Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1891-08-13
THE PEOPLES PARTY.
Inside History of It's Inception
and Organization.
Kansas the Birthplace of the New
Political MoVement-Some Of
the Men Who Called 1t to
Life-Facts That Have
Never Appeared in
Print.
wlnfeid. Kan. Correspondence.

AGLDCAo ID LILO HAOAl40 III
political parties. Her fertile soil ger
minated the seed which developed in
to the republican party; over her
broad prairies first swept the prohib-
iion wave, and within her borders the
greenback and union labor movements
attained their fullest sway. Not con-
tent with all this she comes forward
as mother to new party-a healthy
political infant whose growth has
been phenomenal.
The National Peoples Party, born
at Cincinnati few weeks ago, was
conceived and Imbued with life with
in the prolific Sunfewer state. Here
the people made their first active
campaign and here won their first VIC
tory.
The movement which has culmina-
ted in the formation of the new na-
tional party started in Cowley county,
away down on the southern border of
the state, and the story of its origin
and growth is an interesting one.
On the 18th day of August, 1889,
the republicans of Cowley county
held their county convention in this
city. As is generally the case where
a party has long been dominant, the
republicans of the county were d.
Vided into fractions, and on the ocea-
sion of this particular convection an
open warfare was waged between the
farmers and the city politicians. The
latter, led by Hon. w. P. Hackney,
finally captured the convention, fixed
the committees to suit themselves and
nominated the state ticket.
NJ. H. Markham, one of the leaders
of the farmer element, left the con-
ventIon in disgust; but S. W. Chase
and Samuel Strong, the two other
leaders, remained until the close,
though they did not participate fur
ther in the proceedings.
This convention was held on Satur-
day, and on the Monday following
the Erenilg Dispatch, an independ-
ent daily published at Arkansas City,
contained an article by City Editor
George Wagner, bitterly denouncing
the manner in which the convention
had been manipulated, and calling
upon the farmers and others opposed
to the ring rule to organize an indie
pendent movement.
This demand was seconded by the
Fair Play, of Arkansas City, and the
Non ContOrnlist of this city. Henry
Vincent, editor of the latter paper, in
closed a small printed slip in the cop
les of the paper sent to trusted ones,
explaining the situation, and asking
what was to be done. Vincent was a
prominent Union Labor man, and was
ANXIOUS that his party should take adj
vantage of the breach in the republi-
can ranks.
After their defeat in the republican
convention, Strong, Chase and others
suggested to prominent members of
the democratic and union labor par
ties that if they would unite and put
a peoples ticket in the field, the re-
publican farmers would support and
elect it.
The matter was discussed thorough
ly and on August 81 the union labor
central committee met with a few
trusted friends and advisers in the
parlors of the Bobbitt house IN this
city. Here the peoples party was
conceived.
The democratic central committee
was in session across the street at the
same time and numerous conferences
were held but no defi"'-
t;on a. --.e plan of ac-
iced upon.
Toward evening a subcommittee
was appointed to draft some plan of
procedure. This committee went
from the Bobbitt house to a room
oyer the Non Conf o9mist Office, where,
after three hours hard labor, they
agreed upon a plan. The committee
consisted of Henry Vincent, editor of
the Non Confornlist; G. q. Krow, a
prominent farmer; Edward Green,
now president of the Cowley county
alliance; George W. Gardenhire, af-
forwards president of the ahoma SEN
ate, and Benz. H Clover, president of
the county alliance and now member
of congress from this district. Each
member proceeded to put upon paper
what he deemed the best mode of pro-
cedure, and then all the views were
read aloud. A form Of petition call
ing for peoples convention which
had been drafted by Clover was final
ly chosen as the best. These petitions
were at once circulated well over the
county and were signed by voters OF
all parties. Especially active In the
movement were the Knights of Labor,
who were very strong IN the county.
Both the democratic and the union
labor central committees announced
that their parties would hold no con-
vention, but their organizations would
be held intact, ready to cooperate il
the support of the ticket to be nomi-
mated at the peoples convention
When the day Of the convention