Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1897-12-10
A Populistic Powwow.

inrl, and j. Il. Ross Of Pierce Wa:
chosen secretary.
Representatives. were in ATTENDANCE,
. from ma~% c"lniir~ in the western
part OF the State. From Olympia ",
note a present Superintendent of In
-truc,iom +. J. Browne, Land Com
missioner Robt. Bridges and W. =. c
Adams. King county was represented
10y j. /. Fay, /. P.Chrroll, Judge Win
>or. Alexander Jones, j. J. Holman
+. W. Way, \. 7. Tugwcll and G. i
/ Dam; Pirce, toy Guvnor TcatS, J. II
Ross, +. IL. Baker, Capt. +. V. liagan
john Hartman, G. +. Owen, W. ii. II
kcan, Mrs. Annie Abbott, Mrs. Lizzie
Boyer and Mrs. Hattie V. Belden
Mason, hy Farmer" Todd; Thurston
10y J. c. Coninc: Whatcom by G. f.
Cline; Adams by. j. o. Couch; Skagit
by J. {. Crosby, and Clallam 10y Err
nest Burns and Judge Benson.
Speeches were made 10y Mcssrs.
Cline, Jones, Bridges, Wipsor, Browne,
Todd and Hogan, the trend of which
was favorable 10 Il Middle of-the-
Road policy for the party.
\ committee was then appointed to
formulate report in keeping with the
prevailing sentiment of the meeting,
consisting OF c. f. Cline, Guvnor
Teats, a. p Tugwell, f. Burns, G. F.
Walker. c. L. Dam and Alexander
Jones. An hour was spent in drafting
the following suggestions for party
autonomy:
eve, the committee appointed by
your conference, submit the following
suggestions and recommendation for
your consideration:
" First-We repudiate the idea that
thePeople's party OF the State OF WASH
ington has become merged in or is part
of any other organization. We there
fore advise that the Peoples party,
otherwise known as the Populist party,
shall be perfected and preserved through
out the State, independent of any other
political organization.
" Second-That we declare it to be the
right of the Peoples party, in its con-
ventions, to determine the question of
what shall or shall not be the policy OF
the party, Independent of the dictation
of any other organization.
Third-We recommend that organiza
ton be perfected in every precinct in
each county in the State, for educa-
tional purposes, along the lines of the
Omaha and st. Louis platforms.
Fourth-That in order to meet the
changed conditions that confront us, a
conference of the Peoples party be
called.
Fifth-We recommend TO the State
central committee that it, in the usual
manner, call conference OF those who
support the Omaha and st. Louis plat
forms OF the Populist party in each coun-
ty on January 20, 1898. We further sug-
gest that each of said county conferences
discuss the future policy OF the party,
and that each be entitled to elect three
delegates, and as many others as such
conference may desire to have attend
the meeting on the 22d day of February,
1898, for the purpose OF determining the
party policy in such city as the State
central committee may determine. We
further suggest that in case either State
or county central committees refuse or
neglect to call such conferences on or
before December 20, 1897, that either
this or some other committee Of this
conference have power to issue such
call"
After long discussion, as is usual
in such assemblages, a vote was taken
and the report adopted with only a
few dissenting voices.
1t may seem at first thought that
the action of the meeting was antagO-
nistic to the policy which won success
in the last State contest, but mature
reflection impresses the idea that it is
a shrewd move OF the leaders of the
party to keep it in position that will
enable it to be handled to advantage
as united factor for just such pur-
pose. The weakness of the Populists
always has consisted in its multiple
ity of leaders, verifying the venerable
adage "Too many cooks spoil the
BROTH" If by any procedure the party
can be kept intact, or directed by
few minds of average stability, it will
be in a position, when the emergency
arrives, to unite upon some plan pos
sessing a reasonable prospect of sue
cess at the polls. If this is the plan,
the conference was not without some
claim for political acumen.