The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1897-02-23


form Press Association was called TO or
der in the hall of the Young Men's He
brew Association at 10 o'clock this
morning by President Paul Wander
wort. The Reform Press Association
is what may be called an auxiliary to
the Peoples party. The number Of dele
gates In attendance reached into the
hundreds, and nearly every southern
and western state is represented. The
only prominent eastern Peoples party
man on the ground Is George F. WASH
burn, OF Boston. Mr.. washburn iB a
member OF the United States national
executive committee of the third party
and was closely associated with Senator
Jones In the direction OF the late CANE
palgn
Many of the southern and western
states have state organizations OF the
reform press, and all OF these state as
soclatlons are represented at the meet
Ing.
When President Vandervoort called
the convention to order this morning,
Mayor W. L. Clapp. of Memphis, was
introduced and welcomed the delegates
on behalf of the city. President Van
dervoort responded briefly and intro
duced Hon. Thomas B. Turley. Of Mem
phls, who delivered an address OF well
come on behalf Of the Bimetalllc League
OF Shelby county. After response by
Frank Burkitt, OF Okalona, Miss, COM
mIttees were appointed by the president
and an adjournment was taken until
. o'clock in the afternoon.
President vandervoort delivered his
annual address before the morning ad-
journment. The address was received
with evident approval By a large ma
jority Of the delegates. Among other
things he said:
'If the Democratic party had won the
fight there would have been no reforms
enacted. not even free silver, and all
the power and It's machinery, and all the
ofiiceholders, high and low, would have
been welded TO absorb our party.
I'VE should take no new departure.
we will not allow our name or plat
form TO be stolen by any band OF BAN
dits on the face Of the earth, for in 1900
we Will hold the first convention II We
have to meet January /. We will stand
by the fat announced at Omaha. but
] hope we will make the chasnl 50 wide
and deep between our party and the
Democracy that the separation OF the
sheep from the goats will at once COM
mence. Choose We this day whom ye
will serve DishOnored, treachsTous,
false, corrupt. ballot box stufting De-
inocracy, or the true faith, on whose
principles we have converted half the
ha Ia
their wits,
.The Republican party boldly an
nounces the doctrines we believe de-
structive OF our nations best interests
and fatal 10 Its prosperity. It has
thrown of the mask, but realizes that
some concessions must be made to put
the people to sleep and break the ranks
of the aggressive foe. This We predict
will be an international agreement In
favor of free silver This is the sop
that will be thrown to the dlscontented
masses, and It will avail about as much
in bringing about prosperity as the en-
actment OF new tariff law, differing 80
per cent in It's provisions from the pres
ent law"
discussion OF free silver.
The first business Of the afternoon
session was the passing OF motion or
derlnE Gen. Vandervoort's address
spread on the minutes. The credentials
committee reported and the report was
approved.
An Invitation was voted TO the reform
papers OF the country to join the asso-
citation. There was considerable oppo-
sltion TO tho motion on the ground that
only papers OF pronounced Populisuc
principles should be accepted as mem-
bers OF the association.
BY rising vote Hon, Frank Burkett,
of Mississippi. was unanimously elected
president Of the association for the en-
suing year. Mr., Burkett addressed the
convention briefly, thanking the dele
gates for the honor conferred upon him.
The convention at I p m. adjourned
until 10 o'clock tomorrow.