The San Francisco call., 1897-02-09
POPULIST PARTY
FAM LY FIGHT
Secretary Edgerton Replies
to G. F. Washburn'S
Letter.
Talks OF Spies in the Camp and
Thuse Who Contributed to
Bryan's D3feat.
Says He Will Oppose Any Scheme
Looking 10 the Shelving of
the Silver Issue.

LINCOLN, NEBR, Feb. S.-J. A. Edge
ton, secretary OF the Peoples party Ma
tlonal Com mmittee, tonight gave out the
following letter, sent to Committeeman
Washburn of Massachusetts, in reply to
that gentleman's letter published this
morning:
LINCOLN, Nebr., Feb. g. 1897
Hon. George F. Washburn. Boston, Mass.-MY
DEAR SIR: After asking me for comment on
your plan see that you have answered tnet
comment In the public press. do not care to
multiply words but simply desire 10 correct
one or two statements
If, as you say, you do not favor the aban-
comment OF silver" then there is no difference
between US. am more in favor of pushing
the fight on all the planks of our platform
tnan you are. am just as much opposed TO
the disntegration or absorption OF the Peo-
pies party; but when you talk of changing
the fighting issue" then am no, with you.
You go on TO enumarate very many terrible
hlngs which my plan would bring about.
Why, my dear sir, my plan is to simply stand
where we have stood for the last four years;
my plan Is TO simply push this fight on the
same lines that we have i'll the past on to
victory. Ny plan is not to desert free silver in
lis hour of defeat but TO stand by 1t like men
until we reverse this v-rdict brought about by
Misrepresentation and fraud.
The goldb1g Boston Herald, for which you
gathered your symposium of letters, an
nounces In evident glee that your plan means
"a practical abandonment by the Populists of
free silver" do not wish to adopt a course
that even has such a sem mblance of abandoning
free silver that it will give that impression 10
our enemies.
My plan is to go on with the fight so that
we can win victory in 1900, and thus bring
partial relief to the struggling masses of the
country. l do not have any fear that the
Republicans will bring about an International
agi cement, and thus leave the silver forces
stranded as you speak about; and do not
propose 10 cease the fight in anticipation OF
that result If your plan is as ! understand il
II Is lust SuCl plan the mOneV power of
this country would like to see the Peoples
party adopt.
ence at Memphis on February %. Is this in
pursuance OF the call made by Paul Wander
wort? You must realize that this is mani
fest injustice to the Populists of the trans Mis-
souri, country, for it is almost impossible for
them to reach Memphis at that time, and
beg TO remind you that west of The Missouri
RIVER our party has seventeen OF Its twenty
four Congressman -elect, seven of its eight
Senators and five Governors, and that it has
State, county and municipal officers in almost
every State in this whole territory. This is
where the Peoples party was born in 1890
and where II hourishes to-day in its greatest
Yigor.
You charge me with calling second con-
ference.~I did not. l do not assume the
power OF calling conferences as some others
seem to have done. lnasmuch as there was
talk OF holding conference at Memphis
suggested 10 Chairman Butler that it be held
at Kansas City, so that 1t could be attended by
the Populists of the West as well as those of
the South. have no doubt that the confer
ence at Memphis will adopt almost any reso-
luton that the middle-of-the-road party may
suggest. 1t will be entirely dominated by this
element. All those so-called Populis who
did what they could to defeat Bryan last fall
have no doubt will be represented at Mem
phis. The Republican spies in our camp nd
the POpulsts of the Vabdervoort, Dunning
and Matthews stripe will doubtless all be on
hand II you care to father a conference dom
mated by these elements you are at perfect
liberty to do so, but the Populisis of the great
Northwest, who stand true to silver and all
our principles will not be there and will not
be bound by any action which this ''informal
conference" may take.
You say that you have received many letters
from all over the country indorsing your plan
and that mine is the only one which has not
lndorsed IL was informed by Mr.. Deaver one
OF your National Committeeman from this
State, that he had sent you a letter opposing
your plan, which you had not published /
am in receipt OF very large number of letters
from Populist leaders who do not indorse your
plan, ana tniuk within the next two weeks
that will be able to make public hundreds in
the same line.
Your plan seems to me to foreshadow a
practical shelving of the silver issue by the
Peoples party. This shall oppose, even if I
am the only Populist in the United States that
does oppose it; but l believe tnat q great
majority of the party will take the same stand.
Yours truly, }. A. EDGERToN.