Hutchinson gazette. [volume] (Hutchinson, Kan.) 1895-1902, 1896-01-16
POPULISTS POSITION
Throws the Responsibility on
the Republicans.
WE HOLD THE BALANCE
OF Power and Will Use 1t, Says
Senator Allen of Nebraska.


scheme outlined by the republicans was
adopted, 1t gives that party control
Of legislation in that body, and also fix
es upon it the responsibility for action
or non-action The Senate - cOmpOs-
ed at present of AZ Republicans, 80
Democrats. and populislS. The vete
on reorgan ZatiOn Sas: Yaas, 30; nays,
70. The POpu'is's declined to vote
Their reasons for adopting this corrss
are best stated by Senator Allen, of Ne
braska, IN his remarks 10 the Senate af
ter the vote was taken. He said:
mr.. President, it is due to the Pop
ulisL party. represented IN this cham
Der, thai a very brief statement lis TO
their position be- made TO the Senate.
During the Fifty-thiId Congress 1t
was very common for Republican Sem
atOrs and Democratic Senators To class
iiv us as democratic POpulSts" and
Republican Popullsts,' respectively.
The classification was altogether I'M
proper. 1t is due to the Senate and 10
the country to state that the POpulist
party, while not numbering great
many in thus chamber, yet are as thor
oughly and completely party Organi-
cation as either the ID AmOcrAtic or the
Republican party. We want it dis
tinctly understood by the Senate and
by the country that we ave no p Ilitic-
al affiliations whatever with either Of
the old parties. While our personal re-
latiOns with Senators on both sides Of
the chamber ere what they should be,
yet, so far as our political principles
and our political sJlLpathies are con.
cerned, we are just as adverse to being
known rs Democratic POpullsts' or
Republican POpulists' as either of the
old parties are to being known as hay
ing any tendency to PoDulism.
when this Congress convened we
realized that there was clear ma jOrity
in the Senate 10 favor Of the free and
unlimited coinage of silver. We bellev
ed that Senators who declared themsel-
yes in favor OF silver meant what they
said, and that they were not Democrats
first and silver men second, or Repub
licans first and silver men next, but
we believed that they sincere, and that
that were perfectly willing to unite in
bringing about the passage of free sill
yer measure in this body. TO that end
we promptly sent ont letters to every
man in this chamber who had declared
himself in favor of free silver, inviting
Senator's, regardless Of their political
affiliations, to meet in a caucus and or
ganiZe the Senate upon free silver lines
With the exception of two or three Sen
atOrS, no one was there but the mem
Ders of the Populist party. When it
came to the question of the reOrganiZa-
ton of the Senate. we fell that rs
matter of policy It was due to our party
thaNwt take TO part in it whatever.
We felt that the Republican party, AS
between the Democratic party and it,
self, was in the ascendency here. We
felt as though the responsibility for the
legislation of Congress- should pass to
the Repub lean party as speedily as pos
lble, AID that the country should un
derstand that the Republican party is
now in the majority. in both branches
Of Congress. and is therefore RESPONSE
BILE for legislation in the future. We
felt that it was due to ourselves as
party that we take no hand whatever
in organizing the Senate, aud that we
,hould refrain from voting, permitting
the Republicans and Democrats to set
tie the question between themselves,
| want to repeat, Mr.. President, 50
that no man, woman, or child in this
country may misunderstood what is
said that the POpulist party in this
country is distinct political entity
having its organizations in every
State and territory in the union,
having q vote within 100000 of the
lumber tnat landed Mr. Lincon in the
Presidency in 1861. We are distinct
OrganiZat on, and purpose to maintain
cur organization throughout this and
future Congresses.
1--WE could pursue ore of two courses.
That was plain to any man. We could
vote either against the adoption of this
resolution, and by that means join
our forces to the Democratic party,
which we did not propose to do, or we
could refuse to vote, ana by our mega
tive action of course we could permit
the Republican party to take charge Of
this chamber. We saw fit TO do the lat
ter. Evil was the result either way
flaughterl, and we chose what we con-
sidered tue lesser evil
Let me say, MI President, in all
kindness and all fairness, the Demo |
cratic party has proven itself absolute
ly incapable of legislation. 1t came in
to this chamber in March 1898. with "A !
clear majority of its own, not relying in |
the slightest degree upon the POpulist
vote.
II never undertook to do anything
in better faith in my life than | dlG .
when came into this chamber to sup
port ihe reform movements Of Mr..
Cleveland. ! did not care whether he 1
was a Democrat, q Populist, Repub !
Scan. Pr.hlbltlUnist. or what he wa,
Ir lie c0uld give The home Of this cum F.
try relief rs he prOtessrd he cOuiilan .
wtWld. / was Tor SIR. Cipyel1rd art.
gsr has measures. The DemOcralicpar
ty claimed 90 he for ,lul reform. !
hrli"vc IN tafiG reform myself; %
''.rs in iiE'ta.lH .hH rurd"~7Hl g."
ai;on urog The poop % ,.- rf.Ei.
,ra.a ,i.-i. -.sufpc.u gA. ..le thr So.
ate Tor ITS e'rsiifri1r; t W. IH"'
10 both ends aH5 30 the center "r.
,a.,. .tsn il % vl;H r,I5r Hll w.
fcu FORM Every time m'aslls u"s
been u..Jllc-i here "I.sh I1'tf'."