The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-08-11
A PopUTIsT CAUCUS
A Very Clever Scheme laid to Shelve Congress
sional Candidate King of wyandotte

Yesterday Populist caucus was held in
| the Occidental hotel that interests Farmer
Funston The caucus was supposed to be
| a conference among the candidates on the
state ticket to arrange line of policy.
That, however, was not the real object of
the meeting, as Mr.. S S. King OF Wyan-
dotte knows full we'll if he has an average
| amount of human perception, and pre-
sumably he has. The fact of the matter is
the fight being made in the Second district
is causing trouble among the Popuiist can
didates. and they are in harry TO settle
it. The Populists have figured out,
and so have the Democrats. that
the forces of the two parties
aggregate about 10. 900 votes more than the
Republican party in the state. This is
their latest poll and it has scared them
bad too. They realize that they must have
every Democratic vote in the state TO have
safe majority. Ii the Populist candidates
are kept in the field in the First and Sec
ond district that will kill their hopes OF
success Close is ready TO come off at any
time in the First district but King is
little headstrong. The fact Of the matter
King is smart and he proposes to make all
in affairs. They tried dozen different
methods to get him off the ticket and
all failing they concluded TO
get him to Wichita "and get him
into good society," ns they call it. By this
it is meant that the leaders Of the Popu-
lists concluded that as this is the very hot
bed of fusion influences could be brought
TO bear On King SO that he could see his
way clear ia retiring from the field in ia
vor of Moore OF course a program was
arranged for Kings benefit while he was
in the city and il was carried ont at the
Occidental yesterday. They tried the bluff
act on him and it may be that it will work.
He manifested some weakness last night
for be admitted to an EAGLE reporter that
some changes might be made in the con-
gressional districts. At any rate he gave
it out that FarmerF'unston is spending his
last term in congress from the Second
district. He also said that whatever
changes that are to be made will be made
next week, when the congressional COM
mittees and all the county committees of
the Second district will meet at Olathe ito
discuss matters of interest to both parties"
At yesterdays conference he heard the riot
some who know what transpired said that
the conference talked to him cruelty. They
simply told him that they had political
shelf built for him and that they would
see that lie occupied it if he would not
withdraw from the race. They also told
him that it would be to his interest TO
withdraw gracefully. One gentleman told
the EAGLE reporter that King received the
most cold blooded ultimatum ever given
politician. 1t is very probable that he
has lost his nerve and that he will yield at
once to the demands of the conference.
He felt very cool towards the other candi
dates during the entire evening which
would lead one to suppose that ne had re-
ceived a bad deal at their hands.
Fred Close, the Alliance nominee
for congressman In the First
district, did not directly admit
to the EAGLE reporter that he would retire
from the race. bat in a round about way
be animated it. Mr.. Close didn't want
the office first, and, in fact, he has not
wanted it very bad at any time. 1t will
be an easy matter to settle his case. John
Bridenthal, the chairman of the state com
mittee will be here tonight or tomorrow
morning to hear the report or the confer
ence. All of the committee could not
wait for him, but w. H. Biddle, candidate
for state treasurer, has been selected to
remain here to meet him, for the purpose
of explaining to him the status of the con-
ference when it adjourned The candi- |
dates present were l.. d. Leweliing. Z. 5.
Osborn, John T. Little, Van b. Prather
w. II. Biddle and Stephen Allen. They |
all admitted that there was important
business before the conference, but that /
they were pledged not to diyulge its inn |
port until after John Bridenthal had pass |
ed upon it,