend live recruiting officers to do so. We need wide-awake and zealous men, and every county, city and town committee ought to meet in the next thirty days and put such men on guard. I would urge this as a matter of vital importance, and observe the maxim, “Old men for council and young men for war” to a certain extent. A live army must have mighty men of war. If we wait until we put in a crop we will wait until after harvest. If we wait until harvest is over and summer ended it will be too late. We must organize in every state in 1895. If we slumber on we deserve to be trampled under foot. We have submitted tamely to a hundred times the indignities from Great Britain that were heaped on our fathers. I would keep every foreign influence off .of American soil and scourge foreign governments from every island near our shores, and yet because we are an unorganized army, we cannot even capture and hold a state. Our people contribute thousands to orders that do our cause no earthly good and let every worker starve. If all the members of our committees would act, we could have ten thousand legions in sixty days. They can organize at home and send names here for charter without delay. Then recommend live, wide-awake men and wom-

en in every county and town for active we cannot furnish them free and pay postage too. People’s Party clubs should send for charters with names of officers and members and 20 cents, and thus become a part of the great national army, whose legions are forming in line from ocean to ocean. • Let the rank and file, the noble, zealous men and women wake up their committees, until they put their whole vigor in the work. They need the live support of all our people. Many cannot work because you do nGt give them the means. We want one thousand brave, faithful, unselfish, loyal men and women to go out into the field as legion scouts, to organize, sell books, take subscriptions, distribute papers and hurry the glad tidings to all oppressed people that the millions are waking up. Write for plan, inclosing stamp. We must have money for postage, printing and clerical work, but we will not beg and beseech the people, who expect everybody to work for nothing, pay expenses and board themselves. Therefore we have decided to issue a certificate of membership in tb legion and People’s party, handsomely gotten up, suitable for framing and preserving in the family, at the low price of sl. With it v.e will send Kansas City address, with picture of commander, case for bimetallism and a legion button. Every dollar of this money will be used to organize the People’s party. In order to pay expense of printing these certificates in quantity we want one hundred orders before May 1, and to the above will give in addition Senator Peffer’s great report. Any person sending in five orders will be given a certificate free. We can save liberty ami bring back prosperity if we band together in one mighty army all who believe in our principles in 1895. We dare not wait until ’96. Delay will postpone the victory and give the enemy time to rivet the fetters stronger. They have now captured the citadel and the Supreme court has announced the surrender, and the Goddess of Liberty and Uncle Sam have fled from the capital of the nation. PAUL VAN DERVOORT.