Kansas City daily journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1892-1897, 1896-09-21
A VIGOROUS PROTEST AGAINST THE
ABILENE sELLOUT.
PRINCIPLE TRADED FOR PIE.
A DIsGRACEFUL FUNK ON THE
PART OF PLACE HUNTERS.
PopuIism Receives It's Severest Blow
i'm the State of Its Birth-Fusion
in All the Other States
Was on a Fair
Basis.

Topeka. Kas, Sept. co-(Speclal) Kan
sas was the birthplace of the Populist |
party" said one of the middle-of-the-road
leaders to the Journal correspondent tc-
night. commencing away back in the |
days of the old Greenback party, and pro- |
crossing through the organizations known
as the Anti-Monopoly and Union Labor
parties up to the days of the Farmers Al
lance. Kansas has fought for some politi-
cal principles which have gradually but
steadily become of national Importance and
recognition. Here it was that the first
Peoples party government on earth held
sway for a period, and here. of all places
on earth, that party should stand boldly
forth for the principles which were born
within its environments. Commencing
with but handful of voters. we have seen
our party grow and thrive until 1t has be-
ccme a power in the land. The same devo-
tion to principle which gave US birth. and
watched at the cradle as we grew. would
ultimately triumph at national election
81 unswervedly adhered to, and it is al
most appalling that, in the very hour of
our strong hope, the Kansas party should
turn traitor to those principles for brief
siesta at the pie counter.
Leaders Ready to Sell Out.
"At the very beginning of this campaign
1t became evident that some of the Popu-
list leaders of Kansas were ready to sell
out. body and soul, to the Democratic
party for the sake of a little officeholding.
At the conclusion of our national conven-
ton at st. Louis. where it was decided to
maintain our national character by sup
porting Populist candidate for vice pres
ident, number of the Kansas leaders
rushed into print with interviews which
declared that so far as Kansas was con-
cerEed the action of the national con-
vention was a sham and humbug. l.. D.
Lewelling, Colonel w. A. Harris, Jerry
Simpson. W. L. Brown, w. A. PETER and
others of the Kansas delegation to the
st. Louis convention appeared sipultane-
ously in the Kansas City papers with the
statement that Kansas Populists would
pay no attention to the edict Of the ma
ticnal convention, but would support Mr..
Sewsll. the Democratic nominee for vice
president. They had formed the deliberate
purpose of transferring the Populist party
oodily into the Democratic camp, and
their reward was to be Democratic support
for the little offices to which they were
aspiring within the state.
I'm pursuance of this purpose, the Abb
lene agreement was ihatched up and hur-
ried through without full understanding
of its disgraceful purporr' by the great
hody of delegates there assembled. The
so-called agreement was simply a surrend-
er to the Democrats, befogged with some
talk about the Democrats coming to US
upon certain contingencies. which was
solely intended to deceive the honest vot-
ers present.
The Proper Name for II.
1.-THE whole performance was humbug,
and the men who engineered the betrayal
OF Mr.. Watson would have commanded
higher respect If they had confessed the
truth and labeled that agreement Articles
of transfer of the Kansas Populist party
to the Democrats
Even assuming that it was wise politics
and no abrogation of principle to enter into
a fusion with the Democrats the kind of
fusion consummated was the worst which
could possibly have been devised, for II
Union which accomplished a fusion at this
election made better terms for the Popu-
lists than Kansas. Here. where the party
was born and where It has grown to great
er strength than in any other state, II
might have been expected that a fusion
could have been dictated which would have
had some elements Of fairness. Instead OF
our 11s,OoO voters demanding fair division
on the national ticket from the 26, 200 Demo.
bidding OF a lot of of1ceseekers. Little
states which do not command one 1.-THE OF
the Populist vote in Kansas forced divis.
ion of the presidential electors on equal
terms. In order more fully to understand
the disgraceful betrayal of the Populis,
party in Kansas. let me give you the terms
of fusion in some of the other states In
which the Populist vote does not reach
near the proportion it does in Kansas:
Fusion Deals in Other States.
''In California four of the nine elector.
were given to Watson and were named b!
the Populist state convention.
''In Illinois. the Populists named foul
electors for Watson.
'.In Iowa, the Populists named three ou
of the thirteen electors.
IN Michigan, three electors were givel
TO the Populst party at the demand of th'
state convention.
"In Minnesota, the Populists asked fo
four electors and received them.
"In Missouri, we asked for four elector
and they were granted by acclamation.
TN Montana. We have been granted NOR
than half of the total number of electors
In Nebraska we asked for and receive,
four of the electors.
I'm New York, We were readily granite
five Watson men. and there are said to b
ten on the ticket who will vote that way.
''In North Dakota. We were granted a
equal division OF the electors.
In Ohio. We were given five Watso
men, which was all our convention aske
for.
I'm Oregon, We named all of the presl
Dental electors and the Democrats indors
ed them.
I'm Pennsylvania, we have four Populis,
and Watson men on the electoral ticket
IN South Dakota, we have all of til
electors.
In Washington, there was an equal d
vision of the electors. .
In Wisconsin. the Populists named thrt
of the electors.
I'm number of other states the Pol
ulists have been permitted TO name Wa
son electors. but / have not the eXa,
figures at hand and therefore will not a
tempt 10 estimate the number.
The Kansas Give-Awny.
..You will discover by this that Kansa
polling the largest Populist vote of any
them. is almost alone in the Union of stat
in not even attempting to carry out Z
will of our national convention. Eve
eiector in Kansas is a Democrat of {
bourbon stripe Not one of them is
Tom Watson. Not one OF them is Pop
at t.~lI Vltst tyns IN