The advocate., 1897-04-14
"THE MIDDLE-OF.THE-ROAD COMBNE.0

"THE MIDDLE-OF-THE-ROAD COMBINE"
The ADVOCATE is in receipt Of the fol
lowing letter, with the enclosures men
toned:
WASHINGTON, D. c., April 8, 1897.
MY DEAR sIR--I enclose you copy OF a state
ment Issued by the joint caucus Of Populis
Senators and Representatives, stating thei
position on the tariff. also enclose copy o.
Washington letter, the same that goes to my
paper, the Caucasian, this week. which
thought you might find interesting to your
readers II you desire 1t can from time tc
time furnish you with such matter in the
future whenever there Is anything Of special
interest or importance. VIII be glad to have
you send me copy Of your paper each week
Yours very truly, MARION BUTLER.
The letter is written on copying paper
headed with the name of the committee
Of which Senator Butler is Chairman
The statement" referred to is COM
mented upon in another place in this
paper; and as tothe washington letter,
the same that goes to my [hisl paper, the
Caucasian" the ADVOCATE has two OBJ
jections to publishing it:
First-This paper is we'll supplied with
editorial writer's, and besides exchanging
with daily papers, it is regularly in re-
ceipt Of the Congressional Record, and
therefore does not need to use the mat
ter that goes out in these "Washington
letters"
Second-The letter concludes with a
deliberate insult to very large part of
the membership Of the Populist party,
and we DO not wish to give currency to
matter OF that kind. We quote the last
paragraph, which is as follows:
1t has been learned that some emissaries of
the middle-ofthe road combine have been in
Washington for several days during the past
week, on the quiet. They have not consulted
with Populist Senators and Congressman, but
1t is rumorsd that they have been consulting
with certain Republicans. 1t is also rumored
that one Of their schemes is to start so-called
middle.oi-the.road Populist paper at the Ma
tionRl capital, and II is understood that this
will be done II the Republicans will furnish
the funds.
Dear Populist reader, look over that
paragraph again and scan 1t closely.
Did you ever read more insinuating,
close mouthed, underhand and scurrilous
attack on any person or bodyH "It has
been learned" By whom? "That some
emissRries" Some what? Who and
what is an emissaryP "Of the middle.
of-the-road combine" What sort Of a
combine is this? Who compose it, and
for what purpose is it formed? "On the
quiet" What does that mean? "They
have not consulted with Populist Sena.
tors and congressman, but it is rUmored
that they have been consulting with GER.
tain Republicans" All there is Of this
is TUmor, and yet it goes out in the letter
Of Senator Of the United States, writ
ten in Senate committee room, in
closed in the committee letter head
paper. "One Of their schemes is to start
so-called middle-of the-road Populist
paper at the National capital, and it is
understood that this will be done il the
Republicans will furnish the funds.p
The ADVOCATE does not know that
there is any middle. Of. the-road combine,
but it thinks there ought to be one if
for no other reason than to offset the
work Of the Congressional combine, com.
posed of Senator Marion Butler and his