People's Pilot, Volume 5, Number 31, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 February 1896 — The Coming Campaign. [ARTICLE]

The Coming Campaign.

Our national committee has taken the initial step toward the active work on the campaign of this year by naming the time and location of the national convention.

In fixing upon St. Louis as the location no complaint can be urged, as it is central, and the offer made by that city of ten thousand dollars to assist the committeee in its work was more than any other locality bid and the committee wanted funds. There is a very general feeling among a large number of our people that the date named, July 22nd. was to late, yet the concensus of opinions |at St. Louis was that a convention held after ■ both the democratic and republican parties had met, would attract a large dissatisfied element and eventually add to our strength. The wisdom of the committee in extending an invitation to other reformers to hold a separate convention will be questioned, and their action is receiving some well deserved criticism; yet it will be recognized when the campaign closes that the great work of the present time is one of education. For actual and effective political results, there is nothing to be expected from the man who endorses all the villainy of the old parties, except the one of fighting silver, and now awaits the action of a coming old party convention before deciding where he is at in the coming campaign. Hence the work of the year is to educate the people on true populistic lines. Until July 22nd the Omaha platform is our guiding star, our magna charta, our declaration of principles and base of action. The national committee may not realize that gvery act of timidity, or apparent concession to a few silver men who have no sympathy in common with our party, is calculated more to discourage and dishearten the old aggressive workers than to inspire enthusiastic support of their course, yet the fact must not be overlooked that in the end we must win by elevating the standard of general intelligence and leading the people to a true knowledge of economic questions. This must be done by the rank and tile of our party. It must not be left to self seeking and aspiring leaders. The salvation of the country depends on the humble and patriotic citizen who refuses to accept the sophistry of the politician as absolute I truth, or permit the prejudices of the past to blind his eyes to all ideas of advancement. Organization on people’s party linos should be pushed. No effort should be spared to see that the best and truest men are placed on the delegations to the national convention. No effort must be spared to educate every old party voter to the impending danger and the necessity of political action.—Chicago Express.