The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1890-09-26
RoBINsoN.s .PEoPLE" spEEcH.

RoBINsON's "PEOPLE" SPEECH.
CHARLES Robinson is the nominee o
the Democratic party for Governor o.
Kansas. A few weeks ago he was
a candidate for the same office be.
fore the convention of the Peoples
party and made speech which was a
bid for the nomination. We give be-
low verbatim report of that speech,
and We want every Democrat to read
it. Read it carefully, noting es-
pecially the lines italicised, and then
ask yourself candidly whether this
man represents your sentiments any
more nearly than does Mr.. Willis OF
Gov. Humphrey. Note carefully
what is said about the st. Louis plat
form and about resubmission, and
then ask yourself candidly whether
you have any respect for man who,
within three weeks after making this
speech, was willing to accept a nomi-
nation on a straight-out Democratic
platform. Here is the speech in full:
Mr.. Chairman and Gentlemen of the
Contention:
am not here on my own motion to-
day, and I now come before you to
explain why I am here. Possibly
some of you think am o candidate
for Office, but want to disabuse you
of that thought. Some two or three
weeks since, think it was, the chair
man of the central committee sent for
me for an interview. I came up, and
he said he desired to consult with me
about the platform, and wanted my
views particularly touching the side
issues-the questions of prohibition
and resubmissiOn.
learned from him there was dis
position to unite all elements and
stand on the st. Louis platform, and
that would oppose the money power
as represented by the republican
party. said then that If that is the
purpose of the peoples party, they
must have no side issues; they must
hare no prohibition or res,,bnltssiOn;
the moment that it becomes an issue,
that moment the peoples party sUtU be
diUided IN the middle, and it will
overshadow the great pressing issues
of the day.
He said that nearly all his informa-
ton was that the peoples party want
ed me to be candidate. / said I was
not candidate; I could not afford to
be q candidate. had received letters
from all over the State from parties
who said they would like to win,
would like to defeat the Republican
party, and that the people of Kansas
could this year put up a ticket and go
In and win. When my name first ap-
made the statement that could not
think of being candidate under any
circumstances. said agreed with
him in his idea to Ego In and win, {"
and to combine all the elements
against the plutocrats, but 1 said my
name could not be used under any
circumstances. Many of them said
you had to go further than that; it
may be that your name Is more
eligible to unite upon than any ones
else; that, 1t would combine all the
elements that are i'm favor of our issue;
that it would be harmonious; and that
they would all come i'm gradually,
whether they were favorable or not at
first, and fight OH the issue of the st.
Louis platform. If that should APP
pear 1 might not refuse, but under
any other circumstances I would re-
fuse. Now this is just the position 1
am in.
I come here on limitation of y0us'
chairman, phO said, "cOnae up, the
people may rant to hear from you."
had been told that the peoples
party wished to nominate me, but
that there was a great deal of fear as
to my views on the resubmission
question. NOT, Ih0re nerer said or
Uritten anything about resubD,issa0n.
/ was opposed to the constitutional
provision i'm Oppositiau to intoxicating
liquors. 1 think local option better.
My opinion Is this: In this contest
prohibition and resubmission cut no
figure Thdterer. What are the facts?
The Governor you shall elect will
have but one session of the legislature,
and the constitutional provision can
not be changed without two-thirds
vote of the Senate and House you
shall elect. What has the Governor
and State officers to do with that
question then? So then I sdy that IL
is no issue that UiW affect this more
ment at all, but we have an issue-we
have issues that 1 have been fighting
for twenty years-the money power
and taxes and power of the corpora
tons.
NOD lido not beiicre that any man
scho cd,rdsses ia this coming campaign
should sag one ,rOrd on the subject of
mr. 49,. 20 T. 2.
speeches. Every speaker, in my judy
ment, should take such q position.
Iwant you to understand that I am
not q candidate; want you to under
stand that will not accept the nOm-
nation unless it is for the purpose of
winning i'm this campaign, and you
think 1 am the proper man to NOM
mate. If you do not, do not nominate
ME, and my name will go out of this
convention"