The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-10-26
Their County Committee Unwill-
ing to Name the Issues.
LOOKS LIKE A GAME OF BLUFF
Chairman Ruttcr Writes u Character
istic Letter to Chairman kntck-
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. to Discuss
Questions Raised by Fusion Plat
forms-EusiOnistS Evidently Not
Anxious for q Joint Debate.

The fusion county central committee has
been placed in an altogether UnenSaaole po-
Sition by the Republican county committee
The fuSonisVs challenged Ute Republican
committee to d series Of joint debates. Ihe
Republicans replied by asking the fusion
lists TO state the issues, as aaI0 down IN the
fusion platform upon which the speakers
representing the two parties should come
together. The fusloniSas have replied oy
insinuaiing that the request oi NE hepuo-
liciIs Was not made in good faith. and IN
propounding a number Of silly inquiries
concerning the Repu oican state platform.
The Republican county committee yeSter-
day received the reply OF the fusionlsts. 1t
is printed herewith. Ii must be remembered
that the Republics sought 10 obtain from
the fusion committee d succinct statement
OF the ISSUES as LAID down by the fusion
platforms that The deoaters might SO
before the people and talk upon some given
series of public questions. THIS is the very
thing the fusionsts do not want. The SIN
gle tax. initiative and referendum, the fu-
sion record ass made by the last legislature
and kindred subjects are matters about
which the fusonists want nothing said IN
this campaign.
As illustrated by the fusion ora tors and
press. the fusion campaign is being made
on false ISSUES. and The aim OF the Republic
cans 10 pm the fusion speakers down to
the questions raised in the EnenSburg plat
forms has been frui;less up 10 dale
The following r. the reply sent 10 Chair
man knickerbocker. of the Republican
county committee. yesterday by the fusion
county committee:
County Central Committee Of the Repub-
Ncan Party. City:
'Gent!enRn~W We acknow ledge the receip,
Of your conimuniCi ton in regard 20 our
challenge for joint discussions We are
compelled 10 say that i, looks like an eva
sion.
The union platform of the Peoples par
~ IS plain and distinct and all the elements
that adopted that platform stand sauareiy
upon it
THE Peoples party the Democratic par
~ and the silver Republican party ea Oh.
nave expressed their own particular views
IN their separate platforms. and we can
not eoncede ulat there is any ambiguity
about any plank in either of them
Your platform contains plank upon
the Nicaragua canal. which is as follows
We demand the completion of the Mic
araEua canal as United States waterway
al the earliest practicable time. and pledge
our nominees for representatives in con-
gress. when elected. to use their best. ef-
forts towards this end
We might. with as much propriety. ask
you how you Interpret that plank of your
Platform, and whether you mean the canal
snail he constructed. owned and operated
by the government. or whether you mean
to complete it by having the government
'Hh''Se1 Tue VeiluS on W arner Ml!ierS COM
pany, or turn il over 10 that company or
some other great corporations
This plank must he interpreted. not by
what you say about t. hut in the light of
the record Of your party
Again. You say IN your platform: We
recommend 4 national system, of irris-a-
ton Do Won mean one 20 BE- cons trl,c.e1
owned and operated ny the government or
do YOU mean 4 system of irrigation CON
Structs1i by some great trust throucfl and
by the Endorsement of its bonds by the gov
ernment' And to he owned and operated
ny trust that VIII squeeze the last ceT
out OF those sub iected To it's dominion
Again. You say: Firmly believing in
the principle Of equal rights to all and spa-
ciai privileges 10 none, we recommend to
the voters Of The state careful considera-
ton OF the proposed constitutional amend
ment granting equal suffrage
We might ask what YOU mean hv this
vague language? Are you for or ara:r,k,t
the PopuliSt amendment to the cnnStit,,-
ton granting equal suffrage? If Won are
for It, WHY did you not say so in direct Ian
guage"
Platforms YOU refer 10, must h. Interpreted
hv Their own language and the record Of
the pdffN pronulgating each. We cannon
recognize any right upon vour part to in
snuate that the ISSUES presented nv oar
Joint pla form or bv the platform, ~ either
specihc and deainlie than those presented
by YOUR own
an Won DO no; desire iont dfScs,=Sir,,,
npcn the issues a. they are presented Nv
the platforms. - manly about +; and say
SO Yours respectful
wv . RI1T~TER. Chairman
IVY. II. MIDDLETON. Secretary.
NJ b PARKINSON. from New York
teacher 81 piano ard voice. NAV be ad-