THE BATTLE OF THE STANDARDS 183 



The majority of the delegates, believing that the 

 Democratic party had been inoculated with the 

 serum of reform, were ready for the sake of a prin- 

 ciple to risk the destruction of the party they had 

 labored so hard to build. Senator William V. Allen 

 of Nebraska summed up the situation when he said: 



If by putting a third ticket in the field you would de- 

 feat free coinage; defeat a withdrawal of the issue 

 power of national banks; defeat Government owner- 

 ship of railroads, telephones and telegraphs; defeat 

 an income tax and foist gold monometallism and high 

 taxation upon the people for a generation to come, 

 which would you do? ... When I shall go back to 

 the splendid commonwealth that has so signally 

 honored me beyond my merits, I want to be able to say 

 to the people that all the great doctrines we have advo- 

 cated for years, have been made possible by your action. 

 I do not want them to say that the Populists have been 

 advocates of reforms when they could not be accom- 

 plished, but when the first ray of light appeared and 

 the people were looking with expectancy and with 

 anxiety for relief, the party was not equal to the oc- 

 casion; that it was stupid; it was blind; it kept "the 

 middle of the road," and missed the golden opportunity. 



Although most of the members of the convention 

 were ready to cooperate with the Democrats, there 

 was a very strong feeling that something should be 

 done, if possible, to preserve the identity of the 



