The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1896-03-27
POPULISTS MEET.
State Convention Held at Hutchin-
son Resolved for Free Silver
TAUBENECK OF ILLINOIS IS THERE.

Simpson In State PolitiOs-Ex-Governor
LewslIing In the Lead-Ths Men
are Heroes Of the Day-Dons-
moro y . Delegate.
Hutchinson. Kan. March 19.0Spe
ctal)-The Popuiist state convention
called for the purpose Of electing ninty-
two delegates to the Populist national
convention at St. Louis, met here to-
day In the beautiful auditorium OF
Riverside Park.
Hutchinson treated them splendidly
and they seemed to fully appreciate 1t
Every reasonable courtesy was extend
ed to them and in justice to this city let
IT be said right here, that its people for
got or laid aside their partisanship and
INDUCED their splendid hospitality to
the fullest extent. Republicans and
Democrats walked side by side to re-
ceive the visitors and bid them welcome
to the city. Flags and bunting adorn-
ed the fronts of all the thrifty stores
and other business houses and unlike
Topeka, no mercenary purposes were
displayed.
The convention consisted Of 341 dele.
gates. as many more visitors and in the
afternoon fully 1000 people had seats
in the auditorium, including many
ladies. The Midland hotel was head
quarters and the landlords thereof did
themselves proud in the treatment and
entertainment they gave their guests.
Nearly all the big heavy men Of the
party were present and in a quiet way
a great deal of political medicine was
made. Taubeneck Of Illinois was, OF
course, the big man of the gathering.
He Is the chairman Of the PopuliSt ma
tiona1 committee and his visit to Kan
sas at this particular time is in the in
terest Of a practical fusion of the Popu-
lists with the Free Silver advocates at
the st. Louis convention. The special
and particular object of his visit was to
work for resolutions covering only one
issue and that issue was the free and un
limited coinage of silver; and to oppose
the re-adoption of, or q reiteration OF
faith in.- the Omaha platform
There was great deal Of state politi-
cal medicine mixed also. Governor
Lewelling and all the members of his
administration were present and so was
Harris of Leavenworth, ex-congress-
Man-at-large. The politicians of the
party are against Lewelling and for
Harris as a candidate for governor.
Lewelling, for all that, was praised and
doomed successfully and when he went
on the stand to speak he was received
with vociferous applause while there
was scarcely a ripple when Harris STEP
ped on the platform to read the resolu-
lions. The vote on candidates for dele
gates-at-large also showed how both
men stood. Mr.. Lewelling received
about forty votes more than Colonel
Harris. Harris friends claimed that
Mr.. Lewelling would not be strong
man because Of his defeat two years
ago, but Mr.. dwellings friends ably
oo$ {e NV nf
two years ago, which show that while
he was the responsible head of the party
in Kansas and anSwerable and liable
for the record 1t had made he polled
1000 more votes in the state than Harris
did and polled 800 more votes in Leav-
enWorth county, the home Of Harris,
than did Harris himself. This was
corker that the Harris men did not an
swer. An impartial onlooker could very
easily see that Mr.. Lewelling has met
with the same condition in the Populist
politics of the state that Mr.. Mckinley
has met with in the Republican politics
Of the nation. Lewelling, undoubtedly,
has the masses of his own people with
him while the politicians are agains+
him
Then. there Is Jerry Simpson at the
convention. The superstition here has
been recently that Jerry Simpson was
not such an idol Of Populism as he once
was, but that supposition was explod-
ed today when he went on the platform
to speak. The applause and tumultu-
Gus displays Of increased rather than
diminished popularity was decidedly
noticeable. The fact is that Simpson
had to make speeches in the convention
twice today. Lewelling and Simp-
son were the heroes Of the day all
though Senator Leedy Of Coffey county
made a better speech than either one
Of them.
It was II o'clock when John Brieden-
thai called the meeting to order. Bob
Semple read the call and Jerry Botkin
prayed.
On motion Of Lane Of Dickinson. c.
B. Hoffman Of Enterprise was elected
temporary chairman. He is bright.
brainy, sensible and yet a very modest
little fellow, but he has judgment
enough to preside over a national con-
vention. The entire convention was
mashed on the earnest and prompt
methods by which he governed the pro-
ceedings very harmoniously. D. c.
Zerher of johnson, Harry Frees OF Ellis
and P. ]. Yearout Of Lyon were elected
temporary secretaries.
In the absence Of Mayor Vincent. Mr..
Marion Watson, editor of the Saturday
Bee, and president Of the council. de-
livered the following address Of well
come:
ADDRESS OF WELCOME.
Mr. Chairman and Gentlemen OF the
Convention-Owingt to the unavoidabl
absence Of Mayor Vincent, 1t devolves
upon me to express to you the pleasure
we feel in being honored by the pres
ence Of such a body Of the representa-
tive men Of one Of the great political
parties of Kansas.
We are glad to have you with us. and
we hope your Stay may be pleasant
and your deliberations characterized
by harmony and wisdom. We are all
Kansans first and partisans afterward.
and it is the just pride OF every one to
feel that whatever delegation goes out
to represent this state in any national
gathering Of great men, shall tower
Hike giants Of intellect, integrity and
loyalty among the representatives OF
any other state.
You meet today in a entative
city Of Kansas built within the last
quarter Of a century by the indon1fta-
BILE energy of her people We have 10
Gated here q great manufacturing In
dustry that needs yet awhile the fos-
tering care Of national legislation. II
| Is an American industry in which
American labor and American capital
alone are interested The hundreds OF
| laborers at the salt works here are
| looking to you today for word OF en-
enlargement They believe the Amer
lean iaborer Is the peer OF any Of Gods
creatures, and that his wages should
| never be gagged by the pittance paid
| by foreign corporations to q dependent
/