The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1897-12-29

Our Standard and We Will Adj
vance to Victory In 1900.
We have received, just as we go to
press, letter, dated Dec. %, from that
earnest and excellent Populist, Mr..
James H. Ferris, of Joliet, ILL.,, chair
man of the executive committee of The
National Reform Press Association,
in which he encloses letter, dated Dec.
%, received by him, Christmas morn
ing from Hon. Marion Butler chairman
Of the Peoples party national commit
tee, in the following words: It..
ELLIOTT, N. c., Dec. 22.-Yours of the
10Th has just been forwarded to me from
Washington. l am very much pleased
with the spirit of your letter. and hasten
to reply. Sorry that I did not get it
sooner.
l will gladly submit the question of a
national committee meeting to the full
committee whenever requested to do so by
those authorized to represent the Nash
vile conference. or by any other element
or faction Of the party. or whenever re-
quested by any three members Of the ma
tional committee under the referendum
plan. as provided for in the plan Of organ
ization Of our party, and. besides
Will urge meeting at the
earliest possible day if there is
the least prospect Of harmony or chance
to do any good. But up to this hour I
have not been requested by the committee
Of the Nashville conference to call a meet
ing Of the national committee. nor have
even been officially informed that reso-
luton was passed requesting such a meet
ing. l see that there is an effort in certain
a iY,1D
that l have been requested by those repre-
senting the Nashville conference to call a
meeting of the national committee and
that have refused to do so. This is
false, and whenever 1t becomes necessary
to state the facts publicly, as have stated
here. l will do so. and they will not be
| denied. This effort to create such a false
| impression is not only unjust, but will re-
| bound on those who are making it.
You say that if 1 will work with you to
! get an early meeting of the national COM
mittee that you will try to get the meeting
| of the Nashville conference committee
| called for Jan. 12) postponed, so that a
| time and place may be agreed on to suit
| all. L will gladly work with you to this
| end. AS matters now stand, if those rep
resenting the Nashville conference proceed
to call a convention of their own for April
1898. to nominate a presidential ticket for
the campaign of 1900. it will clearly be a
factional convention. and will inevitably
mean split in the party to the extent Of
its following. This no true Populist
whether so far aligned with one faction
or the other, wants to see, and surely no
true Popullst wants to be responsible for
bringing about such a public Gala lnity. I
am sure that either of would do any
thlnS honorable to prevent it. Therefore,
pardon me to suggest that you al once get
the committee of the Nashville conference
or whoever was authorized and directed 10
90 so to communicate with the national
committee, through it's national chairman
conveying the request for a meeting of said
national committee and stating for what
purpose a meeting is desired 50 that T
can at once submit copy of such request
aEd reasons for the same to each member
OF the national committee and ask his vote
on the question. To expedite matters 7
VIII ask each member Of the national CON-
mittee, when voting on the proposition for
committee meeting, to also vote for the
time and place desired for such q meeting
SO that should a majority of the oOmmittee
vote Tor the meeting 1 can Issue the call
at once. This should be done right away
and the meeting of the Nashville confer
ence committee which you inform me- and
Whlch see from the press, Is called for
jan II, should be postponed until | can
take the referendum vote Of the national
committee. which must be done and thu
result announced according to our plan of
organizatiom within 30 days. But I will
announce the result sooner, if possible
Thls, 1t seems to me. will meet the an
prevail OF all who desire harmony and
p 1 ABOUT united action if anything will
rms done, and we will cause discontinue
to the enemies of good government and
the people-the class of monopolies who
are already gladly proc!aiming that orr
party Is split. To bring about such ra
suit is the patriotic duty of us all, and
assure you that will do my part, and
more II necessary.
In calling a meeting of the national COM
mlttee to consider and pass upon certain
questions at controversy of course If will
DC Understood that all of us will abide bv
us official determination and decision
with the differences of opinion as to marty
policy which now exist any decision tb1+
the committee may reach will necessarily
no. De IN accordance with the opinions and
wishes OF some of us. but If we love our
party ana want to see it act unitedly we
must all abide by the action of the National
Official organization of the party and an-
peal 10 the next regularly called national
convention, where will be assembled tho
regularly elected delegates. fresh and d.
rect from the people of every district in
the nation. 'A
Personally, think the proposition TO cal,
national convention in the spring of 1909
ioi une purpose OF nominating a presiden-
tlal ticket for the campaign of 1900 a very
unWlse and hazardous one For a faction
OF the party to take such action in defiance
nothing less than suicidal Unless we can
ina some candidate whose private and
PUBLIC life, whose record and persona1itv
is stronger and less liable to make errors
than the great and fundamental principles
contained In our PLATFORM then surely n
would be a great mistake for even orr
Whole party to join unitedly and enthus
lastcaNy In nominating a presidential
TICKET more than two years ahead of tho
next campaign. These are nv convictfop.
ana 10 me seem clear from contrOversv vat
IL the national committee, the official or
SdilZdtlon OF the party. decides otherwise
anu callS national convention for the
spring OF 1898, no one will abide bv its action
more loyalty than l will. l would not nre
sumo 10 set up my opinion, however strong
ana clear, against the decision and official
ACTON OF the committee, nor would 7 en-
courage or act with minority that desired
10 90 so. Nothing can be ACCOMPLISHED for
our principles, however just thew are or
however popular they may become without
party organization, and for the minority tn
submit to the majority is the only way we
can nave a united action and an efYectiva
party organization If the time should come
When our convictions on vital Questions ~
principle are so at variance with the nosi
tlon OF our party organization on the sama
that we cannot submit to the action of the
majority, then We owe it to ourselves and
to our party to publicly announce that fact
and to at once withdraw from the party
organization.
But to return. I very glad you have
MADE the timely suggestion that trust will
De the solution OF the whole difficulty
nope that you will move promptly in the