The San Francisco call., 1896-07-23
ARE NOT To
Be CAJOLED.
Populists Who Oppose the
Schemes of Bryan
Boomers.
BITTER CONTEMPT OF
SILVERITES.
Joseph Asbury Johnson Tells OF
the Disgusting Tactics OF
Bulldozers.
BUT HE YET HOPES FOR AN
HONORABLE UNION.
Base Insinuations of Democrats That
Will Not Bring Forth Good
! Results.
BUT HE YET HOPES FOR AN
HONORABLE UNION.
Base Insinuations of Democrats That
Will Not Bring Forth Good
Results.
THE CALI's HEADQUARTERS,
uO1rr TINnETT
HOTEL LlNDEbL,
ST. LOUIS, Mo-, July %.

TO its close The two great conventions
Populists and Silverites, have met and
formed temporary organizations and
opening addresses have been made. That
by Senator Butler of North Carolina. as
temporary chairman of the Populist con-
yention, / have heard; that of Congress
man NewIands, as temporary chairman
of the Silver convention, have read in the
evening papers. Assured that the readers
of THE GALL, with these speeches scrutin-
izing attention, my comments will be ap-
preciated. This is the only passage in
which Mr.. Newlands could be understood
as having made even the slightest refer
ence to the Peoples party:
''While it would have been wiser to con-
fine the Democratic platform (meaning to
have confined it) to issues concerning
which bimetallists would not differ, thus
securing the complete unifcation of all
the silver forces, yet simple question is
presented to sincere bimetallists through
out the country, and that is whether they
will permit differences as the non-essen-
tial issues to divide them, thus insuring
the defeat of our common cause, or
whether, preserving their independence Of
conviction and action as to non-essentials,
they shall accept the brilliant leader whom
the Democracy has named and uniting
all the silver forces wherever organized
into one invincible army, march to victory
in November next"
1t is by no means certain that he in
tended to make any reference, however in
definite and ambiguous, to the Peoples
party. l think he did not. If he did, he
broke through the policy pursued by
Bryan shouters from the nominations at
Chicago to the present time. The only
way in which have heard or seen Popu-
lists alluded to in this city is in terms of
absolute contempt and the lowest form of
criminal slander by Organized Populists
of the Senator Allen type and silver bull
dozers of every type. If personal refer
ence here is permissible l wish to place on
record the fact that l have strenuously
urged the DUTY On our way here, and on
many occasions since we became the vic
tins of the political cyclone which RACES
here by day and by night-a duty of the
most august and overmastering character
of seeking In patience and fortitude Of
soul for union of all the true reform
forces, by means obtainable on honorable
terms and after our platform is formulated
and adopted, to remain here week longer,
if found necessary, to secure such union.
With perhaps single exception, mean
Judge Daggett of Visalia. / am sure all
our delegation share this desire and hold
to this purpose. And yet it is great
strain on the magnanimity of self-respect-
ing Populists to hold on patie ntly under
contumely and brazen effrontery grossly
thrust upon them in the newspapers and
in all public places. If we Populists are
to be traitors to our oppressed people and
be classed in history as bigoted partisans-
if we don't accede to the demand made by
Democrats to accept their plan for saving
our suffering people and our imperiled
country by giving up our party and all its
principles and go over at once to Democ-
racy and its new-found silver issue
we alone are to be responsible for the
election of Mckinley on a gold platform if
we insist that we shall have anything to
say as to the terms on which we shall con-
sent to accept Mr.. Bryan as our Presiden-
tiaI candidate stood for an hour to hear
Senator Allen lay down the law to Popu-
lists and name the penalties for failure
to obey it.
If we decline to rush at his bidding into
the Bryan camp, it is proof that we have
seen Mark Hanna's agents or are await
ing to see them. can recall no occasion
in my life when my soul was assaulted,
my manhood assailed, my convictions
outraged and my indignation so wrath
fully aroused as while listening 10 these
unmanly, dishorable and unprovoked
charges fall from the lips of a man whom
Populists have felt SO proud to honor and
who was but few days since their first
choice for the Presidency. This is not the
way that leads to union. In free and frank
conversation with Senator Jones of
Nevada, after urging the madness and
folly of thus assailing Populists who can
not be cajoled, driven or slandered into
submission, or insulting and insolent de-
mands of Democracy and their no less Of
fensive silver allies, l put the case to him
in these words:
Suppose that after the nominations at
Chicago a committee of 100 of the broad
est-minded and bggest-hearted men in the
Democratic convention had been appoint
ed and authorized to meet the two great
silver-honoring conventions here in St.
Louis and ask US to try to meet them on
terms of equality and fairness and find
some common ground for an honorable
union as allies against common foe, if ne
thought the situation would not now be
one of peace and harmony and union as
inevitable as it is Imperative
With prompt frankness he exclaimed {:
'sThat is just what should have been done,
and if we fail of union it will be due to
this damnable and inexcusable blunder
and the present offensive attitude of the
Democracy"
can write no more tonight. All of our
delegation are in excellent health.
JOSEPH AsBURY JOHNSON.