The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1896-05-27
TAUBENECK SPEAKS.
The National Chairman of the Peo-
pies Party Defines His
Position,
A Denunciation Of False Reports
Calculated to Injure the
Party.

The following Is a letter written bv
Chairman Taubeneck to the editor of the
Joliet Qll) News, in reply to an INQUIRY
regarding fake dispatch recently sent
out from Indianapolis:
Chas. III. Ferris, Joliet. Ill.-Mv Dear
Sir: Yours of the Goth inst, enclosing clip
ping from the Chicago Record, contain
ing press dispatch from INDIANAPOLIS.
dated May 10, giving what is supposed to
De the proceedings of a conference between
the Indiana Populists, Bimetallists and
entertainments, received yesterday. In
reply will state that so far as headouart-
ers and the National Committee are con-
cerned, there Is not one word of truth
IN the report. 1t is q deliberate falsehood
and fabrication from beginning to end.
II Indiana Populists have gone into a
combination of this kind, they have not
taken any one in other states into their
confidence. No Populist Bimetallist or
Silver Democrat has ever mentioned q
single word to me about combinatio
as stated in the dispatch.
you must accept, with much allowance
anything that comes from indianapolis.
twice before, and within the last year,
nave fake statements and dispatches, in
Whlch Populists have figured, emanated
from that city. I repeat, as / have hun
dred times before that no union of the re-
form forces can ever be perfected in either
OF the old parties. / have spent too much
S.A.AS oio AoOoI " get people leave the
ola parties and l shall not advise them to
go back regardless of what their respective
parties may do. Populist editors and Pop
ullstS In general must realize that we
can not control the columns of the
old party press. We have no way to pre-
vent them from publishing fake state
ments. Anything that appears along those
lines, especially now when there seems to
De a breakup in the ranks with much al
ioWance. 1t matters not what the Demo-
cratic party may do at Chicago or what
the Bimetallists may do at ST. Louis, or
whether they meet us at all; the Peoples
Panty will hold National Convention
July ~, make a platform and nominate
candidates for President and Vice Presi-
dent. Our Convention will be controlled
Dy PopullstS, and whatever is done at that
Convention will be the work of the repre-
sentatives of the Peoples party elected by
the members of that party throughout the
United States
This report from Indianapolis in regard
to the Populists indorsing the nominees Of
the chicago Convention, Is on par with
the statement made about a one plank
platform, or a single silver plank platform
There isn't a Populist in the United
states, so far as l know, who has ever adj
Vocated one-plank platform, still less q
single silver plank platform. I never did.
ana 40 not now, favor such platform
IL is no credit to a gentleman or 4
Popul1st paper to msrepresent the views
OF Others. The talk of selling out, con-
trolllng state conventions and state dele
gates is a downright insult to every Popu-
list in the land. AS though Populists
could be persuaded to do something
against their convictions. 1t is humiliat-
ing to the Peoples party to have Populist
papers publish such nonsense. If 1 had
no better opinion of the average Populist
than these papers express 1 would certain
know the Populists are honest, and at our
national convention they will do that
which is best for the party and our coun-
try. Every Populist in the United States
has right to express his opinion 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 national
convention will do that which is best for
the party and our country as the condi-
tions confront us in 1896. That is, they
will do that which is best for the Peoples
party, and not either of the old parties.
Whether the silver organizations through
out the United States meet with US at ST.
Louis or not will not in the slightest
degree deter us from pursuing the same
course as though they had not called q
convention for the same date and place as
ours. Nor will the Peoples party ever
surrender the principle that the govern
ment alone has the right to issue the mon
ey, whether it is 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 deliber-
ate men as delegates to the national con-
vention, and we need not have the slight
est fear as to the result.
The Peoples party, at it's national con-
Ao1r
of what the Democrats may do at Chi
cagO. / have no time to enter into con-
trOversy with any member Of our party:
no good can result from this. Dissension
in our ranks is the last argument to win
recruits. I am anxious that our national
convention shall be a success in uniting
all the elements opposed to present condi-
tons We need every voter who is dssat-
isfied with the old parties. l repeat again,
that 50 far as the national committee is
concerned, this report from Indianapolis
is deliberate falsehood, manufactured
for the purpose of creating dssension in
our ranks. And, If it does create any dis
sension, the Populists will be responsible
for it. We ought not to let these reports
interfere with what is our duty toward
our country. Nothing would suit the Re-
publicans and Democrats so well as dis
sension in our ranks; especially now when
they know we will receive large follow
ing from their ranks in the South and
West. Yours for our cause.
H. E. Taubeneck.
u ~ A NJ A