The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1892-06-18
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be tempted to make war upon each
other.
In some localities the contest for
political position between democrats
has been little less than disgraceful,
while In others the friendly rivalry
tor nomination has been, as it should
be, merely gentlemanly contest be.
tween gentlemen, who never forge,
that they are brother democrats.
The failure Of the state republican
convention to put ticket in the
field no doubt led many to believe
that for the democrats to nominate a
state ticket was equivalent to an
election.
Such a reading of the political
horoscope is, in view of recent events,
undoubtedly erroneous. In promi-
nent position in the Times-Union of
the 18th instant appears the formal
manifesto of A. P. Baskin, President
of the state alliance, announcing, as
chairman Of the committee" the
holding of a state convention of third
partyites in Jacksonville, on the
18th. of July, to stake such action as
they may deem necessary" The call
is addressed to and invites the atten-
dance Of "the representatives of all
industrial organizations and the PEG.
PIE of the state who believe in the
democratic principles" set forth in
the minority report of the committee
on platform at the Tampa conven-
ton, which is embodied in full in the
call, and to which is appended long
string Of extracts from the writings
Of Thomas Jefferson, and from the
platforms of a number of democratic
national conventions from 1910 to
date, none of which, it is almost
needless to say, although breathing
the true spirit Of democratic princi-
Piles, in any wise sustain or endorse
the demands made by the minority
portion of that committee, made and
insisted upon before the Tampa con-
vention, but rejected by that body.
Without entering at this time upon
any discussion of the claims made
by the promoters Of this movement,
or the extraordinary grounds upon
which they base the alleged necessity
for such a movement, all of which
will be fully ventilated in the press
and upon the hastings before the
impending campaign is over, it seems
appropriate, just now, TO direct pub
lie attention to one or two prominent
facts.
The third party movement seems
to have had its origin in the deter
mination Of a number of ex-republi-
can alliance leaders in the North.
west, as long ago as the winter of
1889, to make the annual meeting of
tho national o1l;n-oo - El1.:I A.
occasion Of a crusade against the
"Solid South" They came and
were royalty entertained by the peo-
pie of Florida, and they planted the
seed which has fructified and devel-
oped into the third party. They
sang "Good Bye, My Party, Good
Bye" They captured the imagin.
ations of a considerable number of
Florida alliancemen. They went
home and reported that they had di-
vided the southern democracy. They
made provision for a conference of
labor organizations at St. Louis in
February, 1892, at which the ''plat-
form" attempted to be forced upon
the Tampa convention was form
ulated. At the St. Louis convention
an attempt was made to organize the
third party, but for prudential or
other reasons, that delicate duty was
deferred until The convention for
mally adjourned, whereupon the
members almost to a man land in
Guiding several women) resolved
themselves into a "mass meeting"
and created COMMITTEE to act with
the national third party executive