The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-05-21
They Think That Their Original
Tariff Plank Will Prove
a Trump.
WILL TAKE IT TO ST. LOUIS.
The Party Has Learned to Be Wary
of Combinations, and These Are
Doubtful Yet.


lating themselves and each other on what
they regard as the hawless and somewhat
brilliant work of that body, sizing up the
public effect of their labors and laying
plans for campaign operations.
+. NJ. Wardall, the vigorous, sensible,
devoted and shrewd farmer of Monrovia,
Los Angeles County. who was reelected
chairman of the State Central Committee
for the third time, is in the City and will
remain here throughout the campaign.
On June the executive committee will
m eet at the Essex-street home of John C.
Gore, arrange for permanent headquarters
and proceed to lend active assistance to
the congressional campaigns in the First,
Second and Seventh districts in which
nominations for Congress have already
been made. Not much else will be done in
the way of campaign work until after the
Popullst National Convention in st. Louis,
July %.
Chairman Wardan talked Yesterday
about the prospects of the party in Cali
fornla, as he sees them. He said that the
party would poll an immensely increased
vote this year, and he told why.
Slnce the convention ad journed," said
Mr.. ardall, 1--WE have organized the ex-
ecutive committee and l have appointed
committee on finance consisting of John
Z. Gore OF San Francisco, j. NJ. Moore of
Alameda and John 5. Dore of Fresno
"Our campaign fund will come from pop-
ular contributions. The convention ar
ranged Tor a fund of $40 900, which the
counties are to raise by voluntary assess
ment, the amounts to be proportional to
the Webster vote. Most of the counties
are pledged to this by their delegates, and
think that most OF it will be raised. We
have no other resources. Our people are
poor, We have no rich men or candidates
TO assess and must be economical.
The fund will be spent mainly on cam
| palgn literature and travelling expenses OF
speakers. This fund viii not be so very
large, but We conducted the campaign of
| 1884 ON less than 5000 ami we made that
| pretty warm"
! Mr.. Wardall and the rest of the Populist
leaders are very proud of their tariff plank
| declaring for protection which shall benefit
particularly the laborer and producer and
Tor non-partisan tariff commission. This
move is an original one of the California
Popullsts. No other State has touched
the tariff. Mr.. Wardall expects the plan k
to be adopted by the National Convent ton.
81 have been watching the effect of our
convention on the public" said the party s
general manager, "and | am satisfied that
we have struck the keynote, especially
with our stand on the tariff. Late in the
winter ] made an extended tour of the
III.
and realized that we could not sensib.y
hold another convention without making
| stand on the tariff question. The people
demand it. There is no considerab BILE mum.
Der OF real free trade people in the United
| States. We realized that the interests OF
the party demanded that we take conser-
vatlve and tenable position on the tariff-a
| tariff that would protect labor and produc.
ton and not the trusts. | have heard no
serious objections raised TO our tariff plank.
think it is manifestly in the interest of
| the party and that it will be adopted by
the National Convention.
mo other State has taken any ground
on the tariff, partly because nearly all OF
them Will hold second conventions at
which platforms will be adopted. We
have set the pace, as far as platforms are
! concerned. l lind an almost universal ex-
preston that we must devise tariff that
Will not make few millionaires at the ex-
pense at the people, and that the present
system is unscientitic. 1t does not take
Into consideration the low cost of labor
entering into the value of an imported ar
ticle. think this plank will appeal
! strongly to the mass OF American citizens.
think 1t will be approved by business men.
This year our strength will come
largely from the conservative business
men OF the State and to them we will
principally appeal during this campaign.
IL,
licans and Democrats, who happened TO
be together in this City, discussed the
! Popullst platform, and they agreed that
| they would support the Populist party ii
no disgraceful combinations were made.
Business men are in distress and discour-
aged at the outlook, and they largely turn
| 10 us because we advocate the free coinage
of silver and the issuance of money
enough to do the business of the country
with.
1--WE are this year appealing to the whole
| people and not to any class. We have
made no special appeal to the laboring
class, but their vote will largely come to
us. Many farmers, especially fruit-farmers
have been demanding statement of our
| position on the tariff, and they have got
it. They are heavily mortgaged, and the
tariff and financial questions appeal to
them as producers.
| 1.-THE prejudice against the Populist
party, which has existed owing to the i'm
preston that it was composed of lot OF
cranks and communists, mas largely dis
| appeared, owing to the fact that the so.
cial:sts are more radical than the Populists
and have united with the Socialist Labor
party, which will run a ticket OF its own.
81 think that the work of the convention
has been conservative and wise through
out, and that it appeals to all classes oil
| citizens. The party ls united and it is free
from boss rule, corrupt com binations and
efforts to get into Office at q sacrifice oil
principle. These are some of the reasons
why l believe our vote will be increased
enormously thisy year.
| 1--WE learned some things two years age
that we win profit by. One is to be careful
about combinations. The campaign will
be mainly one OF education. If we make
any com binations it will be after the last
two National conventlons-the Populis,
and silver ones.
at is too early to say anything abou,
| the prospects OF a combination with the
siiverites. 1t will depend on what the Re-
publican and Democratic conventions dc
with the financial question and then on
what is jointly done in st. Louis. If such
a union is effected we will carry the State
and San Francisco as well.
1.-The Prohibitonists, / think, are de.
termined to run q cam paign of their own,
There were no overtures from either side
during the conventions. We decided thai
the liquor question was something we die
not care TO handle. Most of the Poplllists