St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-02-05
Watson, Halvorsen, Simpson
and Six Others Will Pre-
serve It.
Reports of DiSsension Denied
as Insidious Articles Of
the Old Parties.
The Leader Explains Some
Points Of Difference as to
0cala Demands.
Free Coinage Bill Alleged to
Be Badly Whipsawed by
the Rules.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 1.-The Peoples
party of the house of representatives
is intact as q political organization, and
united as to the party measures which
it is to press upon the two houses of the
Flfty-SecOnd congress. In the caucus
which met before the organization of
the house and nominated Representative
Watson, OF Georgia, as the candidate of
the party for the speaker of the house,
the nine Independent representatives
decided to preserve their political au
tonomy on all questions to the end of
the session. Within the past few days
various reports of alleged dissension in
the ranks of the nine Peoples repre-
sentatives have been current, and the
third party men tonight complain that
these rumors have been inspired by
politicians of the other parties, and tel
egraphed throughout the country purely
for political effect. To silence these in
slduous rumOrs in their inception, the
nine regular representatives of the
Peoples party today issued the follow
ing address to the country:
VIII Pull Together.
"To correct an erroneous account
which has appeared in the public prints
in reference to discussions in the ranks
of the Alliance congressman, we make
the following statement: At no meet
ing OF the Alliance members of congress
was any motion or suggestion made that
they should join the Democratic party
or cast their lot with it. The disagree
ment occurred because certain of the
Alliance congressman thought that the
contest should be made through the old
parties. and others thought that indie
pendent political action was necessary.
There has been no split between the
Peoples party representatives. We are
united now as we were at the opening
of congress. We each believe that in
dependent political action is necessary.
We hold our conferences as we did at
the opening OF the session, and they are
harmonious. The onlydissensiOns that has
come among the Alliance members came
when we had conferences with congress
men who adhere to old party lines"
This is signed by Thomas E. Watson,
w. A. McKeighan, John G. Otis. K.
HalvOrsen, o. NJ. Ken, Jerry Simpson,
John Davis, William Baker, B. III.
Glover.
WatsOn's Declarations.
B. K. Watson, the nominee OF the
Peoples party for speaker and the gen.
orally accepted leader of the independ-
ent representatives in the house, this
evening declared that the reports of the
past few days were but the articles of
the enemy. 1T is very easy to under
stand that the reports as to the dissen-
si0nS among us were intended to injure
the Peoples party movement all over
the country" said he. Therefore,
when the statement was sent ont by
those who sought to injure us that any
of our men had joined the organizations
of either of the old parties we felt
called upon to correct it in the most pos
tive and public manner. AS a matter
of fact from the time we first met at
Senator PETERS, and | was selected as
the candidate of the Peoples party for
speaker, there has never been any di-
vision between the nine Peoples party
congressman.
''We have differed as to whether it
was wise to meet with the Livingston
conference. Some Of us have thought
it very unwise. All of us now think so,
with the possible exception of Mr..
McKeighan. 1t seems to me that where
certain number of congressman are
willing to go upon record as saying that
they will adhere to
The 0cala Demands
independent of either of the old party
caucuses and certain congressman are
not going upon record as supporting
those demands to that extent, there is
such a vital difference between them
that Squabbles naturally arise. AS
matter of fact they arose every time we
met and they arose because of that very
difference Oh that vital question. When
Mr.. Livingston and those who follow
him say that they are for the Ocala de-
mands. but will hold them in subordina-
ton to the Democratic caucus or the
Democratic party machinery, they GER
tainly take very different view of the
necessity for those measures that are
taken by US when we say that inde-
pendent political action is absolutely
necessary to bring success to our plat
form.
ITO maintain their position they have
to fight desperately for the Democratic
or Republican party, as the case may
be, and to maintain our position we
have to fight just as desperately for the
Peoples party. Therefore, while the
laws we seek TO have passed are essen
TALLY the same, yet the method of OBJ
tanning those laws is so radically differ
emf that conflicts, mutual distrust and
irreconcilable differences naturally
arise. Upon that ground we have ceased
To tho iuip al