The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-02-05

WASHINGT0N. Feb. 4-The Peoples
party Of the house of representatives IS IN
tact as political organization and united
as to the party measures which 1t Is TO
press upon the two houses of the tlfty-
second congress. In the caucus which
met before the organization of the house
and nominated Representative Watson AS
the candidate of the Peoples party for
speaker of The house, the nine lndepend-
cnt representatives then assembled de-
Cided TO preserve their political autonomy
on all questions to the end of the session.
Within the past few days various reports
OF alleged dissensions in the ranks of the
nine People party representatives nave
been current The third party men com
plain that these rumoFs have been inspired
by politicians of the other parties and tele-
graphed throughout the country purely
for political effect. TO silence these IN
sidious rumors in their inception, the nine
regular representatives of the Peoples
party today issued the following address to
the country:
TO correct the erroneous accounts
which have appeared in the public prints
in reference to dissensions in the ranks of
the Alliance congressman, we make the
following statement: At no meeting of
the Alliance members Of congress was any
motion or suggestion made that they
should Join the Democratic party or cast
occurred because certain of the Alliance
congressman thought that the contest
should be made through the old parties
aud others that independent action is
necessary. There has been no split be-
tween the peoples party representatives.
We are as united now we were at the
opening of congress. We each believe in
dependent political action to be necessary.
We hold our conferences, as we did at the
opening OF the session, and they are har-
mOnious. The only dissension that has
come among the Alliance members came
when we had conferences with congress
men who adhere to old party lines.
ISigned THOMAS L. WATSON,
''W. A. MCkEIGHAN,
John G. OTIS,
ak. HALvORSEN,
''N. O. KEN,
JERRY SIMPSON,
JOHN DAVIS,
"WTLLIAM BANNOCK,
"B. Ii. CLOVER"
Representative Watson tonight declared
that the reports of the past few days were
but the artifices of the enemy.
1T IS eesy to understand that the re-
ports as to dlSsensionS among the Peoples
barty congressman were intended TO injure
the Peoples party movement all over the
country" said he. Therefore, when the
statement was sent out by those who
bad joined the organization of either of the
old parties we felt called upon to correct it
in the most positive and public manner
AS matter of fact, from the time we first
met at Senator Peffer's there has never
been any division between the nine Peoples
party congressman. We have differed as
TO whether it was wise to meet with
Livingston in conference, Some of us
have thought it unwise. All of us now
think so, with the possible exception of
Mr.. Mckelghan. 1t seems to me that
where certain number of congressman
are willing to go upon record as saying
that they will adhere to the Ocala demands
independent of either of the old party eau
cuses and certain other congressman are
not willing To go upon record as support
ing those demand, 60 that extent there is
such r vital difference between them that
squabbleS naturally arise.
As matter of fact, they arose every
time we met, and arose because of that
very difference on that vital question
When Mr.. Livingston and those who fol-
low him say that they are for the Ocala de
mauds, but will hold them in subordina-
lion 10 the Democratic caucus or the Dem
ocratic party machinery, they certainly
take different view of the necessity for
those measures than is taken by us. When
we say independent political action is absu-
Iutely necessary to bring success to our
platform. the reasons for our belief and
the reasons for his need not be discussed
here. 70 maintain their position they
have TO fight desperately for the Demo
cratic or the 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 essentially the
same, yet the method of obtaining these
laws i so radically different that conflicts
mutual distrust and irreconciliable differ
cnces naturally arise. Upon that ground
we have ceased to meet with the Living
bton element"