Southern Mercury. (Dallas, Tex.), Vol. 19, No. 22, Ed. 1 Thursday, June 1, 1899 Page: 1 of 16
This newspaper is part of the collection entitled: Texas Digital Newspaper Program and was provided to The Portal to Texas History by the UNT Libraries.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
Vol XIX Not 22.
DALLAS, TEXAS, THURSDAY, JUNE 1,1899,
$1 Per Annum.
PRESIDENT BURKITT'S ADDRESS.
V
A
Delivered at the meeting of the Na-
tional Reform Press Association in
Kansas City, May 16, 1899.
Brethern and Sisters of the N. R.
P. A.:—Another year has come and
gone, and again we are assembled in
annual meeting to renew pleasant ac-
quaintance, to exchange fraternal
greeting; to rehearse the labors of the
past in behalf of a righteous cause; to
congratulate each other on the suc-
cess that has attended honest efforts
for the alleviation of the oppressed;
to carefully note our mistakes that
they may be henceforth avoided and
to devise ways and means to promote
the interest of the industrial and
wealth-producing classes of this coun-
try, in their irrrepressible conflict
against the insolent aggresions and
grievous wrongs sought to be heaped
upon them by the plutocracy.
In such a glorious cause, the Re-
form Press long since enlisted, and
though trials and tribulations have
beset us on every hand and failure
has often attended our labors, there
is to be no relaxation of effort and no
surrender until a decisive triumph for
the people shall have been won.
It is not arrogance to claim that
no class in this country have been
more patient, more earnest, and more
self-sacrificing in their devotion to
the cause of right and justice than
the Reform Press, and if ours is to
again be a government for the bene-
fit of the governed; if the right to
life, liberty and the pursuit of hap-
piness is to be restored to the people;
if our beloved country is to be in fact
as in name, "the land of the free and
the home of the brave," to the Re-
form Press should be ascribed the
praise accorded the faithful sentinel
on the watchtower, who bravely guard-
ed the gates of the city, noted the in-
sidious approach of the enemy and
gave timely warning to the sleeping
inmates within the citadel, that they
might rally to the defense of the Re-
public, purchased by the blood of the
Patriot fathers and transmitted by
them to posterity as a sacred heri-
tage.
HOW THE PEOPLE'S PARTY WAS
FORMED.
Tears ago, the destructive policy of
the Republican party and the deceit
and treachery of the Democracy, who
pretending to oppose Republicanism
before the election, always betrayed
the trust reposed in them afterwards,
created the necessity for a new poli-
tical organization, which should take
the constitution as its guide, "equal
rights to all and special privileges to
none" as its slogan, and devote its en-
ergies to the restoration of the Union
as it was and the people of all the
states to that prosperity, which their
indefatigable industry and the bless-
ings of God on their labors merited
and received before the two old parties
had succumbed to the corrupt and cor-
rupting influence of plutocracy.
Many of the purest and best men in
the old parties had noted the trend of
political events for many years, but
hoping to be instrumental in purifying
the party of their fathers, spent their
early manhood in the work of refor-
mation inside the party, but finding
all their efforts futile, they were re-
luctantly impelled to abandon old af-
filiations and lend their energies and
abilities to the organization of a new
party, which would honestly contend
for the true interests of the masses.
Moved by the most unselfish and
patriotic motives, believing implicitly
in the correctness of their principles,
firmly relying in the justice of their
cause and trusting in God for a favora-
ble ersult, these men met at Omaha
July 4th, 1892, and organized the Peo-
ple's party.
If the necessity for organizing. such
a party existed in 1892, the necessity
for its perpetuation exists now. If
the principles avowed at Omaha were
correct in 1892, they are correct to-day.
If the evils of which we complained in
1892 existed then, they have been in-
tensified since that time. And if we
were forced to break away from old
party lines and associations in order
to bring questions of vital in-
terest to the people prominently to
the front and to keep them there un-
til they are settled right, we must
stand aloof from entangling alliances
with either old party.
GROWTH OF THE PEOPLE'S PAR-
TY.
The history of Populism shows a
most wonderful growth, so long as
reformers stood firmly by their princi-
ples and refused to compromise with
error. It is true our strength was
mainly in the North, Northwest and
South, because the insidious influence
of overgrown wealth had already sap-
ped the foundation of the Temple of
Liberty in the East, and converted the
industrial classes into a state of practi-
cal peonage.
But with all the disadvantages un-
der which this political infant in swad-
dling clothes labored, its demands were
so reasonable and its arguments so
convincing, that ere it was six months
old it mustered an army of 1,055,424 as
stalwart patriots as ever drew blade
in freedom's cause, and in two years
this army had increase to 1,600,000
well trained soldiers and their ranks
were being recruited daily and hourly
from among the noblest, purest and
best in the land. The West and South
furnished the greater number of the
People's party voters, not because the
views entertained by reformers were
of a sectional nature, but because these
sections were the greater sufferers
from the policy inaugurated and kept
in operation by both the old parties,
and it is rational to believe, that had
not our leaders allowed themselves to
be beguiled by the Democratic hag,
disguised as a free silver siren in 1896,
we would have had to-day the second,
if not the first political party in this
country, harmonious in its organiza-
tion; advantageously encamped on
the high grounds of principle; impreg-
ably intrenched behind the battle-
ments of right; its council fires blaz-
ing with enthusiasm and its votaries
ready to press forward when the word
of command shall be given in 1900 to
a victorious assault upon the legions
of pelf, plunder and piracy, who too
long have despoiled the wealth-pro-
ducers of the land and rallied every de-
partment of our national govern-
ment.
It might be interesting to note that
in the election of 1892, the vote cast
for the People's party candidates by
sections was as follows:
The six New England states.. 6,916
The four Middle states 26,112
The five Middle Northern states 89,066
The fifteen Southern states... .435,012
The fifteen Western states 498,318
In 1894 the party standing by the im-
mortal declaration of principles pro-
claimed at Omaha, refusing to tem-
porize and fighting valiantly for the
emancipation of labor from the serf-
dom which corporate combines and
monopolistic greed were rapidly fasten-
ing upon the bread-winners of this
country, its adherents had increased
more than 50 per cent over the pre-
ceeding election, and had we pursued
the same policy the same or a greater
increase might have been reasonably
expected in 1896.
EVILS OF FtSION.
The enemies of the people alarmed
at the wonderful growth of reform
sentiment set themselves to the task
of devising some scheme to deceive
the public anew, and knowing the se-
ductiveinfluence of political ambition
selected fusion as the apple of discord
to be cast into populist ranks.
The Chicago convention, as a part
of the preconcerted plan, appropri-
ated the free-silver plank of the
Omaha platform and the officeholders
and the office seekers in those sections
which had shown results most satis-
factory to reformers raised the cry of
"a union of forces." Moved by their
own selfish ambition they were obli-
vious to the fact that the very in-
fluences which made it possible for our
brethren of the North West to accept
Wm. J. Bryan, would have driven the
Populists of the South, had they yield-
ed to the expediency argument, to a
coalition with the Republicans, or
what in my judgment would have been
as bad, an unconditional surrender to
their most implacable enemy and a
humiliating return to the fold of Bour-
bon Democracy. Neither alternative
was acceptable to the genuine South-
ern populist, and being abandoned by
his Western brother and unwilling to
surrender to Democracy or to make
terms with the Republicans, he could
do nothing more than stay in the mid-
dle of the road and watch the proces-
sion go by.
This course of proceedure was not
of our own choosing. It was the re-
sult of the conditions which environed
us, and while we claim no credit for
the constancy and zeal displayed by
Southern Populists in maintaining the
true faith, we trust, in the Providnece
of God, those conditions may yet prove
to be the salvation of the People's par.
ty.
To the mistaken policy, which led
to the disastrous results of the cam-
paign of 1896, we may trace the cause
of all the contention and want of har-
mony which has existed in reform
ranks since the unfortunate hour,
when a majority of our representa-
tives consented to go outside the party
to find a candidate for President, but
surely everything that could have
been said for or against the policy has
been said, and surely no one, not a
Democrat or Republican at heart, will
contend that the campaign of '96
should be duplicated. Sad experience
has demonstrated that fusion with the
Democracy in Kansas and Nebraska
and with the Republicans in North
Carolina means the speedy disintegra-
tion and death of the People's party,
if longer continued, and it requires
no seer to comprehend that the time
has arrived when crimination and re-
crimination among Populists should
cease. Let the dead past bury its dead
and let us reform our lines, in the mid-
dle-of-the-road, for a united and har-
monious effort in 1900.
THE CINCINNATI CONVENTION.
This should have been done at
Omaha one year ago, but the unfortu-
nately the personal ambition of some
of our would be leaders over-shadowed
their patriotic impulses and the fusion
snake was only scotched, not killed
(Continued on 8th page.)
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This issue can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Matching Search Results
View three places within this issue that match your search.Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Newspaper.
Park, Milton. Southern Mercury. (Dallas, Tex.), Vol. 19, No. 22, Ed. 1 Thursday, June 1, 1899, newspaper, June 1, 1899; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth185805/m1/1/?q=waco+tornado: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; .