The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1897-05-05

| that Office holders should be Ineligible
to serve as delegates in Peoples Party
conventions and tEe Reform Press AS
soc1ation, as a body, decides that prox-
les should. in no case, be permitted to
pass upon party policy or nominations.
These precautions should be rigidly
| adhered to; for, it cannot be gainsaid
| that the greatest dissensions which
| have arisen in the country inside of
| any political party have had their ORR
Sin in the fact that many voters he
lieved (whetlier true or not) their politi-
| cal organization was dominated by Of
| flceholders and place hunters, and the
party interest jeopardized by proxy vot-
| ing. To avoid these demoralizing con-
| ditions the Peoples Party at St. Louis
| made the initiative and referendum a
prominent feature of it's platform de-
| claration. In the people rests all the
power. The voters in our party there
fore, are not forced to await the pleas
ure or obey the dictum of any one or
more OF their servants, but may them
| selves command and exact obedience.
"Voicing this principle the National
| reform Press, ever true and loyal to the
sacred doctrines promulgated at Omaha
and st. Louis, and being certainly more
nearly in touch and sympathy with the
boys in the trenches than would-be
political leaders, took the initiative in
| appointing this committee and assign
ing to us the specific duty OF calling a
national delegate conference in the
event others, having the power, decline
| to do so.
Every honorable effort having been
| made to secure delegate conference
without giving offense to anyone wor-
thily wearing the livery Of Populism.
| only to meet the fate of the petitions
which our forefathers laid at the foot
| OF the British throne, no other alterna-
i've remains but to refer the question
to the Populist voters Of the nation
that they may determine for themselves
| whether the party standard shall be
borne to the front as the ensign of true
~ VI Sldll De gulQOn OF :oCeD-
! ton to mislead the unsuspectine.
: Complying with the instructions
given us at Memphis, we, therefore. re-
spectfully request the state and county
committees of the Peoples Party
throughout the union to take the necas-
sary steps to secure representation in q
national delegate conference. which is
hereby called to meet in the city of
Nashville, Tenn, July 4, 1897; and we
suggest that just and proper represen-
tatlOn in said conference would be one
delegate for every $500 actual Popuist
(nct fusion) votes of record cast in any
general election held since and inclul-
Ing 1872. In the event that the consti-
tuted authorities at present existing
should fail or refuse to act, the Reform
/ Press and the Populist workers in such
state or county so refusing will assun.
the authority to poll the vote of those,
ana those only, who indorse the plat
form and will vote the straight Peopla's
Farty 'icNet, and make return to- the
csldcnt Of the National Refc,m Asso-
clation, at Okalona, Miss, at as early
dare as practical.
Relylng upon the wisdom. fidelity
ard patriotism Of the rank and file Of
the 'rpulists through tut the nation as
"eli as all others who have grown
weary OF the political duplicity and
ny pocfisy which have DESTROYED the ef
hcltncy and usefulness of all other DO.
l'llca' organizations in the country, we
urge tne frlpol tance OF the prompt and
decided action outlined above, and cor
daily solicit the aid and support of ,,l
persons approving our platform of I,rin-
clplcs, Irrespective of past differences
In party Oh policy-feeling assured that
oy these means order will be broraht
cut Of confusion, confidence will he es
tabllshed in the hearts of all true re-
formers and the way opened for a VIC
tory in 1900.
Milton Park,
w. S. Morgan.
james H. Ferris.
Abe Steinberger.
w. F. D. Mays.
10 A. Parker
j. S. Coxey,
Frank Burkitt.'