Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1898-09-07
THE COMMITTEES MEET AND CONFER

The Populist and democratic commit
tees met in this city last Saturday and
each fixed the date of the county con-
vention OF the respective parties for
Saturday, Sept. II, 1898.
There was no dlff1ulty In arriving at
a conclusion 80 far as dates were con-
cerned but when it was proposed to CON
fer with view to arriving at a salts
factory fusion arrangement between
the two parties it was found to be a
perplexinR matter. Each committee
appointed conference committee. The
committee on behalf of the Populist
committee appointed by Chairman
Cant consisted of r. M. Smith, H. G.
Wake. and Ed. Blaich. The commit
tee appointed by Chairman Southworth
OF the democratic committee consisted
of DR.. Corn, t. G. Nichols and s. K.
W. Field. 1t was understood that the
conference could do nothing binding on
the part of either OF the central COM
mittees but that each committee re-
serve the right to accept or reject all or
any part of the report that might be
made.
The conference was In session about
an hour before any agreement was
reached, and when the Populist COM
mittee received the report, it was re-
Jected and another proposition was
submitted. The democratic cammittee
took the latter under advisement until
the Saturday morning previous to the
conventions when they hope to have a
better attendance.
The proposition as agreed upon by
the conference committee was that the
democrats be given the offices of repre-
sentative and county attorney; that the
Populist convention haye the power to
select the democratic candidate for
representative but the democrat con.
vention have the right to accept or re-
Ject candidate; the democratic conyen-
ton have the exclusive right to select
the candidate for county attorney and
that the Populists bind themselves to
accept such candidate. This report was
agreed upon by all OF the members of
both conference committees except Ed.
Blaich of the Populist committee, who
did not agree to allow the democrats
more than one ofice-the Office of rep
resentatlYe.
The entire report, as previously stat
ed, was rejected by the Populist central
committee and the following PROPOSE.
ton was submitted on a majority vote
OF the committee: That the democrats
be given the offices of clerk of the dis.
trlct court and county attorney. The
mattec Is stllope and will undOubted-
~ remain open until the conventions
arrive at decision.
If our information is correct, tho XII
owa democrats are determined to nom-
mate their man for representative and
they make no other claims, while the
Medicine Lodge democrats saw thew
must have couaty attorney and as much
more as they can get. 1t was an easv
matter. therefore, for the democrats to
come together by taking both, and IL
was not difficult for the Conferences
committee to agree although there was
one balk; but when the full Populist
committee passed Judgment there was
a new arrangement on the tapis.
The INDEX does not understand that
1t is within the power of committees to
parcel out the offices nor to consum.
mate any fusion arrangement. That is
a matter the conventions must decide.
The committees represent only q small
minority or the people and they can do
nothing more than satisfy individuals.
This Is question that should be set
tied by ALL the people, who affiliate
with the parties, and the place TO set
tie it is in the parties primaries. II the
people favor fusion it is their duty to
are opposed TO fusion it is just as much
their duty to say so. We do not believe
in deIegatirg powers TO q select few
who happen to be appointed on COM
mIttee. That is the republican way of
handling a convention. The people
can always be trusted but committees
Henerally obey the machine.