Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-09-15
popULIsr COMMITTEE ADDRESS.
Three Members Sign 1.-two with
hold Their Names.

1DultIllOI, Utiu hvdHOhc III july lNA
the purpose Of taking final action on the
question Of State ticket, which met
here last night, did not put out their ad-
dress until after o'clock this morning.
The address. after reporting that the
Democratic convention at Roanoke de-
clined to accept Captain Edmund K.
Cooke as candidate for Lieutenant-Gov-
ernor says:
1--WE do not desire fusion or amalgama-
ton with any party. To preserve our
identity and organic party Independence
is our aim and purpose. But we have been
willing as far as We agree with other
| political organizations in platform prin-
ciples to cooperate in order TO secure
the success Of those principles. The most
important of these principles at this time
and in q national sense are those relating
to monetary reform-to wit. the free and
unrestricted coinage of gold and silver
into dollars at the ratio of 16 to /; and a
wise and just system Of taxation, direct
and indirect, by which all property shall
be made to bear equally the burdens Of
government. The Democratic party pro-
fessedly concurs with our party in these
primal principles.
"1he Chicago convention of 1896 adopted
these substantially from the Omaha plat
form of 1892, and nominated as a candi-
date for the presidency w. j. Bryan, the
embodiment and one of the ablest advo-
Gates of these principles. The American
Bimetallic party, and the Silver Repnbli-
can party also concur fully in them. Yet
the fact remains that neither one of the
above mentioned parties. acting strictly
within party organization, has sufficient
strength TO make these great and essen
tial principles triumphant in the admins
tration of the National Government.
Hence, efforts have been made. and wise
ly made to secure party cooperation, so
essential to success. This effort has been
10 a large extent successful, so far as the
Peoples party, the Silver Republican
party, and the American Bimetallic party
are concerned. But the Democratic party,
the strongest and most powerful of the
political organizations favorable to the
aforementioned principles, has sought
TO dominate and control all other parties
and to force all 10 act within its organi
Zation, TO accept such candidates as 1t,
and IL only, nominates, and thus break
down their Independent organizations.
This arbitrary action on the part OF the
Democratic party i'm 1896 contributed ma
terialy to the defeat of w j. Bryan
and the cause of monetary reform. and,
If persisted in, will lead TO similar defeat
in the future. Your committee sees no
thing inconsistent with party identity
and independence. for different orGaniza-
tions concurring in certain principles 10
cooperate at the polls for the success Of
said principles.
WOULD BE DEGRADING.
"Tf the aim and price of cooperation
were a few political offices parcelled OUT
TO the cooperating parties, the trafiic
would be degrading. Success of prlnci-
pies was the animatng sentiment of our
State convention. Neither II nor Captain
Cooke desired the Office OF Lieutenant
Governor as an Office. The convention
desired cooperation with the Democrats
simply to secure in 1898 a Congress and
I'm 1900 n President favorable TO its views
OF monetary reform. and II only deSreu
TO have the office of ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
10 preserve palpably and distinctly its
independent existence as a party. we
could not do this II we accepted just such
ticket as the Democratic convention
should offer us.
1--WE do not desire to be offensive 10
any. but we must declare frankly that
we have not an abiding confidence i'm the
loyalty Of the Democratic party 10 none
tary reform. We know, and the country
knows, that there Is within the Demo
cratic party n large and powerful ele-
ment that Is hostile to monetary reform
mnless to intensity the gold standard),
and will gladly change the platform ana
policy OF the party at the nrst oppor-
tunty TO do so successfully. This eie-
ment is now subordinating It's convictlohss
10 the spirit Of party allegiance. IL would
be much more agreeable TO this element
10 vote according to honest conviction
rather than i'm accordance with the ext-
gencies Of mere party supremacy.
consequently our relations with the
Democratic party must be those OF an
independent party with our arms ana
machinery in hand, ready for any possi-
BILE emergency or any revolution that
NAV possibly occur within the Demo-
cratic party We are not willing to APP
pear in the character that the Hon. Mr..
BAILEY, the Democratic congressional
leadev, wants-'recruits as privates in the
rear rank of the Democratic column
TREATMENT AT ROANOKE.
The address then declares that the sug-
gestion OF a Popullst on the Democratic
ticket did not come from the Populst
convention, but from several prominent
Democrats, and a few primary meetings
in counties, and, after compliment TO
Captain Cooke, quotes the communication
submitted to the Roanoke convention.
The address next recites that two of
the members of the committee delivered
this communication to the convention,
and IL was formally received and read;
that the members Of the committee were,
after some opposition, invited TO seats
on the floor, but no further notice was
taken of the communication or of them:
that they were simply ignored; that the
name Of Captain Cooke was presented
appropriately by Mr.. Barksdale. of Hall
fax. but was rejected by more than
two-thirds vote. For this the conven-
tion has received the thanks and the
compliments of the gold-bug press. We
regard II as a palpable indignity and
insult to our party and entireiy without
excuse. as we only did that which SEEM
ed to be desired. and invited by the
Democratic party" The address further
asserts that a similar indignity was Of
fered the Populist party last fall by the
Democratic State Committee, but that
the Populists. rather than jeopardize the
success of Bryan in the State, withdrew
their electoral ticket, and voted for the
Democratic ticket.
The address charges that the Demo-
cratic party is repeating its policy to-
wards :he Readjusters-'first denounce
IL. then accept its platform, then force the
PARTY out of existence" etc.
The address condemns the action or tne
Democratic party as mere desire Aor
party supremacy, suooruinatlns prIhcipn,e ne
Populist convention have not materially
changed as to the advisabllity OF the
nomination of candidates. IL. therefore,
urges the Populists TO accept the action
of that convention as soncl9siVe, so lar
as nominations are concerned, and 10 use
every honorable means to elect Captain
Cooke as Lieutenant-Governor
sT,et us" says the address, keep our
Marty well in hand. Many true and pa
pdetj piriot;c % men OF the Democratic party Will
NJ the polls repudiate the action OF the
Roanoke convention, and VIII be found
voting with us. Wherever We can elect
a member OF the Legislature this fan let
ms do il. and then in 1898 let US be pre-
nared to take care Of our own interests
as marty I'm the congressional districts
OF the State"
peonle's party would be the loss OF the
great principles of free coinage, a ma
tjonsi currency issued by the General
Government and a just and equitable
system of taxation" and IN this special
sitention to the specific pledges for reform
embodied in orr platform adopted at
Roanoke. Va, in July last.
iNoa"' ,ndrsss concludes by quoting the
=. ~ ...sorrad 10 The addr1... q.