The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1896-10-30
COL. j. H. BURNHAM,
A Prominent POpulist, aud EIectOr for
State-at- Large,
Steps Down aud Out of Buchanan's Side
show.-Says stahlman is the Pow
er Behind the Throne.

er Behind the Throne.
FAYETTEVILLE, Oct. 24.-Col. J. H.
Burnham, one of the ablest men in
the Peoples party in Tennessee, and
elector for the State-at- Large, has
resigned from the ticket. Col. Burn
ham was impelled to this step by the
determined effort of Chairman
Buchanan and John H. Mcdowell
to lead the Populist party in Tonnes
see into the hands of the Republic
cans, in order that they might graft
fy their own selfish ends. Col. Burn
hams resignation has been. mailed
to Chairman Buchanan, The letter
reads, in part, as follows:
FAYETTEVILLE, TENN, Oct. %,
lS96.-Hon. John P. Buchanan,
Chairman Peoples party, Nashville,
Tenn.-Dear Sir: On the nomina-
ton of Messrs. Bryan and Watson
by the Peoples party at st. Louis, it
was understood between the leaders
of the Democratic party, then pres
ent, and the leaders of our party,
that fusion on the electoral ticket in
the several States was the only
feasible plan by which the respec-
tive parties could have the privilege
of expressing their choice for vice.
presidential candidate las between
Watson and Sewall,) and at the
same time not imperil the election
of Mr.. Bryan. This was the agree
ment of the leaders of the Demo-
cratic and Peoples party at st.
Louis.
"In September last 1 received two
letters, one from Senator Marion
Butler, Chairman of our National
Committee, and the other from Hon.
]. A. Edgerton, Secretary of that
committee, both to the same purport
that is, requesting that our party
in this State delay action looking to
fusion for the time, to the end that
such delay might aid the National
Committee in its efforts to effect
general fusion on some plan or basis
alike applicable to all the States. We
entertained the hope then of fore
ing the Democrats to recognize Mr.
Watson as our candidate for Vice
President, even to the withdrawal
of Mr.. Sewall, and the association
of Mr.. Watson with Mr.. Bryan as
his running mate. ~
~ T.
a meeting of all the members OF
the State Executive Committee was
called for last Saturday night at
your headquarters. | was notified
by Mr.. Henderson and was present.
A quorum attended and resolved to
reopen negotiations, and also pre-
pared propositions for submission to
the Democrats and gave the matter
in charge to your subcommittee,
then made complete by the appoint
ment of 7. B. Reese to fill the va
cancy occasioned by the resignation
of Mcdowell.
ALLOW me in this connection to
say, that Messrs. T. G. Cain, w. B.
McClanahan, Sid Bond, Horace Mer-
rift and myself became apprehen-
sive that fusion would be defeated
Though Messrs. Henderson and
Reese, two out of three. of the com.
mittee, were friendly to it) unless
we followed it up, and urged it. And
we five covenanted together to that
end-we determined it should be OIL
thrust all the blame and response
bility on the Democrats. We were
justified in this because the commit
tee clearly intended that it should
be done. In this determination or
our part, and in the effort put forth
by us, no man, not party thereto
can ever appreciate or understand
the trials through which we were
called to pass. 1t seemed as though
the powers of darkness were arrayeC
against us-that our counsels anC
conferences were under some strange
and ineXplicable shadow of espion
age or omnipresent eavesdropper
that all we said or did reached head
quarters ahead of our return. Never
theless, we all stood firm, only tht
more determined than ever, feelinl
that it was for our country, anC
: against its bitterest and most hate
> full foe. We sGW that you acre de
; ternliRod to defeat fusion, and aCd
. arbitrary and dictdtoriaL in yoUr as
sumption of official pOaUer to accom-
2 pliSh its defeat. We heard of yoU
} frequent tdIkS With Stdhlmdn--th
man aUe lodtbed as the enemy of ,fit
! siOn-the enemy to oar party, dnt
the malignant foe to oar common
l country,
4 at was suggested that we wouli
q then withdraw our electoral ticket
, make another coneession-remov
: the only obstacle then remaining t
I the defeat of Mckinley in the Stat
D lift Tennessee out of the doubtful
column. This we discussed and con
cluded it was the only hope left
the nearest to fusion of anything W
could get for the people in and Q
ourselves. Your committee retire
: and acted, and reported the electoI
o al ticket Withdrawn, and that nigh
e we prepared an address to that Ell
q feet for publication the next day.
II most heartily approved of thi
{ course, as did the others of my &C
d workers, aud Cain and Bond left fO
d home, thinking the matter settled
+ The next morning John H. No
: Dowell called on Messrs. McClanu
X han, Merritt and myself at my ROOF
: and pleaded that zoe consent to h
: committees resembling its actions
II withdrawing or electoral ticket
: for the reason, as he alleged, sec
u action WOuld defeat him for Co,
o gress IN his district. We spuTne