Evening star., 1897-03-22
POPULIST CAUCUS
A Letter to Speaker Reed Claiming Recog-
nition as Distinct Party.
Grounds ON Which the Claim is Based
Set Forth In the DOcu.
ment.

The populist members of the House have
held a caucus to discuss the policy Of the
party in this Congress and as a result have
sent to Speaker Reed letter requesting
that they be recognized in debate and
through committee appointments as a dis
tinct factor of the minority. There was
much dissatisfaction among the few popu-
lists in the last Congress because they
were. as a party organization, ignored, and
they are planning to wage campaign for
position in Congress. The letter to Mr..
Reed states that the populist party is well
tablished In every state in the Union.
based upon clearly enunciated principles
different in many essentials from any other
political organization: that at the last
election they cast about 100000 votes, or
more than one-seventh of that OF the
United States; that they elected governors
in the states of Kansas, Nebraska. South
Dakota. Montana and Washington; have
eight senators. namely, Allen. Stewart,
Jones of Nevada. Butler, Harris of Kansas.
Kyle and Heitfeld; have between twenty
one and twenty-seven members of the
Fifty-fifth Congress- namely, Howard, Bar
tow, Simpson. Castle. Botkin, Stark Peters.
Sutherland. Ridgley. Greene, Vincent, Nc
Cormick. Skinner. Martin, Stroud. Fowler,
Kelly. Shuford. Knowles. Gum and Bell
They also claim Baker of Illinois, Jones
Of Washington. Maxwell of Nebraska, Todd
A Hardship on Their Constituency.
Failure of the Speaker to recognize this
great party as distinct part Of the mi
nority,' they say, has worked a great
hardship on the members of the House, and
also upon the constituency, embracing one
seventh Of the people of the United States:
that during the session of Congress just
past all the legislation was by unanimous
hn ~
House, this unanimous consent was divided
equally between the republican and demo-
cratic sides. The populist members were,
therefore, compelled to object to all the
legislation by unanimous consent or permit
the two larger parties to get their bills
through with their consent. without ally
recognition whatever for themselves.
That, In consequence. the democratic
and republican parties secured the most
of the bills that passed at the short ses-
sion, without the objections of any popu-
list. and no populistic member was recog-
nized for any measure whatever.
Could Control No Time.
THAT under the rules of the House per-
mittfng the members of committees to have
one hours time in debate, no populist being
on sny of the important committees, they
could not control any time in their own
right, and were awarded none in the divi-
sion of time by the Speaker on any ques-
tlcn, therefore, tney We're wholly deprived
of an equal opportunity with other men,
bers on the floor. and their great constit-
uercy WA: deprived of the right of repre-
sertation in the American Congress.
Therefore, we respectfully request that
this party 'be considered distinct integral
part of the minority and be awarded rep
resentation on the ways and means COM
mittee, the Judiciary committee. the ap-
preparations committee, the banking com
mittee, the coinage. weights and measures
committee, election committee and other
important committees a distinct part of
the minority. and that they have a reason
able recognition as distinct party in the
division of time on the floor of the House"