People's Pilot, Volume 4, Number 50, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 June 1895 — THE SILVER PARTY. [ARTICLE]

THE SILVER PARTY.

MAY DRAW VOTES FROM THE PLUTOCRATIC PARTIES And Thus Aid the Populists in Capturing the Presidency—People's Party Men Advised to Stand Firm by the Omaha Platform. Because the new Silver party favors some of the principles embodied in the Omaha platform we feel a kindly interest in its success, to the extent of all recruits that it may get from either of the two old parties. But we deem it only proper to point out to Populists that if its mission is to absorb the People’s party also, the cause of reform will be set back for years. We are willing to admit, in fact the People's party has always maintained, that the financial question is the paramount issue. But we are not willing to admit that it is the sole issue. We are opposed to any fusion, alliance, contract or bargain, that will have a tendency to weaken and disband the organization of the People’s party. The writer of this article lives in a district (in the South) represented in congress by a Democrat. That Democrat fills the bill so far as gauged by the platform adopted by the new Silver party—that is he favors free silver on the same terms the new party does, is opposed to national banks, favors the government issue of money, and is opposed to the issue of bonds. If the People’s party is to adopt the suggestions of some of its leaders, and join hands with the new party on that platform, what is the use to put up another candidate in this district advocating the same thing this Democratic candidate will? The logical result in this and many southern districts would be a total disintegration of the People’s party and its absorption by the Democratic. Call it a single plank platform or what you please, it is very unfortunate that the suggestion has been made that we make the fight on the platform of another party, and even to support a candidate in whom the people have had no part in placing in the field. The platform is very good as far as it goes. So far as we know Mr. Sibley is a very good man, and if we were going to vote for any other man than a straight out Populist we would like to vote for him. But we did not join the People's party for “three years,” or for any stated time. We expect to remain in it during its "life or good behavior.” Whenever it begins to trim and bargain and traffic like the two old parties, we will leave it. In the campaign of 1896 the Southern Democrats will occupy about the same grounds now occupied by the free silver party. We are not going to assist in giving the Democratic party another “chance.” We see no good reason for putting a man up that covers no more ground than the Democratic candidate will cover and calling him by another name. So we will stick to the People’s party, fight under its flag and for its principles, and if the people ever do save this country by peaceable methods, they will rally around our banners, and save it through the People’s party. It is their only hope. The new party is a makeshift. It is a cowardly excuse for ignorance, which is as unjustifiable as it is demoralizing. The transportation and land planks of our platform are as well understood by the masses as the currency question, and if the silver men have not taken time to inform themselves on these questions, they should not be allowed to become stumbling blocks in the way of people that have. Besides the silver people are making the silver question, the main issue in spite of their protestations to the contrary. Nine-tenths of their literature is devoted to free silver, when the main feature of the currency question is not what the money shall be made of, but who shall issue it. The silver people subordinate this question and all others to the one for free coinage of silver. For these and various other reasons we think the People’s party should hold its organization intact, abandon none of its hard earned advantages, but press the fight wherever it can be done to the best ad-

vantage.

W. S. MORGAN.