THE POPULIST MOVEMENT 673 



the government, economically and honestly administered." We 

 are told that this part of the section contains the party's views 

 on the tariff. The refusal to make a definite statement is not 

 altogether inconsistent with the party's opinion that the tariff 

 subject is a back number, that it is either already decided or at 

 least less important than the currency question. 



Both of the old parties maintain that the view thus ambigu- 

 ously stated is in accord with their platforms. Curious editorials 

 have appeared in the papers of the South and West upholding 

 the claim that the new party's tariff views are not antagonistic 

 to Democratic or to Republican principles. This has been the 

 case when either of the old parties was trying to engineer a 

 fusion with the Populists. The Democrats regarded the section 

 as in perfect accord with the declaration, "tariff for revenue 

 only," while the Republicans were no less vehement in their 

 protestations that it was in harmony with their doctrine of 

 " protection with incidental revenues." 



In reality the stand of the party on this point is nothing more 

 than a " straddle." In the Populist ranks are two factions which 

 must be satisfied, the laborers, who suppose that high wages 

 and protection are somehow connected, and the farmers, who re- 

 ceive no protection and because of protection have to pay higher 

 prices for what they buy. This apparent indecision of the party 

 is due to' the real antagonism of these two classes. Coupled with 

 this antagonism was the necessity of drawing votes from the old 

 parties. As both sides of the tariff question are already repre- 

 sented by the two old parties, it was perfectly natural that the 

 new one should attempt to avoid any declaration on this subject. 

 What are the "necessary expenses" of a government? They 

 cannot be easily determined. A progressive government needs a 

 great deal of money for " necessary expenses " ; very heavy taxes 

 (tariff or revenue) might be needed to meet its demands. 



The section on the abolition of national banks was necessitated 

 by the general money plans of the party. The tendency has 

 been toward the reduction of the circulation of national banks 

 and a minimum use of their function of note-issue. The People's 

 Party regards the national banks as responsible for the decline 



