The advocate and Topeka tribune. [volume], December 21, 1892, Page 7, Image 7

About The advocate and Topeka tribune. [volume] (Topeka, Kan.) 1892-1894

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(0HI3 AI3VCOATS
7
WASHBUM'S BEPLY TO MAOUNE.
An Open Letter in Defense of the National
Committee of the People's Party.
Boston, Mass., December 8, 1892.
To the Reform Press:
My attention has been culled to the
false and misleading statements of Dr
Macune in hia manifesto from Memphis,
Tenn., November 20, and in hia open
letter published in the National Econo
mist December 3.
While I regret its necessity, I feel it
ray duty to repl, in the plainest of
terms, as they allude to me personally.
The statement that the executive com
mittee of the People's party had a suite
of rooms as headquarters on the parlor
floor of the Gayoso hotel, and that we
arranged a slate, established a lobby and
controlled the action of delegates either
at Indianapolis, St. Luis or Memphis, I
brand as a malicious falsehood.
Our committee had no headquarters,
Mr. Taubeneck's room was on the floor
above, two were used officially as Alii,
ance headquarters, ore by a person un
known to myself, and I occupied the re
maining room.
The newspapers of Memphis and citi
zens in general discussed daily the
merits of the rival candidates; we as in
dividuals only exercised the same right.
Dr. Macune was not defeated through
the influence of Mr Taubeneck and my
self, but because of his past record.
The claim that two men could control
the action of the national leaders of the
greatest industrial organization in the
world is not only absurd but is an insult
to every delegate. Dr. Macnne has ap
pealed to every national convention of
the Farmers' Alliance for vindication at
their hands for something he was
charged with having done. This had
grown monotonous. The farmers were
disgusted. They had whitewashed him
for the last time, and were determined
to unload their burden.
In the last electron of officers, only
TRIED AND TRUE MEN
were chosen, and the demagogues who
had planned to either rule or ruin the
Alliance were shelved.
Dr. Macune's non-partisan (?) demo
cratic friends made as many slates and
worked as openly for him as did the Al
liace friends of President Loucks. He
allowed his name to be placed in nomi
nation with that of President Loucks
and did not withdraw from the Alliance
until he discovered that he was defeated.
Had he been elected, the democratic
press of the country were ready to an
nounce it as a second great democratic
victory, and in this way try to stampede
People's partv 'advocates back to their
ranks. This was a broad, deep, well
planned scheme.
The argument UBed by Alliance men
in favor of Presidant Loucks was that
the northwest had done its full duty in
support of Alliance principles, that the
south had been honored with the presi
dency from the beginning, and that it
was only fair and just that the northwest
should have it for at least one year. Es
pecially so, when the opposition had pre
sented such an unsuitable candidate as
Dr. Macnne, whose elevation to the pres
idency would have been a disgrace to
this great organization.
Dr. Macune thinks that the People's
party got a "black eye" at Memphis.
He tried hard to accomplish this, but
was ignominiously defeated, much to
his discomfiture, as every man elected
was a pronounced Populist
He now poses as an independent in
politics and a martyr for the Alliance,
and seeks to regain favor by attacking
the leaders of the People's party, and '
thus manufacture sentiment with the
democrats of the south.
Hall and McAllister are said to have
been elected to congress by the demo
cratic party as their reward for attacking
the Alliance. Macune is now making
the most of his opportunity to secure a
reward at the expense of the Alliance.
We have urged our friends to try to
keep the Alliance a non-partisan organ
ization, for as such it can do the Peo
ple's party more good than otherwise, as
it educates the masses in the great prin
ciples embodied in its ." demands," and
serves as a recruiting force for the party.
The logical results are that Alliance men
must seek political affiliation in harmony
with their views, or prove traitors to
their own convictions and to the Alliance.
The People's party being the only one
which advocates these principles should
expect the support of the Alliance mem
bers individually, and until one of the
dominant parties advocates these re
forms, it is but just to support the party
which
HAS THE COURAGE TO DO IT.
Similar conditions arose in the relation
of the Woman's Christian Temperance
Union toward the prohibition party,
which embodied the principles of the
union in its platform, and virtually
forced the members of that body to sup
port the prohibition party.
This was the only logical outcome and
was right and just. The battle had to
be fought, however, but the W. C. T. U.
was equal to the emergency and parted
company with Mrs. Ellen Foster and her
republican . friends, and resumed its
stately course, just as the Alliance is
doing.
One would infer from Dr. Macune's
egotistical defense of himself that he
made the Alliance what it is, while, in
fact, the Alliance found him a country
doctor in an obscure town in Texas, and
made for him all he is, including his
financial standing, but his penchant for
intriguing soon aroused suspicion of the
integrity of his motives and actions.
The
JUST CRITICISM OP DR. MACUNE
and other disloyal leaders has often
called forth apologies from true Alliance
men. There are in the Alliance two
classes, one favoring carrying its princi
ples into political action, the other not.
Our beloved Col. Polk represented the
former when at Indianapolis he said: "I
will go wherever Alliance principles
shall lead me."
Dr. Macune, his antagonist, and other
southern leaders represent the latter
class, and were bold Alliance men until
it meant political warfare; then they
abandoned the Alliance and withdrew.
Great stress is laid by Dr. Macune and
his friends on the fact that the Alliance
is a non-partisan organization. This is
the cry of .the thief to divert attention,
while
HE, THE GUILTY ONE, ESCAPES.
IS ever since the Ibirth ol the People's
party has any member holding office in
the Alliance used it to advance the in
terests of his own party; the only parties
guilty of this are the "non-partisan"
democratic members of the Alliance,
who used their official positions to fur
ther the interests of the democratic party
and cried loudest "stop thief" while point
ing frantically to the other fellows to
shield themselves.
No reform paper has shown itself such
a traitor to its constituency as the Econ
omist, the official organ of the Farmers'
Alliance, when it published and sent out
documents in the interest of one party
while it claimed to support another. Its
disloyalty to the Alliance should forfeit
its official organship. Its editor's name
might well be placed in the same cate
gory with that of
BENEDICT ARNOLD. '
I am glad Dr. Macune published the
alleged interview copied from the St.
Louis Chronicle, together with his "Open
Letter" and my own denial in the same
paper.
Careful comparison will show that the
line of thought running through the two
articles are almost identical, especially
that alluding to Hall, McAllister and the
" sub-treasury " plan. Theee stories must
have emanated from one brain, and the
"fine Italian hand" of Dr. Macune can
be easily traced between the lines.
At the close of the St Louis conference
a Chronicle reporter called on Mr. Taube
neck and myself and asked us to suggest
" measures which would benefit the peo
ple." Mr. Taubeneck talked finance, and
I monopolies and nationalism. We took
the precaution to have our statements
written and read to us. We then signed
them. This all occurred in the presence
of Mr. W. S. Morgan. These were never
published, but instead,
TWO COLUMNS OF FALSEHOODS.
I now believe that this whole affair was
a huge conspiracy conceived by Dr. Ma
cune and others. The democratic press
and this reporter were valuable aids in
springing upon us one of the most dam
nable conspiracies ever conceived,in tend
ing to destroy Mr. Taubeneck and
myself because we stood in the breach
between them and the third party move
ment, blocking their way, and taking
their fire rather than see them succeed
in their infernal schemes. The published
statement of J. H. McDowell, of Ten
nessee, in the Economist of December 3,
says that "Secretary L. K.Taylor was
present at one of the slate-making meet
ings and arose and protested against the
private caucus." I charge that when Mr.
McDowell wrote tint article he knew it
was maliciously false.
Mr. Taylor told me after the conven
tion, in the presence of Mr. Taubeneck,
that Mr. McDowell "made this state
ment in the convention, and that he
arose then and corrected it."
While at Memphis, I devoted all my
time to preparing the constitution of the
Industrial Legion, and with Chairman
Taubeneck in organizing that order. The
reporters, as well as Dr. Macune and his
friends, not knowing what we were do
ing, took it for granted we were operat
ing upon the delegates when we were
not.
The enmity of these men who are anx
ious U side-track and destroy the Peo
ple's party is in itself a guarantee of our
faithfulness and loyalty to our trust.
At Memphis, Dr. Macune resorted to
every scheme known to adroit politicians
to save himself. He threatened; he en
deavored to create sentiment; he ab
jectly appealed for mercy, and finallj
resorted to tears, but all to no avail. His
downfall was of his own creation, and
was well deserved.
Yours for true reform,
Geo, F. Was n burn.
Chairman Eastern Division National
Committee People s Party.
Eailroads rirst--Oountry Eoada Afterward.
It sometimes happens that a reform
measure, good in itself, is put forward at
such a time or under such circumstances
as to cause it to be regarded with sus
picion; so it is with the agitation for
good country roads, which is being now
so earnestly commended to the farmers
as a more pressing issue than govern
ment ownership of railroads. No doubt
there are many honest people in this
country roads, agitation, but' there is
some reason to suppose that the main
motive of those who are pulling the
wires is a desire to side-track the rail
road question.
Let us consider the matter on its
J merits. The farming interests of the
country, the business interests and the
traveling interests are in a state of re
volt against the extortion, the misman
agement and the arbitrary oppressions of
the railroads under private management.
Farmer and manufacturer, producer and
consumer are handicapped by transpor
tation rates which constitute a far more
serious clog upon commerce than the
tariff ten times multiplied. All attempts
to find redress through courts, legisla
tures and congress have entirely failed.
The railroads own them all, and public
opinion is fast coming to the' conclusion
that nationalization is the one way out.
Just at the time we are arriving at a
promising unanimity on this point, comes
up the agitation for better country roads,
as the crying need of our commercial
system. No doubt we need better coun
try roads, but what do we need first and
most?
What is the use of better country roads
by which to haul to the railroads, while
the railroads are under managements
which would only take advantage of the
cheaper hauling to put the difference, by
a raise of railroad freights, into their
own pockets?
Supposing it were a question of im
proving water instead of land transpor
tation. Suppose the main navigable
streams of the water transport system
were so clogged as to make navigation
dangerous and expensive. Where in such
a case should the work of improvement
begin? Should it not begin by improv
ing and clearing out the main streams,
rather than by deepening the creeks
tributary to it, which, clogged as they
may be, yet bring down more traffio than
the main streams can properly carry off?
Let us by all means have a better sys
tem of country roads to feed the rail
roads, but first let us have a nationalized
railroad system. Otherwise the improved
feeders will only help to pay dividends on
new issues of watered stock. New Na
tion, December 10.
Notice.
At the next regular meeting of the
Shawnee county F. A. fc I. U., January G
1803, there will be an open meeting after
2 p. m. to discuss needed legislation. All
members and past members of the or
ganization in the county are invited and
requested to be present.
G. G. McConnell, Secretary.
y-rinilllbth
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