The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1898-03-24
THE TEST or PARTY FEALTY
MR.. BROWN OF MASSACHUSETTS,
WRITES ON THE AMENDMENTS
SUBMITTED BY HIM TO THE
NATIONAL Committeeman

SUbmiIt kU BY HIN TO 1HE
NATIONAL Committeeman
\ Referendum Vote Being Taken-He
Takes Mr.. Barker to Task-AIso Several
SeIf-Constituted Leaders Double Deal
ing and Trrachery for Personal Advance
ncnt.
For The CAUCAsIAN.
BROCKToN, Mass, March Il, 1898.
Rule l of the national committee
of the Peoples Party gives any State
convention the right to elect new
members of the committee. | am
the author Of the following four
national committee are now voting
upon, viz:
l. Butno member should be re-
called or suspended during the time
for which he was elected without y
cause beng assigned therefor.
>. Which shall appear in the call
as part OF the business of the con-
vention.
). The member under trial shall
have the right to be heard in his own
defense
4. And the right of appeal to the
national committee.
l had not intended to say word
in advocacy of these positions in de-
ference TO what the national chair
man had felt called upon to say but
the Philadelphia organ of the rest
less, earnest, 1898 Presidential candi-
date assumes to declare what was
the animating motive of these
amendments and on Barkeresqua
style rings phrases and sentences
based upon the one idea that it aims 8
at "bossism" in the Peoples Party.
The position | maintain is this:
The st. Louis platform is the test OF
fealty to the Peoples Party. No
man or set of men or any State con.
vention has any right to impose any
additional test of fealty. If COZ
ventIon IN one State can amend the
test of fealty then a convention in
another State may add its test and
the possible result Of such an admis-
sion is that each State might have a
ditfer Interpretation of what con
stitutes Populist. If a convention
can rejee a member of the national
committee unless he declares enc
fusion'-and Mr.. Barker says they
are doing it and have done lt-theI
the convention can unseat it:
delegates in its own conven
ton who will not subscribe t.
the test mo FUSION Will the ma
tional committeeby its non actor
acquiesce such policy9 Is sact
a policy preventative of the ma
| jority of the party as expressed in it
last national convention?
| The situation which confronts the
party to-day is this: A few me1
have promulgated tho edict that NJ
man is q Populist unless he pro
nounces the Shibboleth "no fusion
1t is not enough for man to sub
scribe to the principles Of the st
Louis platform and abide by the will
of the ma ority; he must also declar
for the cut and dried policy Of these
few mon who not only think tine,
know what is their duty to
day but they compliment them
selves with having such superio
wisdom that they know what thei
duty and the duty Of all other Pop
ulists is to be two years from now
These men have constituted them
selves the critics and the superior
of the National Committee and tn
; national officers. They have decide
upon policy for the party and re
venge for the bitterness engendere
in the last campaign. The egotisr
I of these men has been inflated b
> hypocrites looking for their own ad
vancement, who wear smiling face
for both sides in a discussion, bu
are always alert in aligning then
: selves with the maj ajorlty. Thes
men m eet in secret and weigh ever
committeeman in their balanee-nC
y sis he honest" sis he a patriot "i
J he statesman Twill he use b
3 best Judgment to advance the con
y mon welfare of the county," no, wins
Il they ask is twill he vote with US
> unseat chairman Butler and ele'
a new chairman of the national con
mittee9 ~
. They have got it down SO fine thu
d this Phils delphia organ gives us tt
y information that a "change Of eigl
- members will do it.
y In my opinion there has been do
~ 1, BILE dealing in this trouble; men wi
IL should have labored to find cor
le mon ground upon which all mer
u bers Of the Peoples party could ho
% orably stand and 60 forward wi
a. our principles to victory have n
. done so. They have sought tins
- own personal advancement. l o
so so cred my amendments wholly in t
a. interest of fair play and a squa
70 deal. 1t answered the whole que
" ton, going to the people in the p
"a maries, and both sides of the qus
a. tion coming before each State Co
,;r vention for discussion, That
an proposition is we'll timed is evide
i'd from the disclosures made by \
nd Barker; they furnish every reas
re why amendments should prevail.
". With respect, am truly yours,
% E. GERRY BROWN
do Member National Committee fir.
IN Massachusetts,.
Ce Tur GAucASTAN %1 a voar NJ