The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-06-19
THE REFORM PARTIES
What People" and Prohibition
lists Hope to Accomplish.
BOTH TO HOLD CONVENTIONS.
The Probable Nominees of the Omaha
and Cincinnati Deiegates-No Pros
poets Of Consolidation.

when their platforms shall have been
framed and their candidates announced,
when they shall have declared themselves
ready for the fray, armed cap-a-pie for
great battle of issues, when the defeated
shall have quafTed to the dregs the bitter
cup of political disappointment and cha
grin when the successful ones shall have
tasted of the sweet nectar of party appro-
baton, aye. even while Hector and Ajax
are arming and while Achilles mayhap
still sulks in his tent, will be heard voices
in the political wilderness of two other
hosts. one untried in national campaign,
the other old in defeat but as buoyant
with hope as when it first sprung its pro-
hibition issue upon the country.
And to go in the midst of these Alliance
and Prohibition ranks is to be convinced
that they are in earnest and as bitter in
their own factional strifes as though they
were old as the country and had crowned
effort with victory time and again.
| recently had chat with Samuel
Dickie, chairman of the Prohibition ma
tional committee, and after he had told
me that John p. st. John had absolutely
declined a denomination to the first place
on the ticket l wandered over to the news
paper headquarters of the Prohibitionists
in Astor place. There | was told that john
r. st. John would surely be nominated.
Evidently they did not care to accept his
absolute declination as final. And here
occurred an amusing little incident. /
had piled the editor of the great Prohibi-
ZIONIST organ with queries as to the cam
paign and as to candidates other than
John T. st. John. He stopped suddenly
in the midst of all and blurted out:
''You can't get any more information
out of me. I guess you have been sent
from the national headquarters to pump
u.s."
1t was the first time in my life that
had been taken for Prohibitionist, and /
assured the gentleman that had in no
way misrepresented myself But nothing
could induce him to say other than:
Read our paper. That is all l can tell
you"
L ascertained later that Mr.. Funk and
other enthusiastic Prohibitionists had
prepared a ticket headed by st. John and
ending up with ex-Congressman Bidwell,
of California. They had argued among
themselves that Blaine and Cleveland
woulk run again, and the suggestion came
naturally enough, Why not make it
Blaine Cleveland and St. John, as it was
in 1854? But John 2. st. John has de-
cided against the plan. and was shown a
letter in which his refusal to run was put
in unequivocai terms.
Mr. Dickie was kind enough to write out
for me his views on the impossibillty of q
coalition with the Peoples party, which
is appended hereto. But when 1t came to
q discussion of candidates he called off to
me the names of presidential and vice
presidential possibilities.
For president" said he, ave will NOM
mate either II. Clay Bascom, of Troy; w.
J. Demorest. of New York; General John
Bidwell, of California;; Walter Ii. Hill, OF
Macon. Ga, or J. B. Hobbs, of Chicago.
you can be sure the next vice presiden-
tial nominee will be chosen from among
the following: Sam Small, of Georgia;
George w. Balm, of Kentucky; A. A.
Stevens, of Pennsylvania, or \. G. Wolfan-
burger, of Nebraska"
Elsewhere the names of DIR. ID. G. Kel-
ley, OF Tennessee. and Colonel Ely #. Rit-
ter, of Indiana, were mentioned to me as
possible presidential nominees.
The Prohibition national committee is
fighting all talk OF coalition with the
Peoples party, the pet movement of Gen
eral Weaver, of Iowa. But that this move
ment is not chimerical was proven TO me
when | read the address of the so-called
executive committee of the national re-
formers This calls q conference for
June %, at Cincinnati, the day previous 10
the convention of the Prohibitionists.
The address says, among other things:
The object of the national reformer5
has not been to maintain an additional
political party. but as set forth IN their
first convention at Chicago in 1859 and in
their second in st. Louis in 1890. at which
fifteen states were represented, IL has been
10 unite the aggressive reform forces OF the
nation OH the finance, land, transporta-
ton and suffrage reforms and suppression
OF the liquor traffic"
q. II. Miller, OF Chicago, will preside at
this conference, which is TO be held ut the
Palace hotel. in Cincinnati, and which.
judging from the utterances of Mr.. Dickie
and others. will be absolutely futile.
The Prohibition convention will be held
on the 29th of this month IN the Springer
Music hall, of Cincinnati, on the site OF
the old exposition building in which X. Il.
Hayes was nominated and in which
Robert 6. Ingerso0 delivered his famous
"P.umed knight" nominating speech. 1t
was in the present music hall that
Hancock was nominated. There also the
labor conference took place out OF which
came the Peoples party. The hall seats
10000. and "a the delegates will number
between 1000 and 100 there VIII be seats
enough for the enthusiasts.
But the echoes of the Prohibition con-
yontiOn and the reform conference viii
still be ringing in the Western air when
/ the Peoples party will make its bow at
| Omaha on July > Ignatius Donnelly will
/ be there as a detegatc-at-laTge from Mime
! sofa, T. V. Powderly will be the head and
/ front of Pennsylvania cohorts, j. H..
! Weaver will voice lOwa's claims. Con-
! gFessmen Watson, Simpson, Otis and Liy-
/ ingstOn viii 90 there. So will the Alliance
senator's. III. Kyle, of South Dakota,
| and w. 4. PETER, of Kansas. Massachu-
/ sets viii be represented among others by
/ Henry VIM, Herbert Mcintosh, L. a..
/ Watson. }. ID. Cadie and William Shields.
| President Gompers, OF the Federation Of
Labor. will probab!Ygo from New York.
! Ben TerrIll Will bdanother shining light
( in the convention nall
/ the party has determined 10 make its
/ nominations on july 1. and 20 insure tins,
/ Chairman n. T. Taubeneck. of the na-
( tlOnal committee. wiii cali the convention
/ 10 order in the Coliseum building on July
( for the purpose OF eliectIng temporary
I organization only. Alter the welcome oy
/ Mayor Eemis and the naming OF officers,
/ the gathering will resolve ltsel! INTO
/ rnass-meeting and liStea 10 speeches rom
/ all the leading men present. NOW as 10
| the platform. 1 can tell sou good deal
more than can about candidates, " SAID
| one Of the New York Peoples party en-
| thusiasts THAI Will simply be reatslrn-
! alton Of what vas 50 well stated ~ the ST.
| I,ouis conference. There was no eqGiyo-
! cation then and there will be none row.
1 As 20 candidates. il Is possible that We
| max surprise the older parties by nominate
I ing a man who no% represents Il Coas.
I ~ 70 4 IN q