The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-03-19
Are for the Old Platform, But
Would Like Combination.
TILLMAN is CHEERED
Frank DOster Makes a Bril-
liant Speech.
Breidenthal, Harris, Lewelling
and Doster, Delegates.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. March 19.-As a
result of the Populist State conven-
ton ninety-two delegates will go from
Kansas to the national convention
solid for an alliance, a combination or
a fusion under some name with all the
so-called reform and silver parties,
factions and elements They will
stand on the Omaha platform, but
they will be willing to let all but the
financial plank rest in the background.
The delegates at large are ex-Gov-
ernor L. D. Lewelling of Wichita,
Chairman John w. Breidenthal of
Topeka, ex-Congressman w. A. Harris
of Linwood, Judge Frank Foster of
Marion.
Chairman Taubeneck of the national
committee said that the action of the
Kansas popuIists would add 1000, 900
votes to their ticket.
The delegates go without an ex-
pressed choice for president, but if
Zen Tillman walks out of the Demo-
cratic party. he is the choice of the
Kansas POpulIsts. That is what they
are hoping for.
Ex-Congressman Harris seemed to
have the call for Governor
c. b. Hoffman of Enterprise was
made temporary chairman, and while
the convention waited for the reports
of committees the time was filed in
with speeches by Lewelling. Doster,
Jerry Simpson, Scott, Botkin and
others
Lewelling was applauded when he
said there must be no quarrel between
Populists and the silver men at st.
Louis He referred to Ben Tillman as
a candidate for President and the au-
dience was enthusiastic. His refer
ence to Tillman as John the Baptist
coming out of the wilderness" was
cheered again and again.
Frank Doster, of Marion, was the
next speaker. He said: 1--WE are
called calamity howlers- 1t is said
that our political stock in trade is
woes and lamentations. You know
our mortgages stand for our prosper
ity. But we can't keep up a SORROW
full strain always. There are some
things upon which we may congra tu-
late ourselves. 1t is gratifying that
this great so-called Republican pros
perity has not prevented you from
coming here. Not one of you has
come on a railroad pass, and none of
Neither MA. Low nor Tom Anderson
nor Bailey Waggener nor A. II. Hor-
ton nor George R. Peck nor A. A.
Hurd is here to guide and direct your
deliberations. Every man here has
convictions upon the great questions
And you have the courage to de-
clare these convictions. We believe
without fear in the free coinage of
silver at 16 to /; we are in favor of all
those things which our distinguished
ex-governor has just low spoken of.
We are not in sympathy with that
pot bellied man of Maine who says
DO nothing;' nor with the one-idea
man of Ohio, nor with the no-idea man
of Iowa, who says Me, too; nor with
the whole line of jackasses from John
Ingalls, and Morrill, down to F. B.
Dawes, who bray out meaningless
platitudes about bimetallism."
1t was 4 o'clock when the COM
mittees were ready to report. The
committee on permanent organization
made Harrison Kelly permanent chair
man. The resolu tionS were read by
ex-Congressman Harris and adopted
without a dissenting vote, and here
they are:
Reafirming our faith in the Peoples
party and it's principles, we invite the
alliance and cooperation of all reform
elements of the State and nation to
the end that a union of all voters may
be formed to oppose the gold standard
and the European level of prices. We
call the attention of the American
people to the fact proven by many
trials that changing from one old
party to the other has brought no re-
lief from the burdens under which the
people are struggling, but that on the
contrary, conditions have constantly
grown worse and we ask all lovers of
their country to unite with US in our
honest and earnest effort for relief
We believe that all the money of
the country, whether coin or paper,
should be issued by the government
and not by corporations or by individ-
uals.
We demand the free and unlimited
coinage of both gold and silver at the
ratio of l6 to 1, independent of the
action of any other nation, and we be-
lieve that the United States is capable
of maintaining such a financial sys-
TEN as will promote the prosperity of
its own people, without asking the
onsent of any other government.
We demand that the constitutional
right of trial by jury shall be extend
ed to every form of action, whether
civil or criminal, and we denounce the
trial of our citizens by injunction and
contempt proceedings without the
right of trial by jury as contrary to
the spirit of our constitution.