Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1896-06-19
FROM TAUBEN NECK.
HIS REPLY TO THE JOLIET
NEWS EDITOR.
The Position of tho Populist Party
Clearly and Periodically Put-Fusion
With Old Parties Would he an Inn
possibility.

National Chairman Taubeneck has
lent the following letter to JAS H.
Ferris, editor of the Joliet Qll.) News.
1t speaks for ITSELF
Jas. H. Ferris, Joliet. lii.
My Dear Sir:-Yours of the goth inst,
enclosing clipping from the Chicago
Record" containing press dispatch from
indianapolis dated May 10, giving what
is supposed to be the proceedings of
conference between the Indiana popu-
lists, bimetalists and silver democrats,
received yesterday. In reply will state,
that so far as headquarters and the
National committee are concerned, there
is not one word of truth in tha report.
1t is deliberate falsehood and fabri-
cation from beginning to end. If In
diana populists have gone into COM
bination of this kind, they have not
taken anyone in other states into their
confidence. No populist, bimetallist or
silver democrat, has ever mentioned
single word to me about combina-
ton as stated in the dispatch. You
must accept, with much allowance, any,
thing that comes from Indianapolis.
Twice before, and within the last year,
have fake statements and dispatches,
in which populists have figured, ema-
mated from that city. l repeat, as
have a hundred times before, that no
union of the reform forces can ever
be perfected in either of the old parties
l have spent too much time and labor
to get people to leave the old parties
and l shall not advise them to go back
regardless Of what their respective
parties may do. Populist editors and
populists in general must realize that
we cannot control the columns OF the
old party press. We have no way to
prevent them from publishing fake
statement. Anything that appears
along those lines, especially now when
there seems to be a breakup in the
ranks of the old parties, must be ac-
cepted with much allowance. 1t mat
tiers not what the democratic party
may do at Chicago, or what the bimet-
allists may do at St. Louis, or whether
they meet us at all, the peoples party
will hold a national convention July
20, make platform and nominate can
didates for president and vice-presi-
dent. Our convention will be con-
trolled by populists, and whatever is
done at that convention, will be the
word of the representatives of the peo-
pies party elected by the members Of
that party throughout the United
States.
This report from Indianapolis, in re-
gard to the populists endorsing the
nominees of the Chicago convention, is
on a par with the statements made
about one plank platform, or single
silver plank platform. There isn't
populist in the United States, so far
as l know who has ever advanced a
one-plank platform, still less single
silver plank platform. l never did, and
do not now, favor such platform. 1t
is no credit to a gentleman or popu-
list paper, to misrepresent the views of
others. The talk of selling out, con-
delegates, is downright insult to
every populist in the land. AS though
populists could be persuaded to do
something against their convictions
1t is humiliating to the peoples party
to have populist papers publish such
nonsense. II had no better opinion
of the average populist than these pa
pers express, would certainly give up
the contest as hopeless. l know the
populists are honest, and at our ma
tional convention, they will do that
which is best for the party and ouI
country. Every populist in the United
States has a right to express his opin-
ion as to what the platform should
contain. He also has right to work
and vote to select delegates who will
represent his views in the national
convention. Anything short of this
means to throttle free thought and
free speech. The delegates to the ma
tional convention will do that which is
best for the party and our country as
the conditions confront us in 1896
That is, they will do that which is best
for the peoples party, and not for either
of the old parties. Whether the silver
organizations througout the United
States meet with us at st. Louis or not
will not in the slightest degree deter us
from pursuing some course as though
they had not called a convention for
the same date and place as ours. Nor
will the peoples party ever surrender
the principle that the government alone
has the right to issue the money,
whether is it gold, silver or paper, and
that all money must be a full legal
tender and not redeemable in coin.
Let the populists throughout the United
States elect good, honest, true, cool
and Deliberate men as delegates to the
national convention, and we need not
have the slightest fear as to the result.
The peoples party at it's national con-
vention will take care of itself regard
less of what the democrats may do at
Chicago. l have no time to enter into
a controversy with any member of our
party; no good can result from this.
Dissention in our ranks is the last
argument to win recruits. l am axi-
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