The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1895-02-21
POPULIsT BATEMAN.

He Is Going to Try to Brace Up the
POpulist Party.
Going to Open Headquarters, Edit a Paper,
Make Speeches and Pay All the Bills
No Powder to be Burnt in Municipal
Made in 1896.
Especial to the PRESS
Lewiston, February 20.--Perhaps for the
srst time in the history of the state a man
has deliberately retired from business in or
der to give himself up to the work of man
aging minority party, and of attending to
the work of organization. OF course this is
very necessary work, and somebody must
do ii but this is commonly done by men who
Are paid for it, but in this case Luther Il.
Bateman. Esq, late Populist candidate for
governor. has deliberately settled down to
the conviction that some one must devote
his entire time to the work of orga nization,
and as there is no party fund to fall back
on, he has decided to do the work himself. |.
Mr.. Bateman has sold his farm on which
he lived for twenty-five years. not exactly
getting his bread by the sweat of his brow.
but much as A. Ward did when he had his
Oxford county farm, ''by the sweat of a
hired mans brow" Mr.. Bateman is not
only good political speaker. but he Is q
lecturer, and is we'll fixed as far as money
goes, having accumulated enough to enable
him to crafty his love for political work.
and apparently he is destined to have it.
Mr.. Bateman when he decided that it was
necessary that he should devote his entire
ime to his party work, also decided that
the Populist party must have a central
headquarters, and SO after looking about
some. he deemed it best to locate in this
Gity,and will open an Office here where popu-
lists can gather from all over the state, and
which will serve all the purpose of gen
eral political headquarters. Mr.. Bateman
will puy the rent himself, and will have
handsome quarters.
Many times during his long career as an
advocate of the principles of minority
parties, Mr.. Batenan has been compelled to
hire hall, and now he is willing to do
more. He proposes TO start a paper. and TO
run it without the expectation or hope of
making a cent from its publication, but
solely for the purpose of giving his party a
paper in this state. He will edit the paper
himself, and he is an old newspaper man.
He will probably be his own business man
ager. and he has the reputation Of being a
very good business man.
He will have clear field to himself vine
he starts the Maine Populist, and asks for
the support of his party associates. The
Coming Nation, late Populist organ, on
arriving at the desired destination has said
good bye to this world, and the Peoples
Herald, of Auburn, will follow its example,
having of late only appeared occasionally,
and not in mood for doing much lighting
even then.
Having secured and opened his Offices,
and started his paper, Mr.. Bateman proposes
to devote himself to the work of organizing
his party. He doesn't propose to make any
more predictions as to results. but simply
TO content himself with saving, WEN do
the best we can, and then to go on saving
wood" He has made something of "a COM
mencement already, having pretty we'll
mapped out his plan of the campaign. and
has all eady secured an assurance that Col.
Jessie Harper, who in the long ago was a
law partner of Abraham Lincoln. will de-
vote at least three months of his time
during 1896 to. Maine.
LAST year Mr.. Bateman had to do the
most of the fighting in this state. Of course
there We're some local speakers. but with
the exception of Scion Chase. who emerged
from the seclusion of Chase's Mills. semi
occasionally during the campaign. and
made few speeches, and two or three
speeches delivered by Col. Harper. the bulk
of the Populist speech-making in this state
w. 6Ona nv Mr. Rat sol H. l,o.
already made it certain that all this is to be
reversed in the campaign of 1896 and that
the biz men of the Fopulist party, men like
Hon. (sockiess) Jerry Simpson. Senator
Stewart If Nevada, possibly Judge Trum-
ball, Gen. Weaver. will be here. and there
will be no lack of Populist speakers, or of
Populist effort. Mr.. Bateman will not have
to make all the fight himself next time.
Mr.. Bateman is not at all certain that the
Sight next year will be made under the Pop
ulist name, although it will be along Pop
ulist- lines. In his judgment silver Is to be
great issue, and he is inclined to think
that the silver.men may want to make the
fight under Lame that will more directly
express what they want to accomplish. cit
is the old story over again." said MIR. Bate
man. "The Republican party was known
under many names before the people finally
revived the name Republican. The Populist
party may change Its designation, but not
its Issues
Mr.. Bateman is fully convinced that there
Is any amount o. work ahead OF him, and
10 hope of reward IN any form is before his
eyes short of Heaven, but he proposes to 20
ahead. and for the next year and up to the
close OF the November campaign of 1898 tn.
Fopalist campaign will go forward. Mr..