The record-union., 1896-06-26
PETER ON THE POLITICAL OUTLOOK.
NOT HOPEFUL OF THE DEFEAT OF
MCKINLEY,
Except by Union of All Free Silver
Forces Sharply Criticises
TaubeneCk,
w SHINCTON


PETER of Kansas does not expect Nc
Kinley's defeat this year. except by a
union of all the free silver forces. On
the other hand, such a combination. he
| believes, will sweep the country This
was the central thought of PETERS ut
terances on the political outlook to-
day with United Press reporter In
cidentally, the Kansas Senator sharply
| criticised Taubeneck, the Chairman of
the Populist National Committee, for
the party manifesto issued by him in
st. Louis a few days snce.
This manifesto he said was in
the nature of an appeal signed by
Faubeneck and other gentlemen, advss-
ing our people to support Senator Teller
for the Presidency when the Populist
Convention meets. 1t was "a mistake
and it was wholly unauthorized The
leading idea of our people when we
formed our party was to bring about
ultimately a union of all the different
reform elements of the country in oppo-
sition to the power which is now recog-
nized by the term money power so
that we might be ready at any time to
Join forces with the other organiZa-
tionS which like US are in opposition.
But we want them to do what we have
done-stand with the present organiza-
tiCn, so that together we may form one
party which will combine these various
elements of opposition. If the silver
democrats and silver Republicans meet
US on that ground, we ought in turn to
make an equal advance, and by com
bining form a solid organization against
the common enemy. For / believe that
all the signs of the times indicate that
the gold men, Republicans and Demo-
Gratis, will unite to defeat the silver
movement.
Il think also that our party should
maintain its present organization SOL
| idly until some arrangement can be
| made to make any change permanent
| We could form an offensive and defen-
! sjve organization with the old line Dem
/ ocrats favoring silver in the North
west, and still keep our several organi-
| cations intact. In that way we could
/ hiing all the strength of the silver
! party to bear in the Electoral College -
hen asked if this would not be tanta-
mount to indorsing the Democratic
! ro1ninee Senator PETER said: mo; 1t
would operate this way, and take States
/ Ike those IN the Northwest, the Dako-
/ tas, Kansas, Colorado. Nevada and 9TH
/ ers in that region, where the Demo-
1 cratic vote is very light at the best.
| There we would have only Populist
| electors, because the Democrats are not
sufficiently strong to change the polit-
! ical complexion of the vote. In some of
/ the Southern States, where there are
! more Democrats than Populists there
| could be a mixture of electors repre-
senting both elements in proportion to
| their voting strength, with the under
| standing that the solid electoral vote
be cast whichever way it could be made
! the most effective in deciding the cleo
| ton for President. / see no other way
| to maintain our separate organizations
and get combined strength against
the Republican candidate"
I'm that event who would be seated,
| the Populist or the Democratic nomi-
nee?"
That" replied Senator Peffer, "is a
matter of detail which could be settled
after the election
Under the circumstances could you
| defeat Mckinley?"
| Il shall not say that doubt it, but
| fear 1t would not be successful / do
not believe that such a policy would
bring out anywhere near the full vote
of the silvsrites. 1t would put the ap-
pearance Of division, and that alone
would deter a good many who would
support single organization, national
| in its character. Hence I say the i'm
! portance of union of all the silver
! forces in one body IL we can secure
! such an organization we shall carry
| the election
TAUBENECK SILENT.
! ST. LOUIS, June 25.-Chairman II.
| L. Taubeneck of the Peoples party de-
clines to say word respecting Senator
/ PETERS harsh criticism of his course
in putting out the recent Teller circular
1t is expected that Taubeneck will make
a reply in a few days, in which he will
show that the circular was authorized
by the Executive Committee of the Peo-
| pies party.