The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-06-03
Tom Watson After the Tar Heel
Senator's Scalp
SAYS ALL FUSION MUST END
PREPARING TO RE-ORGANIAt
THE POPULIST PARTY.
TO GUST BUTLER AS CHAIRMAN
The Senator Makes Reply IN Io-Iay
Caucasian, and States His Position
Touching the Nashville
O~~uaofirp
Convention.

zion Buffers hide.
They are making desperate effort tc
overthrow him, and it seems as II ehe!
are about to succeed.
Watson is ambitious, Butler is the same
and Coxey ditto. They all fear one an
other The Watson-Butler dispute over
Watson's letter Of acceptance of the Pop
Mist nomination for Vice-President, Is
still fresh in the minds OF the people. Since
then the feud has grown and the breach
widened, Watson never losing an oppor-
tunity of attacking and abusing Butler
Recently he has resorted to something
more effective than words. He is leading
a movement to overthrow Butler and the
National committee of the party in order
to prevent any further attempt at fusion
with either of the two great national par
ties.
The movement really started some
weeks ago when the Reform Press called
for a national convention to be held on the
18th of July in Nashville for this pur-
pose. That call was looked upon as hay
ing no effect, but within the last two
weeks Mr.. Watson has added5his intiu-
ence to it and now it has assumed ma
tional proportions. In the last two is
sues of his organ, the Peoples Paper,
published in Atlanta, the editorial page
has been filed with denunciations OF
Marion Butler and of the accredited lead
ers of the party Mr.. Watson looks upon
them as being in the party merely for the
Offices which they can gain through its
influence. He declares that they should
be ousted from the seats of power, and
that the movement of the Peoples party,
which has been SO seriously handicapped
by its leaders. should start afresh, ignor-
ing all past organization, but taking its
cue from the proceedings Of the conven-
ton to be held in Nashville.
Watson says that man who is wait
ing for regular action next year, trying
to catch the opinion of the people and
otherwise fighting for delay, is simply IN
the pay of the enemy and should be got
rid of at once.
When the State chairman in Georgia
refused to call convention to elect dele
gates to the Nashville convention Mr..
Watson issued instructions TO his people
to hold mass meetings and elect dele
gates to State convention to meet IN
Atlanta June % At this convention, it is
absolutely asserted, new lines will be es-
tablished, the party will be re-organized,
and the methods of attack outlined. Dele
gates will be named to the national con-
vention, to be held in Nashville on July 4.
This Georgia movement is full OF signi-
ficance and points to the revenge Of the
cohorts OF Watson on Butler for his &C
ton in regard to the letter of acceptance
and his general attitude during the last
campaign. Another significant feature
introduced into Populist politics by Mr..
Watson is strong tinge of A. Z. A.
This is intended to break down the in
fluence of Ignatins Donnelly who is a
Catholic and strong friend and sup
porter of Butler
The purpose OF the Watson people is
indicated in the following resolution.
which has been passed by every county
in Georgia. and will be acted on in the
convention meeting in Atlanta Oh June
%:
'.Resolved, That we urge the nation
al conference. when assembled, to de-
clare against all future efforts to fuse
with either old party and to reaftrm ey-
cry principle of the Omaha platform with
the initiative and referendum added there
TO. and proceed to re-organize the party
by electing q new national committee, to
the end that every Populist voter may
know that the officials of the party are
neither Democrats. Republicans, nor
mongrels. but genuine Populists on whose
integrity and devotion to principle every
member of the party may confidently re-
ly."
The middle-of- the-road Populists de-
clare that there will never be any more
national conventions under the call of
Marion Butler. as Mr.. Watson will be
elected National chairman by the Nash
Vile convention. and from that on will
control the party.
Up to this time Senator Butler mas lg-
nored these attacks and this proposed
convention. But recently the movement
has become too great to be longer ignored.
So in this weeks Caucasian, which will
appear to-day, he states his position
touching the calling of the convention and
its objects. This he does i'll a two-col-
umn letter addressed to Hon. Frank
Burkett, of Okolona, Miss.
He says that large majority OF the
National committee are opposed to the
conventions. that III is calleu WltHouC du-
thority. and in disregard and defiance of
the regularly constituted official organl-
cation of the party.
Out of committee of $50 members. he
Says only twenty-eight have expressed
themselves as favorable to the conference.
Il submitted this natter he adds, to
the committee in the regular way pro-
yided by the plan of organization OF the
party. large majority of those answer
ing land a large majority of the whole
committee in their answers decided:
First, against calling meeting OF
the National committee. They give
their reasons after knowing for what
purposes it WAS proposed to call them to-
gether.
Second, they decided that it was not
necessary or advisable to hold a general
conference of the party at this time.
''That this is the distinct and deliberate
Judgment and decision Of an overwhelm-
ing majority Of the committee is clear.
Therefore, you should show your devotion
to the party and its principles by abiding