The Caucasian., 1897-05-27
FOR AND AGAINST A CONFERENCE

Last week the NOn-ConfOrmist, one
of the oldest and sblest Peoples Party
papers in the country, published a
symposium of opinions from leading
POpulists on the proposed conference.
We publish on the front page of THE
CAUCASIAN four of these opinions, one
from DR.. Taylor, member of the Ma
tional Committee from Pennsylvania,
opposed to the conference, and o0g
rom Mr.. Nc Bride. Of Michigan, also
member of the Committee, VINO favors
Irtrgr, whU sIraudles the question, and
one from Congress man JOHN Davls, OF
kansas, who opposes conference. Mr..
Davis is one of the ablest men in the
Peoples Party, and is looked upon all
over the country as an authority on
the money and monopoly question.
One Of the ablest articles published by
the Non-COnfOrmist was from the pen
of b. o. Flower, the gifted ex-editor of
the Arena. He discusses the situa-
tiOn in very comprehensive way, but
his article is too lengthy for us to give
space to it this week.
The Nom -COnfOrmist. comments eGi-
tOrily on these articles as follows:
No such mastery discussion of any
mOOted subject has recently appeared
in any paper as we present to our
readers concerning the Nashville Con-
ference proposed to be held July Sd or
5th (unless its promoters desire to hold
high carnival on Sunday. This dis
cuss;0n is participated in by parti.
| sans of both sides and by those who
are far enough removed from active
participation on either side so that
they may be accorded a clearness of
! vision that the partisan cannot claim.
The radicals have for spokesmen, w. S.
Morgan, Hon. Ralph Beaumont, Hon.
Jesse Harper, j. E. Mcbride and w. L.
! Peek, and others. The opposite side is
represented by such we'll known names
as Hon. b o. Flower, Hon. j ohm Davis
DR.. G. F. Taylor, Hon. f. o. Ball, and
others. Ex-senator PETER, Chas. Bon
sail and John Seitz take rather a char.
liable view of the case as we'll az some
of the latter named gentlemen. twill
be noticed that the larger portion of
those who oppose the conference at this
time: are free to grant honesty of pur-
i pose to the radical element of the par
ty. Many phases have been touched,
but not all. 1t will be noticed that the
callers Of this conference are ignoring
the very principle of which they pose
as the special champions. The cali is.
sued by the Committee made that call
dependent upon the expressed will of
the people as declared in a "Referen-
dunn" but they provided no machinery
for taking that Referendum. One pa
| per placed ballot coupon in its col
umns and then about month after the
call was issued the rest ssw their ri
diculOus position and some of them
have now placed ballot coupons in
their papers, but up to this date only
three or four such have reached this
| office. 1t seems to have been q clear
case of after thought. The callers of
the conference themselves polled the
National Central Committee of la
members; SO answers were received. 2S
of which (One-fifth of the COMMITTEES
i voted for conference. Chairman But
ler pOlled the Committee of Jas mem
bers receiving 1O2 replies, of which SO
"a clear majority of all the members
were opposed and some of the remain.
Ing 22 were undecided, but if every
member had resp0r ded and all but the
80 bad been for conference, there
would have been mustered but SIS vote
in its favor to 80 against it. Has il
come to this, that less than one-fifth OF
q body shall be allowed to control the
the body?
Are we about to submit to the will
OF a majority when the expression is
Are we in duty bound to call con.
terence in a location that will Oe un.
baarably hot at the chosen time. and
that time one in which the larger mart
OF the people cannot 20 even if thex
desired to do sos
Since q large majority of the party
Central Committee has decided not tC
call conference at that time and
place, those of the party who believe
IN compact and solid party organiza.
tiOn will not 20, neither will thew take
part in an "after thought" and a moch
Referendum. That the result of the
so-called Referendum now being taken
0y q few newspapers is not in.
tended to affect anything, and i
only blind" is shown by the facl
that q call has been issued by the Pres.
ident Of the Press Association for !
special meeting Of that Association in
Nashville, July adjust prior to the
called conference-thus it 10 assumed,
IN advance Of the possibility of any
reliable returns from q Referendum
chat the "pe0ple" will sneeze when
these would-be bosses take snuff. Some
OF these enthusiastic friends are Just a.
honest in their intentions a. it is pos.
slDle for man to be in any movement
but the N0nC0nfOrmist is not a "rehel,