People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1896-10-29
APPEAL TO POPULISTS
State Committee Issues an Address
Urging Populists to Stand
by Their Ticket.
A Vote for the Midd1e-of-the-Road Ticket
Means Vote Wasted That Might
Have Done Some Good.

The Populist state committee ha,
issued an address to the populist voter:
In regard To The middle-Of-the-rOaC
ticket. 1t says, after reciting the his
tory OF the recent Watson trouble in
Kansas:
The republican party, seeing in this
union of the silver forces the sure de.
feat Of the Mckinley electoral ticket,
procured the services of certain so.
called "Middle-of-the.road Populists"
to create discOrd in the ranks of our
party and, if possible, divide the silver
vote, hoping thereby to secure the
election Of the Mckinley ticket.
In pursuance Of the agreement thus
entered into with the representatives
of the Republican state central
committee, these men attempted TO
secure by petition the nomination OF
the middle-Of-the-rOad Populist
electors. They failed TO find SOC
Populists in Kansas who would lend
themselves to this scheme Of the Re-
publican party. Failing in their
efforts, the work was taken up by
the Republican state committee and
Its representatives; by fraudulent
practices by forging the names of
voters, by entering upon their petition
fictitious names aud the names of
Observation-Disclosures they secured
the necessary signatures. and there
now appears upon tile Official ballot
the tl"Ket designated as the Middle
of-the- Road POpulist" ticket, bearing
at Its head the names of William j.
Bryan and Thomas E. Watson as
candidates for president and vice
president, but bearing as electors a
list OF ten names other ami different
than those nominated by your conyen.
tiOn at Abilene.
An effort has been made TO show
that these ten electors represent the
Peoples party Of Kansas. The effort
to do this has been carried on from
Republican headquarters and those
OF the SO-called middle.Of-the-road
headquarters as their services were
needed.
Your committee has at all times
treated Mr.. Watson with tie utmost
courtesy and respect. Every effort
was made to make his recent visit To
the state pleasant to him and profit.
able to the cause. but deceived by The
false representations of these emf.
SarloS Of Mark Hanna and relying I'D.
Oh their assertions that the Pupalists
OF Kansas We're in open revolt against
the action Of your convention al
Abilene, Mr.. Watson ignored youl
committee and telegraphed an order
TO the secretary of state to take hi.
name of your ticket. The Republican
secretary of state, Notwithstanding
that the name OF Mr.. Watson wa,
not to be voted for directly, but only
offered as part OF the party name
prostituted his Office to partisan use.
and refused to certify the ballet to the
county clerks as required by law unit
Mr.. WatsOn'S sworn statement coulC
be secured. The supreme court la.
decided that he has exceeded hi.
authority and Mr.. WatSOn'S name
appears upon our ticket under thu
regular party appellatiOn, People!
party ticket, not for the purpose o.
decelving anyone, but because ne il
the regular party nominee and hi
name forms a part Of the party plat
form.
Let no voter be deceived. A vott
cast for the middle-of.the-road tickle
will not be counted for either Mr.
Bryan or Mr.. Watson. 1t is a vot,
thrown away. 1t takes a vote away
from Mr.. Bryan and free silver and /,
in effect half vote for Mckinley anC
the gold standard. This is the Dur
pose Of the Republican managers, apC
is the service for which they are bear
ing the expense of the middle-of-the
road campaign managers.
In conclusion we desire to commend
to the voters Of Kansas the patriotic
utteranceS of Colonel S. F. Merton n
Chicago, the middle-Of-the.rOad candi
date for president at st. Louis.
j. W. Briedenthal, chairman; G. W
Harrington and ]. L. Simpson, First
district; Fl. S. Clark and Chris S
Ritter. Second district; ]. NJ. Aller
and NJ. L. Walters, Third district
Taylor Riddle and W. T. Upton
Fourth district; R. H. DOlan and DR.
Smith, proxy for D. E. Ballard, FIFTH
district; F. G. johnson and F. c. Ross
Sixth district; E. j. Westgate anC