Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1891-04-15
THE CINCINNATI CONFERENCE.
Why Not Allow the National Convention of
1899 to Formulate Its Own Platform?
Following is an extract from the call

Why Not Allow the National Convention of
1899 to Formulate Its Own Platform?
Following is an extract from the call
for a conference at CINCINNATI
Whereas, MANY efforts are being made to
educate the people, TO break the chains OF
corporate monopoly enforced by twenty five
years of class legislation; and believing that
general conference should be held to ar
range a union of all reformers who can fed
crate upon platform demanding relief on
the Issues of currency, land and transporta-
ton, to arrange a systematic plan for the
education of the industrial classes on these
reform issues and to make such arrange
ments for the political conflict of 1892 as
such conference may deem best; there
fore,
We, as friends of such a conference, here
by unite and call a general conference of
reformers to meet in Cincinnati, O., on May
19, 1891, to adopt platform and make such
arrangements for the conflict of 1892 as the
conference may deem fitting. Representa-
ton to be the national and state officers of
each all lance. assembly and association, ten
delegates from each county or district or
ganization of such bodies. and the editors
and bus ness managers of each r, form pa
per belonging 10 the reform press asSocia-
tion.
There seems as yet nothing definite
in the authority calling conference of
third party men at Cincinnati in May
Nor is the object made apparent by the
promoters Of the scheme. AS a means
Of organizing new national party it is
certainly premature as well as un-
authorized, but we are told this is not
the object of the gathering it is
to be simply a conference-though for
what purpose does not appear. So far
as yet appears it is entirely Kansas
movement, and will contain only Kan
sas men. hence why not hold it in To-
peka or Kansas CITY, rather than Gin
cinnati? If the object is merely to
meet and resolute that the individuals
present believe in the St Louis agree
ment we fail to see the necessity of it,
but if it is to take counsel together as to
what would be the best and soundest
platform for a new party; platform
which, while sound on vital issues of
reform, is yet such as to render success
at the polls at least possibility, the
object is good one and worth the cost.
If, like the Cincinnati union labor con-
ventions of 1sS7-SS, few seIf-selected
men are to elect themselves in advance
to all the offices and committees and
smother all free discussion of principles
and issues, we doubt If anything but
evil results will follow. In the mean
time, why do not the authors of the call.
whoever they may be, throw little
light on the objects of the meeting?
Are Frank Norton and A. j. Streeter to
be high priests in the movement? If
so, where does reform come in? We
await more light -Jefersonian.
Some, who oppose the Cincinnati
meeting, have advanced the idea that
the intention of its movers is the organ
lzatlon OF distinct new party. The
Nonconformist does not so understand
1t The purpose, as far as we can learn,
Is alone that of conference 10 ascer-
tain the feeling in different states;
what localities remain unorganized;
place workers from all sections in cor