The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1898-06-29
PEOPLES PARTY POLICY
Three Days Struggle at the National
Committee Meeting In Omaha
Last Week.
Butler Retains the Chairmanshtp, p,
but Is ShOrn of His
Power.
He Can Issue No More Fusion Mani
festOs and Argue No More Ref
erendum Questions.
Report of the PrOceedings.

Special Correspondence.
Program for guidance of national
Ing of national committee, Omaha,
June Is, IL, II, 1898.
l. The national Peoples Party nom
mating convention to be held in 1890
one month earlier than either the Demo-
cratic or Republican conventions.
2. No proposition for fusion shall be
entertained by the officers of the ma
tional committee.
3. No advice in the direction of fus-
ion shall emanate from the officers of
the national committee
4. The national committee shall not
interfere with state or local campaigns,
unless 1t should be in favor of the
straight Populist candidate.
5. The calls and referendum notices
to be sent out by the chairman and sec.
retary OF the national committee are to
be so framed as to state simply the
question to be voted on; and the same
shall specify clearly the basis of
representation and apportionment, said
basis to be on the highest Populist vote
cast at the state elections since 1892.
The meeting of the Peoples Party
committee at Omaha last week marks
an era in the history Of the organiza-
ton, equal in Importance and conse-
quences to those other two era-mark-
ing events in it's career-the convention
at Omaha July 4, 1892, and the con-
vention at st. Louis July %, 1896
Populists Of Nebraska are entitled to a
complete, authentic and impartial report
of the meeting 1t is the aim of this
article TO furnish such a report
The call for the meeting of the ma
tional committee at this time when no
national election is pending is the out
growth Of the dissatisfaction in the
Populist party over the conduct of the
campaign of 1885, This dissatisfaction
took organized form chiefly in the states
OF the South and Middle West. Its
principal grounds Of grievance were:
l. Failure of the national Populist
committee to insist on Democratic sup
port of the Populist candidate for vice
president in 1896 as a condition of sup
porting the Democratic candidate for
president. 2. Action Of members Of
the national committee in urging fur
Er.oc
pect of another fusion with the Demo-
cratic party upon a national ticket in
1900.
AS result of this dissatisfaction a
meeting of the so-called 'middle-of-the-
readers" was held last fall at Nashville
and a subsequent meeting at st Louis.
At these meetings a reorganization
committee was selected with Milton
Park, editor of the Southern Mercury,
Dallas, Tex, as chairman. This COM
mittee submitted a referendum vote to
Po0ulists upon the subject of an early
nominating convention for the cam
paign of 1900. Most Of the votes were
cast in the Southern states and of those
voting large majority favored July 4,
1898. Petitions were then sent to
Chairman Butler to call the national
committee together and after taking the
sense of the committee Senator Butler
called the meeting at Omaha
meeting of the national reform
press association was held the day be-
fore the national committee met This
is the same association which met in
Omaha, July, 1892. At that time nearly
all the Populist editors of Nebraska and
the Northwest were active members. A
year ago last winter another meeting
was held at Memphis. Owing to the
distance few If any editors from Kan
sas and Nebraska attended and the as
sociation acquired distinctively mid
dle-of-the-road tendency. At the Oma-
ha meeting last week between 40 and so
editors were present, nearly all from
the Southern and central states and all
in favor of a middle-o -the-road policy.
Nebraska was represented by Mrs. Luna
e. Kellie, Of the Prairie Home, Heart
we'll