The Forrest City times., 1896-07-24
ARKANSAS POPULiSTS.
Delegates to the National Convention
Go Uninstructed as to Candidates.
nat will Vote for Re-Amrmation of the
Omaha Platform-A Platform Adopted
and Col A. Files Nominated
for Governor.


getes appointed by the peoples party In the
various counties of the state met at Glenwood
Park. Little Rock. on the 18th inst. When the
convention was called to order there were
large number present. including nearly all the
leaders of the junior party In the state.
The convention was called TO order at 10
s'clock a. m. by Hon. Thomas Fletcher, the
state chairman. Prayer was offered by Rev. t.
W. Hayes, OF Nevada county, after which chair
man Fletcher announced that the state central
committee had selected j. NJ. Pittman, of Ne
rada county, for temporary chairman, and J.
w. Dollison, Of Greene county, for temporary
secretary.
MIR. Pittman Speaks.
On assuming the chair, Mr.. Pittman advised
the peoples party to keep 'in the middle of
the road" and opposed any step that would
lead to disintegration. He had been reminded
before leaving home that the greedy democrats
at Chicago had swallowed the people party,
but when he looked upon the assembled hosts
ne knew II was n campaign lie. If such Is the
ease said the speaker. lit might we'll be said
as Alexander Stephens said to Ben Hill when
Hill threatened to swallow the little states
man. Stephens answered If you do you will
have more brains in your stomach than you
have In your head No, sir; we not swal-
lowed. We are still outside the democratic
party" The peoples party has proven itself
TO be one of the best political schoolmssters
snat ever trained a statesman or conducted
campaign on economic questions. In the short
space OF q few months 1t has absolutely con-
verified and captured the democratic party
state and national Stand side by side the
national democratic platform of 1892 and 1896
and you will see Rothschilds and the devil in
1892 and populist speech in 1895 Stand Cleve-
land by the side of Bryan and you have, rs
Tillman said, besotted tyrant by the side Of
an American patriot. In the midst of this Won
derful revolution we are told that the populist
10 a,,iy 80 a
fndorse Dan Jones for governor and VIM. j.
Bryan for president and disband. We answer
nay nay We have other work to do. These
new converts must be cared for and this coun-
try must be saved from Rothschilds and the
devil. This cannot be done inside the demo-
cratic party The record of the democratic
party Is one OF blasted hopes and false promi-
SEES In state politics there Is the important
question of fair elections We commend Col.
Dan Jones, the democratic nominee for gov
ernor, for the advance utterances he has made
on that line. The republican party stands COM
mitted to the gold standard and all the trusts
ana monopolies thai are operating TO impover-
ish and enslave the American people We do
not believe the great body of the republican
party of Arkansas can be depended upon to
support that kind Of a platform. Under these
conditions 1t is clearly our duty to nominate
state ticket and elect it. II an honorable COM
bination can be had at st. Louis by which all
the silver and reform forces can be united upon
an electoral ticket that would leave intact the
peoples party organization and the Omaha
platform, / should be glad to see it done and in
that lies the salvation Of our country.
Committees Appointed.
Committees were then appointed on creden-
tials and permanent organization. After a re-
cess Of half an hour the former presented it's
report, which showed that i73 delegates were
present, representing 50 counties. Isaac Nc
M an cho hv ~
committee for permanent chairman; j. w. DOLE
Hson, OF Greene, for permanent secretary and
J. N Dixon, OF Hot Spring. for assistant secre-
tary Mr. McCracken, on taking the chair said
this was meeting for business and not for
speech making. and he would not detain the
convention by making speech.
At the afternoon session the chairman an
nounced the following committees:
On Platform-W. S. Morgan, Sharp; j. r.
Sovereign, Benton; Ed Arnold Clark: j. H P.
Russ, White; A. w Files, Pulaski; NJ. r. Coff-
man, Greene; j. E. Seaman. Van Buren,.
On Resolutions-S. z. Van Patten Garland;
W. P. Parks, Lafayette; j. NJ. L. Thomson,
Drew; Boyd, Of Franklin; s. Z. Sweet St.
Francis; j. Z. Bryan, Washington; E. G.
Brown, Faulkner.
Hon J. H. Mcdowell, chairman of the popu-
fist state central committee OF Tennessee, was
invited TO address the convention, and that
gentleman was greeted by applause when he
advanced to the stage to begin his address
He eontended that the peoples party
should stand by the Omaha platform and IL
the democrats want Mckinley defeated let
them say to the populists, give us half the
electors and you take the other half and we
will have equal show in naming the presi-
dent" and II the populists go to St. Louis and
surrender, there will be enough of the "old
guard to nominate ticket. He believed the
democrats in Arkansas had nominated an hon.
est man for governor-the kind Of a man the
populists would not object to uniting with.
A Bryan Resolution.
TBe committee on resolutions presented a
resolution instructing the delegates to the
national convention to indorse Bryan and
Sewall for president and vice-president. The
resolution provoked long and somewhat
heated discussion. Finally Col A. w. Files OF
Little Rock, offered the following as q substi-
sute, which was adopted by vote l7Sh ayes
80 2Ih noes:
Resolved That our delegates to the national
convention be requested to observe the unit
rule In voting upon all measures in regard TO
platform and nominations; that they vote for
se-af1mation of the Omaha platform, and that
they use their best judgment in the nomination
Of candidates who are in strict accord and har-
nony with the party and its principles.
Delegates at Large.
The following were elected as delegates at
hrge to the national convention: J. r. Sow
ereign, Thomas Fletcher, w 6. Morgan, A. w.
Files, Isaac McCracken, ]. o. A. Bush.
Alternates-C. NJ Norwood, w. G. Campbell,
1no II. Robertson. Homer Prince, Paul Il.
Davidson, and J, n. Nixon.
DISTRICT DELEGATES
]. NJ. r. \Coffman, S. +. Sweet, w. II. Rus
sell Alternates. j. A. Meek. b. A Morrow, A.
a. Steele.
2. p. L. Montgomery, Sol Nethercutt, John
l. Wetheral. Alternates, J. Nj. L. Thomason,
l. NJ. Sandridge, j. c. Rye
8. w. p. Parks. F. T. Sheppard, E. r. Ar
rold. Alternates. John C. Kirby j. d. Ingram.
L. b. L. Jones, j. G. Harkey, J. w. Dollison.
ID ~ IN