The representative., 1896-05-20
SOME PARTY HISTORY
Speech Delivered by Hon. e. Evans,
Chairman of the National Conn
mittee of the National
Reform Party,
AT THE PIrTsBURG CONFERENCE. MARCH
18th, 1895.
CONTINUED from last weekly

as ourselves. A conference OF relOrmerS
was first held in the city of Buffalo, July
lst, 1887. DR.. Gushing, Rev. c. H. ST. John,
Rev. George r. Burnsides, and number
of eminent reformers were present ana
took part in the discussion although they
were not known as such at the time.
Two subsequent conferences were held at
Syracuse. These were merely state con-
ferenceS. Finally a national conference
was called to meet at Weber Music hail,
Chicago, in 1889, at which a committee
was appointed with instructions to issue
an address to the American people, and to
call national conference at some central
city. The address was issued and the call
for national conference to be held at ST.
Louis, Sept. ana 4, 1890 There were Is
states represented at that conference,
composed of men and women prominent
in reform work from North, South, East
and West. A national committee of one
from each state represented was appoint
ed, but from the carelessness, or incom-
potency of some of the leaders, perhaps
Doth, no further work was done along the
line of a union of reform forces, until last
June when the New York Voice issued
call for what was afterwards called the
Staten Island conference.
This conference met on the 29th day of
June, 1895, and was fairly attenoed. The
program was quite elaborate, covering a
variety of subjects, but was singularly re-
miss in the way OF setting forth any spe-
viz: the union Of reform forces.
This singular deficiency was early dis
covered by such person as Hon Gideon
I. Stewart of Ohio, DR.. j. j. Taylor Of
Philadelphia, Mrs. M. Freeman Gray OF
San Francisco, CAL, Hon. 7. b. Wakeman
OF New York, myself and others.
1 said to Mr.. E. j. Wheeler, of the Voice.
p What is the matter of our occupying the
forenoon Of each day with an informal
conference to discuss plans and methods
looking to the union OF reform forces. He
said there was nothing to prevent it. 1
then asked him if he woulu announce to
the conference at the close Of the evening
session on Saturday. these words: "All
those who are in favor of union of re-
form forces will please meet in this audi
torium Monday morning, 10 o'clock
sharp"
This led to the active work which re-
suited in the issuing Of what has since
been called 1.-The Staten Island basis Of
union," and although brief and some
what crude, has attracted more attention
and caused more favorable comment by
the public press than any document that
has been issued for many years.
l had the honor OF being elected chair
man OF the committee appointed by that
conference which first authorized the COM
mittee to call national conference at
Chicago or some other central city OF the
nation, between then and March /, 1896,
some "wiseacres> discovered, or thought
he discovered that such a movement as
was contemplated BODIED no good to the
Prohibition party as a party, but was
likely to disintegrate not only it but all
minor parties in the country.
They therefore, to tie the hands of the
committee secured the passage of a res
olution which deprived it of all the liberty
of action and compelled it to simply re-
quest the national committee of other par
ties to appoint a committee of three from
each whose duty it would be to cOnfa ar with
each other, and possibly call union con-
ference. I Immediately wrote Chairman
Taubeneck of the Peoples Party, and
urged action in the matter. He very
courteously declined taking any official ac-
ton, but stated that should a conference
be held he would endeavor to be present
as a spectator. After this I took run
through some of the Northwestern states,
for the purpose of sounding the leaders of
the Prohibitionists and Populists regard
ing the contemplated union. I found not
one dissenting voice coming from all those
| whom I saw. I subsequently attended
| the meeting of the national committee of
| the Prohibition party at Chicago, Dec.
| H. 1895, hoping that / would be permitted
| in person to present the matter of the ne
| cessity of the union of reform forces be-
| fore that body. Chairman Dickie refused
| to let me be heard until after the vote
| which was denied by a vote of 81 to 16.
| This of course ended the work of theSta-
| ten Island committee, and so the commit
| tee was called off.
| then early turned my attention to the
| "Pttsburg movement" as it was called,
| and found there were an earnest lot Of
men and women engaged in the movement
| who were seeking to bring about the
! same reformation in politics and parties
that 1 had been working for for the last
| 10 or II years. l wrote to New York to
find out something more about them, and
| was told that they did not amount to
much, that they were sort Of an offshoot
| of the national reform association" that
| had been trying to get God into the con-
| stitution for over a quarter OF century
! and in substance that 1 had better not
bother with them. This statement COM
ing as it did from some Of those who had
| by their negligence been chiefly instru-
| mental in breaking down the work of the
| Staten Island committee. l of courst re-
ceived the advice with large anna mt ol
suspicion that the statement was made fol
| the purpose of breaking down every
movement that did not lead directly into
the Prohibition camp.
| Acting upon these impressions I con-
tinued my correspondence with Secretary
| Swoger which led up to my full identif1
cation with this conference movement
and am here to do all can to promote
the work of the conference, and if posi-
BILE bring about the mobilization of the re-
form forces of the United States through
it.
Edmund Burke once said when ba6
men combine, the good must associate
| or else they will fall, one by one, an unpit
led sacrifice in contemplate struggle
am satisfied that for us to go on witt
this mighty struggle with the great money
and liquor powers and the other eneme:
all combined against us, while our force:
are scattered into little bands and squads
no party of which, save one-the Populis
Party, have even polled one-third Of th
increased vote of the United States In an!
national contest, is utterly futile. This L
an appalling fact. The Prohibition part.
has been before the country since 1872 ant
vet the highest vote it has ever polle(
is only about 10000 out of a voting popu
lation Of over 100000. After quartz
of a century of heroic struggle with sucl
ers Of these parties listen to a littl,
friendly advice?
| The people who compose this conferenc
| I understand came from every party II
the United States. There are the Demo
Gratis and Republicans, Prohibitionists
Populists, Socialists and Single Takers
This is as it should be.
Forty years ago the great struggle OF
| the slave question found the people di
| vided much the same as they are today
We had then, as Brother Copp so tersel.
put it, Abolitionists, Freesoilers, Barn
burners, Anti Nebraska Democrats
Knownothings, Squatters Sovereignty
anti-Mason, Crittenden Compromisers
etc. These finally combined to form tn
Republican party forty years. We hav