The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-02-23
nent was taken until o'clock in the

n1ent was taken until = O'CLOCK In the
| afternoon.
President Vandervoort said, in part:
eve have passed through the most
eventful year and the struggle for the
| life of our party has been the hardest
| in the history of the organization.
"All Of our papers have suffered on
account OF the mistake we rcade at st.
| Louis; many have been suspended and
| Our great campaign OF education was
| side-tracked and our literature useless.
| When we last met We were all aware
| that a deep-laid conspiracy to ruin our
party and destroy the reform movement
| had been inaugurated, and secured con-
troll of our party machinery and nearly
| all Of those whom we had elected TO po-
sitions of honor and trust. But with all
their devilish skill in manipulating
events ard men they have never been
able to seduce or destroy the power and
influence Of the great body of the Re-
form press. Some have been deceived
and led astray, but they are opening
their eyes to the true situation and will
sacred principles when the slogan sounds
for the great campaign of 1900.
'If the Democratic party had won the
fight there would have been no reforms
enacted, not even free silver, and all the
power and its machinery we have to
meet would have been welded to alb
sorb our party.
eve should take no new departure.
We will not allow our name or platform
to be stolen by any band Of bandits on
the face of the earth. In 1900, We will
hold the first convention If we have TO
meet on January 1. We will stand by
the fate announced at Omaha, but
hops We will make the chasm so wide
and deep between our party and the
Democratic party that the separation of
the sheep from the goats will at once
commence. Choose We this day whom
We shall serve Dishonored, treacherous
false, corrupt, ballot-box stuffing Democ
racy, or the true faith, on whose prin-
ciples we have converted half the ma
ton and scared the balance out of
their wits.
CALLS IT A SOP.
"Tlie Republican party boldly announ-
cec the doctrines we believe destructive
Of our nations best interests and fatal
TO its prosperity. 1t has thrown off the
mask, but realizes some concessions
must be made 10 put the people to sleep
and break the ranks Of the aggressive
foe. This We predict will be an interna-
tional agreement in favor Of free sill
yer. This is the sop that will be thrown
to the disconnected masses and it will
avail about as much in bringing about
prosperity as the enactment of a new
tariff law, differing 80 per cent in its-pro
visions from the present law.
THE silver paneceas will add some
forty millions annually to the money vol
ume of the nation: il will employe more
labor, which will be a benefit, but Il
VIII not solve the problem of employing
all the idle labor or starting up the dor
mant machinery. More than half of the
vote for the Democratic party did not
care one iota for free silver. The very
leaders, who controlled their convention
ana ours had demonstrated time after
time that they were false 10 that prin-
ciple. 1t was a shrewd move to save
the Democratic party and to retain con-
troll of the solid south. and its object is
two fold-to resurrect a corpse and bury
cur party in the place of its putrid re-
mains. We will never consent to make
another campaign with that question as
the vital issue, our thunder would be
stolen by the Republicans, and we would
be stranded by the roadside with the
disorganized, broken-down, spawned
wreck of the Democratic party.
eff we would continue TO retain silver
as one of our cardinal principles we
should declare in favor of the true and
normal ratio held by two-thirds Of the
nations OF the earth-15k TO 1.
1--WE are unalterably opposed to the
retirements of greenbacks. The nation
al banks should be deprived of the pow
er to issue money. This would release
and put into circulation the visit sum
held in reserve, and the banks would
DO unable to contract the volume of
money and would have no selfish rea-
son for squandering millions TO control
electors.
IDEA OF PATERNALISM.
I'VE must bring about political rev.
olut;on at the ballot box, remodel the
government on the American plan, re-
sumo the sovereign power of issuing mo-
pey and compel the bankers to run le-
gitibate banking business. Let the peo-
pie rule and not the banks, and let us
continually agitate that 1900 is the time
to hold a national constitutional conver-
tlon and secure the rights of free gov
eminent, taken from US by corporations,
combines and trusts.
"Other nations employ their idle labor.
This nation cannot afford TO let her peo-
DIE starve for want of work. II ie
cheaper TO employ them than aid them
by charitable contributions. Public
works should be paid for by Issuing
money until the per capita is the same
as at the close OF the war. If full
legal tender for public and private debts
il will not depreciate.
"The great obstacle to our success is
the Democratic party. We are all de-
luded by the siren song of an honorable
union and led through the slaughter
house TO the brink OF an open grave by
our most trusted leaders. Fusion is the
deadly upas tree that poisons and kills
our party.
Believing that the life and preserva-
ton and success OF our principles de-
pend upon 1t. recommend that this as
ISOLATION demand the resignation OF Ma
ron Butler as national chairman and ].
A. Edgerton as national secretary and If
they do not Immediately respond that
this association and the members or the
general conference committee depose
them and elect new officers. and call on
ali our people 10 recognize them. II We
Rave not the power 10 protect ourselves
ne had better disband."
The first business OF the afternoon sss-