Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1892-02-05
THE PEOPLES PARTY.
irs REPRESENTATIVES, IN CON-
oREss TO THE COUNTRY.
IA r. Intact ~ . Political Orsauisation
sud United rs 60 messures-
An Address.
fsx ,.,suaph % ihe I,lspa.ch.l |.

WASHINGTON, February 4s-lne feop'os
party OF the House of Representatives y
intact ~ political organization and united
az to the party measures which II ID 20
press upon the two houses Of the Fifty
second Congress. In the caucus which
met before the organization OF the House
and nominated Representative Watson, OF
Georgia. as the candidate of the Peoples
party for Speaker of the House the nine
indepepdent representatives then Assem-,
bIed decided to preserve their poiit,csl
autonomy on all questions to the ena OF
the session. Within the past rev oays
various reports Of alleged. dIssension IN
the ranks Of the nine Peoples fepresen.sa.
tiyes have been current, and tnlru-parS
men tonight complain that these rumors
have been inspired by politicians OF the
other parties and telegraphed to the paru-
san press throughout the country, purely
for political effect. To silence these IN
sidious ruinors in their inception the mus
regular representatives OF the feoPies
.psrty to-day Issued the following ADDRESS
to the country:
NO pIssEssIoxs.
"To correct an erroneous account which
has appeared III the public prints wi.n
reference TO discussions IN the ranks OF tno
Alliance congressmen, VIC maze the ioiio"-
ing statement: or
bers of Congress was any motion or SUE
gestion made that they should JON tue
Democratic party or cast their lot WIN ~.
81 he disagreement occurred pecnuse
certain of the Alliance congressm men
Thought that the contest should be made
through the old parties and others thouent
that independent political acton was ne
cessary. .ho
There has been no split between the
PEOPLES party representatives,. we are
unifed now az we were az the opening OF
Congress. We each believe that indepen-
dent political action Is necessary. ". nc
hold our conferences as we. anu AZ .ne
opening of the session and they are mar
monious.
The only dissension that he's come
among the Alliance members came when
we had conferences with congressman VINO
adhere to old party lines.
ISionedl THOMAS Il. WATSON,
"W. A. McKnGHAN.
"JoHN &. OrIs,
TX. HALyogsos,
30. ii. KEN,
"JTRRY SIMPSON,
ions DAVIS,
WILLIAM BAKER.
"R. II. CLOVER"
IRrrFIcEs OF THE ENEMY.
Representative Watson, of Georgia. the
nominee of the Peoples party Tor Speaker,
and the generally leader OF tne
independent representatives IN the Rouse,
this evening declared that the reports OF
the past few days were but the artiuoes vi
the enemy.
"It is very easy 10 understand that the
reports as 10 dissensions among US Peo-
ple's party congressman were intended 70
iniure the Peoples party movement all
over the country" said he. therefore,
when the statement was sent out by those
who sought to injure us that any or our
men had Joined the organization OF either
of the old parties we felt called upon TO
correct it in the most positive and pubic
manner. Asa matter of fact. from the time
we first met at Senator PETERS and was Sc
lected as the candidate OF the People
party for Speaker there has never
been any division between tho nine
Peoples party congressman. We nave
differed as to whether it was wise TO meet
with the Livingston conference. Some OF
us haye thought 1t very unwlse. All OF us
now think so, with the possible exception
of Mr., McKeighan. 1t seems to me that
where a certain number of congressman
are willing to go upon record as saying
that they will adhere to the Ocala de-
mands independently of either OF the old
party caucuses, and certain other congress
men are not willing to go upon record as
supporting those demands to that extent,
there il such 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 on that vital question.
r,,r ,x-,vasrox TT rxTSr
When Mr.. Livingston and those who
follow him say they are for the Ocaia 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 me-
cesslty for those measures from those
taken by US when we say that lnde-
pendent political action Is absolutely
necessary to bring success to our plat
form. The reasons for our belief and the
reasons for theirs need not be discussed
here. 1t is not even necessary to say that
we are more honest IN our opinion than
Mr.. Livingston is in his. simply STATE
that where nine gentlemen agree as 10 GER
tain laws and say they will fight for those
laws, no matter what any party says. II Is
very difficult for them to act in concert
with other gentlemen who say they are
| for the Democratic party or the he
publican party nrst and these de
mands next. To maintain their pc
sition they have to fight desperatel,
| for the Democratic or the Repuo-
lican party, as the case may be, and Z
maintain our position we have to fgh
| Just as desperately for the Peoples party
| Therefore, while the laws we seek to hav'
passed are essentially the same, yet tn
method of obtaining those laws is so radi
cslly difficult that conflicts, mutual dis
trust, and irreconcilable differences natu
| rally arise. Upon that ground we hav'
ceased to meet the Livingston element"