The Peoples Voice (Norman, Okla.), Vol. 10, No. 6, Ed. 1 Friday, August 30, 1901 Page: 1 of 8
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The Peoples Voice
VOLUME 10.
NORMAN, OKLAHOMA, FRIDAY, AUGUST 30, 1901.
NUMBER 6
I \
( i )
V
WHY POPULISM SHOULD SUCCEED,
National Chairman Parker Gives the Sea-
son Why Eeform Can Come Only
Through the Populist Party-
National Chairman Jo. A. Parker
has just made a tour through the
Sonth and West, and as a conclusion
from his observations the hope of
the country lies in the success of the
Peoples Party principles. In late
issue of his paper the Kentucky Tri-
bune, he reasons as follows:
To the mind of an unprejudiced
lover of political freedom, the need
of an independent political party can-
not be gainsaid. The principal rea-
son for the existence of a reform
party is that the Republican party is
a whited sepulchre of corruption and
the Democratic party is as bad. or if
possible, worse. If there were any
hope that either of these old parties
would bring about the reforms which
present industrial conditions de-
mand, it would be folly for reformers
to labor in an insignificant minority
But there is no hope that either of
the old parties will ever legislate for
reform, and every year spent by hon-
est men in an effort to secure such re-
form through their old dishonest par-
ties is worse than thrown away; every
such year finds industrial conditions
worse and the masses more hopeless
than before.
No political party which is openly
allied with the beneficiaries of the
unjust systems of which we complain,
which draws campaign funds from
the great corporations and monoplies
can reasonably be expected to legis-
late against its allies and in favor of
the reforms for which we ask. On
the other hand, no political party
which panders to the slums and the
vile element, which makes open al-
liance with gamblers, divekeepers,
and criminals; which sells
from crimes committed in exchange
for political favors as we see done in
our large cities, is worthy of our re-
spect or toleration. The party open-
ly allied with plutocracy will serve
plutocracy; that openly allied with
criminals will serve criminals.
with the express end in view of elimi-
nating certain citizens; other and
more infamous laws have been enac-
ted to put elections under partisan
control, that the minions of one party
may through the practice of fraud
and trickery, manipulate the count
of the votes, and thus overthrow the
will of the majority as expressed
at the polls. I cannot speak for
others on this question, but, as for
myself, I wish to say that while
there is a disfranchised citizen under
the folds of the American Hag; while
there is one American, though he be
poor as Lazarus, as ignorant and
as unlettered as a savage, or as black
as night, who is denied the full enjoy-
ment of his constitutional rights to a
free election and a fair count, I shall
not cease to oppose with all my
might the political party which is re-
sponsible for his condition, which has
robbed him of his place among free
men. •
I do not presume to claim that the
Populist party as now organized will
be able to right all of our public
wrongs absolutely bring the reforms
which we desire but I will say that if
we are to have reform worthy of the
name; if we are to replace this gov-
ernment of a selfish plutocracy and
the criminal and vicious elements
with a government in which popular
rights are to be held sacred it must
be done through the principles of
the Pouplist party. It must be done
by[a party throughly committed to
those prtnciples, either by the Popu-
list party or some new party based on
Populist principles.
Furthermore no political party
which seeks to prevertthe ballot;
which devises infamous schemes to
deprive free men . of their right to
vote as they please and have their
votes counted as cast; which commits
itself to the undemocratic scheme of
disfranchising political opponents un-
der one pretext or another, in order
that a minority may rule a majority
can be safely looked to as a saviour
of mankind from political perdition.
If our republican form of government
has any meaning, it is that every
citizen, regardless of education,
property, or position in society, shall
have an unrestricted voice in the
conduct of the great government un-
der which he must live. Yet in many
of our States laws have been passed
No political party which is divided
on principle in which there is con
stant conflict, will bring about reform
in this country; for should populistic
principles prevail in party councils,
absolution I there will always be found enough of
' partifans to vote with the opposition
when necessary to defeat reform
legislation to effectually prevent it
The only hope for reform is through
upbuilding a party throughly com-
mitted in principle to those measures.
Populism is the gateway through
which we must pass if we are to have
effective reform in this country
Populism declares that those things
upon which the public must depend
those agencies which are essentially
public in their nature must be owned
controlled, and operated by the pub-
lic in the interest of all the people
and must not be monopolized by pri
vate individuals or corporations
Populism declares that the money of
the country is a public instrument
that it must be issued by the govern
ment direct to the people at the cost
of issuance in sufficient volume to do
the business of the country and pre
serve equity between debtor and
creditor—that the money of the
country must not be given into con
ing of banking corporations enabling
them to control prices by controlling
its volume and allowing a few usurers
to grow fat on the industry of the
people through interest.
Populism recognizes that the means
of transportation and communica-
tion are public utilities, upon which
all men and ^11 industries must de-
pend; hence Populists demand that
these great utilites belong to the peo-
ple as a whole and should be operated
by the government and not by pri-
vate persons or corporations.
Populists recognize that the land
is the basis of all wealth; that access
to land is a human right; that when
the land is monopolized by a few the
many slaves hence Populists declare
that "the land is the heritage of the
people and must not be monopolized
for speculative purposes." The cen-
tral idea of Populism is the home
where men may live pure and free
lives without fear of a landlord or
dread of starvation.
Populists recognize that concen
tration of energy and effort is the
order of the day; that the trust
the improved industrial machine
is superior to the old individualistic
scheme of public economy as the rea-
per is superior to the sicke. Hence
the Populist party does not desire to
turn back the hands of time and de-
troy the centralized improved indus-
trial machine, but it does desire to
take that machine out of the hands
of the few who use it to oppress and
place it in the hands of all the peo-
ple. Populists would replace the pri-
ate trust with a public trust, owned
ind operated by the government in
the interest of all the people.
Populism recognizes that, para-
mount to all other things, is the ne-
cessity of having the government in
the hands of the people, that it may
not be manipulated by party cliques
and corrupt rings; hence it speaks
out boldly for direct legislation,
through the initiative and referen-
dum.
Great Bargains to be Found
At Street & Reeds.
Summer Goods
Must be closed out this month
ami to bring this about we
are selling every thing at re-
markable, almost incredible
low prices
Shirt Waists
It is unnecessary to seek for
reasons why these sensible
garments are so popular they
are their own best argument
and the prices are some of the
most unusual of the season....
The Right Store
for
The Right Goods
at
The Right Prices.
Large line of School Shoes for
every purse Yours to please
v.
In order to make room for New Goods
which are arriving daily. We will offer
until further notice; some of the Greatest
Bargains ever offered in this city. Call
and get our prices before buying. New
Management, New Goods and it is no
trouble to show them. Now is the time
to buy. fi' if if if if
Undertaking and Embalming a Specialty.
ft.
18
N^AAA^VtAAAAAAAAA/
The reformers of this country are
Populists in principle. There is today
no political party which goes before
the people with a great cause and la-
bors for the betterment of conditions
that does not advocate Populist prin-
ciples. The only claim the Demo-
cratic party has laid to public recog-
nition since 1896 has been founded up-
on the distinctly populistic planks
its platform. Now that it has
practically abandoned those it has
excuse for existence. The new
parties one after the other, have won
followers upon the strength of their
Populist issues. When our Socialist
friends have won applause it has
been when they discussed the public
ownership of some great monoply of
public utility as advocated by the
Populist party The Union Reform
party the United Christian party,
the public ownership and even the
new allied reform party launched at
Kansas City recently have wisely
enough planted their several struct-
ures upon solid Populist founda-
tions.
Not only have the refom parties
testified to the truth of Populist con-
tentions, but all the great non-parti-
san organizations laboring for econo-
mic reform have done likewise.
When the great non-partisan retorm
conference met in its first convention
at Buffalo N. V., two years ago, it
adopted a series of resolution:, a pro-
fession of political faith as it were
and these resolutions were prac-
tically echoes of the Populist plat-
form—not one thing antagonistic to
Populism, or an attempted refutation
of a Populist contention. Again at
l)eti-oit this year its platform was a
mere repetition of the Populist plat-
form of Again when the repre-
sentatives oi every state assembled
at Chicago in February of last year
in a great convention to discuss the
trusts and to provide a remedy for
them, a meeting where Populists
were studiously ignored and slighted
because it was feared that they
might say something against the
Democratic party and injure Mr.
Bryan's chances of being president
a platform was adopted and every
provision of that platform was al-
ready covered by the Populist plat-
form. Last fall the American Fed-
eration of Labor met at Louisville
representing the great wage-earning
class, and laid down its principles,
every one of which was already cov-
ered by an expression of the Populist
platform. Read the declaration of
the Farmers Alliance, the Patrons of
husbandry and note the political
principles of the farmers of the
country as expressed by their great
societies. Their every demand is a
Populist demand covered by a writ-
ted principle of the Populist plat-
form.
There are Populists enough to
carry the next election and reform
every national abuse, but many of
of these Populists are blindly clinging
to some old worn out tradition hop-
against hope unwilling to leave a
party organization long since dead to
high principles and noble impulses.
What we need most of all to reform
existitg abuses is not a new declara-
tion of principles but a method to
unite all'those who believe in actual
reform principies. We cannot unite
them in either of the old parties, for
the political student is not so blind
as to expect to yoke good together
with evil and expect an issue. We
cannot unite these Populists in either
of the socialist parties as they now
stand as they are too narrow in their
methods of organization; they go tot
far in their enthusiasm; they carry
a good principle to an extreme that
postpones victory so far that none
of us can hope to see it. The Popu-
list party alone holds out a program
upon which a majority of the citizens
of our country can be united without
the sacrifice of a principle and
through which a speedy victory may
be won. The need of the hour is to
unite all of one way of thinking upon
this political program. To do this
we must put aside our political and
personal prejudices for the common
good. We must lay aside petty jeal-
ousies and personal ambition. Why
sacrifice the human race to the god
of mammon that one may be exalted?
Honest reformers have allowed their
admiration for Mr. Bryan to delay
efficient action for five years: shall
this continue indefinitely or shall we
get together as patriotic men sweep
away the old barriers and stand as
brothers for the common cause?
The hour is at hand for men of
brain, ability and bravery to come to
the front and lead, to gather the be-
wildered forces of reform into one
efficient body and give battle to the
hosts of plutocracy. The men of this
country who are freemen and not
mere pigmy partisans ought to get
together and form a political al-
liance for offense and defense against
the organized exploiters of wealth
represented by the Democratic and
Republican parties. Sincere men in
every hamlet of the land are hoping
that this will be done and they stand
tember of all reform forces to
arrange an alliance of those who are
opposed to the plutocratic parties
and for the emancipation of the peo-
ple who toil.
We propose to get together upon
the lines of the least resistance upon
those great principles upon which all
elements agree embracing the great
fundamental points for which Popu-
lists have so long stood and wage a
relentless war all along- the line
against the evil influences greed and
avarica. And we feel that a party
will organized now upon these
lines cast 4,000,000 votes in 1901, and
elect a president in 1908. And believ
; thus we cordially invite the atliila
tionof all who favor the great issues
for which we stand, regardless of
past party connections or beliefs.
Explanation of Bible Phrases.
Christian World: A days journey
was about twenty-three and one-lifth
miles.
A Sabbath day's journey was about
an English mile.
A cubit was nearly twenty-two
inches.
A hands breadth is equal to three
and five eights inches.
A finger's breadth is equal to about
one inch.
A shekel of gold was $8.
A talent of silver was $538.30
A talent of gold was $13,809.
A farthing was 3 cents.
A piece of silver or a penny was l.i
cents.
A mite was less than a quarter of
a cent.
An epah or batel contained seven
gallons and five pints.
Notice to Pupils.
I will be at the Fast Public School
at August 31 1901 for the purpose of
classifying new pupils.
Respectfully,
.1. F. Stark, Sup't.
Lost.
Last Saturday evening some where
on road between Norman and Frank-
lin a red leather vest memorandum
book containing 500 check payable
to E. J. Lassiter and two certificates
for lots in Hobart O. T. Finder will
be liberally rewarded by leaving same
at the Peoples Voice oiiiceor re-
turning same to Ii.,). Lassiter.
Everybody Read.
On Sunday Sept. 18th, there will
be held a Sunday School Convention
at Hico. Superintendents of all ad-
joining schools are cordially invited
to come and bring their schools.
March of schools will begin at 9:30
a. m. Bro. Lane from Texas will be
with us. I. M. Little.
County President.
Negroes Run Out,
The towns along the Frisco R. II.
as far east Tulsa,
ready to ally themselves with such a !
movement. It is the privilege of j ^ chandler
Populists to lead in this new crusade . undurtakin , to run the negroes
to raise aloft a beacon light to guide I , ,. s.,
the multitude. Shall we do our duty-
like men or like craven cowards fail':
out and a lively race war is being
waged. The property of negroes is
being destroyed and their houses
It is because the Populist party is j burned and warning notices stuck
broad enough and great enough to j up warning them to leave town. I he
do its duty by humanity that we Federal officers have >een appealed
have joined in call for a g-ieat reform to and just what the end will be is
conference at Kansas City in Sep-1 uncertain.
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Allan, John S. The Peoples Voice (Norman, Okla.), Vol. 10, No. 6, Ed. 1 Friday, August 30, 1901, newspaper, August 30, 1901; Norman, Oklahoma Territory. (https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc117417/m1/1/: accessed April 23, 2024), The Gateway to Oklahoma History, https://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society.