The San Francisco call., 1896-05-14

county delegation be appointed a financial
board, with power to add to its mum Der
until every precinct in the State had at
least one member of this financial board.
he also recommended the Kansas picnic
plan.
J. L. Gilbert of Fresno made an eloquent
appeal to thu loyalty and generosity of
the assembIage.
Rev. W. G. Bowman of Los Angeles gave
revival flavor to the situation by preach
ing on the evils of money as a preliminary
to showing the members how they might
advantageously rid themselves of at least
tnat as Christ was the spiritual salvation
OF the world, so was the Peoples party to
be the political salvation of the American
Nation. Continuing. he said:
why, they talk of the American Pro-
tectlve Association! We need three pro-
tective associations to free and protect us
from the slavery we are held in by the
plutocracv of capitalists and monopolists.
l tell you, the Peoples party is the great
American protective party. pray you go
deep down into your pockets to support
this crusade against the enslavement of
the 100000 white slaves held in the
power OF the wealth-owners."
j. S. Dore of Fresno, on behalf of the
executive committee, pledged that body to
expend the $4,000 required for the next
campaign honestly and honorably.
The roll was called. and each county.
through its chairman, as it was an
nounced, pledged itself to contribute to
the campaign fund its proportion, based
on 20 cents for each Populist vote cast at
the last election. These amounts ranged
from $40 for Tuolumne to $1,000 for San
Francisco. Meanwhile, blank pledges as
follows were distributed among the dele
gates:
l agree to pay to the treasurer OF the State
Central Committee OF the Peoples party s.
per month from May 15 to November Is, 1896.
After all the counties had been pledged
the hat was passed around and coin and
pledges gathered in. This completed the
afternoon session, and an adjournment
was taken until z P. NJ.
1t was 7:30 O'Clock when the evening
session began. The work of considering
the planks of the platform seriatim was
continued. The anti-monopoly, anti
funding and the anti-Supreme Court
planks were adopted without debate.
On the reading of the plank protesting
against dishonest assessments an amend
ment in favor of the abolition of the poll
tax was adopted after B. Haskell had
talked himself red in the face in denun-
ciatory effort to make clear the objection
able character of the law governing the
collection OF taxes. The plank as amended
was then adopted.
No time was lost over the good roads.
unsectarian school, labor. graduated tax
and salary-reduction planks. Each was
adopted as read.
Then came the last plank-that on union
with reform forces at ST. Louis" AS ex-
pected, this precipitated hot debate,
albeit short. Scarcely had the reading of
it been concluded when E. F. Mcguire of
Alameda proposed an amendment strik-
,pf bo cor1fa far 10 n inr
Speaking to the amendment he asked:
"What does that clause mean? Are
there any other reform forces than the
Peoples party which work on the lines on
which we are working?'
He then registered his position as fol-
lows:
az am opposed to this convention pass
ing any resolution that will allow any
hole through which to crawl into coali-
ition with the silver or any other men. /
propose to stand squarely by the Omaha
platform"
]. NJ. C. Murphy of Shasta declared that
the resolution itself provided that there
should be no sacrifice of any of the prin-
ciples of the Omaha platform, and con-
tinued:
81 think that if the silver party will join
with US it is right for US to accept its
members. l am in favor of using all re-
form elements throughout the United
States if they will come to US and stand
on our platform. 1 say that there are
thousands of people who are not men,
bers of the Peoples party who want re-
form, and it is our duty to see that those
people come with US, for we have got the
best platform on Gods green earth."
M. M. wilkins, much to the surprise of
many of the delegates, spoke in favor Of a
union. He said:
II don't want fusion, but union on the
lines specified we do want. We want a
union of all honest people, and favor the
original resolution. l don't see what
more we ask than what this resolution sets
forth-union without sacrifice of prin-
ciples. / assure the gentlemen of the con-
vention that we who have been opposed to
fusion are we'll satisfied with this plank" +"
d. T. Fowler spoke in favor of the
original resolution, saying:
~ believe there is no word in this re-
solution that sacrifices one jot or little of
the principles of the Peoples party"
After few further remarks by other
delegates the amendment was defeated,
the last plank in the platform adopted,
and then the entire document was adopted
as a whole.