The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1896-01-22
POpJLISTS GATUEHING.
They Meet in st. Louis to Select a
Convention City.

There Are Many Candidates-Chair-
man Taubeneck Discusses the
Proposed Combination Of Reform
Elements to Force Free Coinage
of S;lver-He Speaks OF Sibleys
Chances of Being the Peoples
Psrty's Presidential Nominee.
st. Louis, January 16-The fol-
lowing Numbers Of the Peoples
party arrived here today to take part
in the meeting on Friday, which is
to name the time and place for hold
ing the national convention: Chair
man H. E. Taubeneck Of Illinois;
Col. Tom Patterson, Colorado, who
wasa member of the platform COM
mittee of the last Democratic na-
tional convention; Senator Marion
Butler, North Carolina; Congressman
John C. Bell, Colorado; Secretary j.
H. Turner, Washington City: D. z.
Merritt, Wyoming; S. H. Snyder,
Kansas; E. Gary Brown, Massachu-
setts; Judge C. II. Power, Indiana;
A. Roselle, who is Chairman OF the
Peoples party State committee OF
Missouri and member Of tee Ma
tional committee; General Weaver,
Iowa; Ex-Governor Waite, Colorado;
and NJ. c.. Rankin, Indiana, treas
urer Of the National committee. The
committee is composed Of ia mem
bers. Not over fifty Of them is ex-
pected to attend the meeting. The
Others will send proxies.
Mr.. II. e. Taubeneck, chairman
of the executive committee, says
nothing is know yet as to where or
when the convention will be held
Chicago, St. Louis, Milwaukee, Kan
sas City, Omaha, Indianapolis, Dallas
and Atlanta want the convention and
each one of them has friends in the
committee. But which ever place is
selected, there also will the Bi-metal-
lie Union meet, and the combination
of these two elements will make one
of the largest conventions ever held
in this country.
Conclernipg the alledged move
mcnt to bring about a fusion OF all
the reform forces, Mr.. Taubeneck
said:
Il have received number OF let
ters from influential members OF the
party in various sections of the country
suggesting that, but as yet the mat
ter has not been formally or officially
discussed; nor do I know whether the
committee will deal with the subject
at this meeting. We Will perhaps
send representatives to the meeting
of the American Bimetalllc League
at Washington to look on for US and
participate as individuals, if they so
desire; but the report to the effect
that I have advocated a union of all
the reform forces in the nation on a
free silver platform, I want to de-
nounce as absolutely false. I have
done no such thing, nor had I even
contemplated it. OF course, we will
make the currency question the main
issue in our platform, but that by 10
means indicates that we are going to
merge our party into another. We
are still in the middle of the road
and are going to stay there"
Dir. Taubeneck said that he had no
idea yet whom bis party would nom
nate for President. He considered
Sibley of Pennsylvania magnificent
man, but did not look upon the en-
dorsement by the free sil7erites OF
Siblev for President rs at all bind
ing upon tie Pcpulists.
The consensus of opinion of the
committeeman interviewed was that
their national convention would rot
be held until both of the old parties
put tickets in the field.