The herald., 1894-12-27
A P0PULIST CONGRESS.
THREE ELEMENTS OF THE PARTY
WILL PARTICIPATE.
The Meeting Promises to Be One of the
L!velest Political Events of
tho Season.

Of local leaders of the Peoples party to
st. Louis today to attend national con
ference OF leading members of that or
gsnizstion. which will be held in that
city on Friday and Saturday. The con-
ference promises to be one of the live
lieRt political evonta OF the season and,
as consequence, there will be large
Chicago contingent present. Taking
the Chicago contingent as basis of
representation the conference will be
participated in by several hundred lead
ing members of the party, coming from
nearly every state in the union. Among
the leaders who have signifed their in
tsntion of being present are Senator
Pfeffer and Jerry Simpson OF Kansas,
Chairman Maxwell of the Illinois state
central committee, Congressman Pence
OF Colorado, Senator Kyle of South Da
kota. George Schilling of Milwaukee,
Governor Lewelling of Kansas. Tom
Watson of Georgia and others prominent
in Populist politics. The conference
may result in some radical changes In
the party programme.
Three diverse elements will, it is said
be found in the conference, and each
will seek to make it's own views a part
of the party creed in the next national
campaign. The conference. being an
unofficial one. cannot formulate plat
form or declaration of principles, but its
deliberations and conclusions will doubt
less have great weight and will have
much to do with shaping the future
course of the party.
There is first large and powerful ele-
ment in the city, headed by Chairman
Taubeneck himself, which favors the
concentration of the party strength on q
single plank-silver. 1t ia argued that
the Omaha platform was too scattering;
that it advocated too many reforms at
once to be effective and that more
effective contest could be waged on
single issue. The advocates of solitary
silver plank argue that it would bring
all the western, mountain and Pacific
states under the Populist banner, and
also capture many OF the southern
states. The idea will be advocated by
the western delegates and many OF those
from the south.
There is another element which, while
as strongly in favor OF free silver as the
other measures of relief as well. This
element dseirss the adoption of a na~
tional platform containing four essential
planks - money, land, transportation
and taxation. The frat plank emh odies
the free silver declaration and also de-
mands the creation of gresnbsck cur
rency as we'll. Its demands as to land
and transportation are those at present
made by existing platforms, while the
income tax will be defended and the
single takers find room for their theory.
The Socialistic group will form the
third element. 1t will. in fact, be a
Chicago product and will be backed by
the flower of Chicago Socialism. This
element has but one demand, and that
it will insist upon. That 10 plank 10.
In other words, if the Populist party ex-
poets the aid and comfort OF the Social
ists, it must dsclare that all means of pro-
duction and distribution of commodities
must belong to the people. The cham
pions of plank 10 will be willing to sup
port free silver or will accept the views
of the second, provided plank 10 is also
recognized. II will thus be seen that
the Socialistic group stands in position
to aid either Of the other factions in con.
sideration of its own beloved principle.
The outcome ia one which will be
awaited with interest. If plank 10 is
repudiated, it is limited that the Social a
lists will, in all probability, sever their
connection with the party.
ST.. LOUIS, Dec. 26.--To decide upon q
plan of education for the presidential
campaign of 1896 and to select place
for holding the national convention of
fhe party will be the main topics of
discussion by the national committee
of the Populist party which will as
semble on Friday for q two days con-
venti0n.