The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-01-05
By These Means They Will
Thrust Their Ticket to
the Front First.
Not Later Than March Is.
That Is the Limit Fixed in
the Resolution Adopted by
Last Nights Meeting.

Anything that savored Of fusion or
that deviated in the least from the ex-
act attitude of true-blue PopuIism
gauged by the standard of the Omaha
PLATFORM" was in disfavor at the mass
meeting, as 1T was termed, of Populists
OF the state, which assembled at Mar
ket hall yesterday morning.
Inc hall was chilly and the attend
ance was small, so the opening of the
People's party achievements was not
very inspiring, save for its reminiscent
interest. Few as they were, the men
present were thoroughly representative
beyond dispute Of that school of Popu-
hsm which avows its determination to
die in the last ditch Populism for
Populists and the Populists for all
might epitomize the spirit of yester-
days gathering.
The leaders OF the meeting were not
dispirited at the small attendance.
They say more will be here today, the
annual convention of the Farmers ALI
ance also opening
There were, perhaps, seventy-five
present when the morning session
opened.
Ignatius Donnelly explained that.
while he did not desire to appear at all
as dictator, he thought that there was
general feeling throughout the state
in favor of John Lind for governor
and he believed that the Populists
might nominate the New Ulm man as
an independent candidate before any
OF the other parties held their nomi-
mating conventions.
l.. ID. Foster called the convention to
order, and l.. c. Long was chosen tenn
porary chairman, DR.. Fay, of Minneap-
oils, temporary secretary.
Mr.. Long expressed a curiosity. in
accepting the honor, to know whether
the Populist of the future was to be
pure-bred or mongrel.
On motion of P. H. Rahilly, of Lake
City, Mr.. Donnelly was called to the
platform to speak on the purposes of
the meeting, which were, primarily, he
said, to forestall the fusionsts
"One gentleman, said Mr. Donnelly-
Maj. BoWler-haS gone so far as to say
that this meeting is to be Jim Hill
affair. because Archbishop Ireland is to
address the Farmers Alliance, which is
In no way allied to us. This is the
meanest attack l ever have seen dur
ing my political career. Hundreds of
good men have thus been bulldozed
and intimidated from coming here"
1t was high treason to the party on
the part Of the fusionists to try and
force the anti-fusionists into paths they
did not care to 60 Said he:
when, in 1890, we met in conven-
tion in Cincinnati to form a peoples
party; when 5000 volunteers met in a.
unanimous effort to form a new organ
iZation, we did not intend then nor do
we intend now, to become a recruiting
| office for the Democratic party"
Mr.. Donnelly said he felt Bryan's
nomination was not a Spontaneous ac-
cident," but cunningly devised plan
arranged months before to save the
party in the recent campaign There
were so many men among the Populists
who wanted to go to congress or hold
some other office that the very aims of
fusion were defeated. He concluded:
1--WE cannot go into fusion because
fusion means disintegration and de-
| struction. My idea is this That the
silver Republicans think of nominating
John Lind. He is, of course nothing to
me. He is a good Populist in spirit,
but has never allied himself with US.
| We should not indorse any man for
| governor now. But we should pass
resolutions calling on John Lind to run
as an independent candidate. After
that we could nominate him Then we
would nominate a good POpulist for
| lieutenant governor without consulting
any one. The Democrats could indorse
| him If they wanted to. l believe we
would carry the state"
| Mr. Foster said the convention was
not fighting for Lind, Donnelly or any
other man, but for a principle. Who
! ever was selected must be asked TO
stand on the principles OF the party;
| if he refused he could go.
| c. B. Maben, of Minneapolis. remark
| ed that he could not understand why
any middle f-the-road Populist could
! GiGtantlU in6OrSQ q
governor and Democrat for lieutenant
| governor. Unless the candidates were
taken from the ranks of the non-fu-
sionists he would withdraw.
The selection of a permanent chair
| man was then taken up. A committee
| on nominations recommended Temper
ary Chairman Long, but he declined
| Mr.. Donnelly moved that DR. John
son be made permanent chairman, but
]. B. Dukes objected. If Mr.. Long de-
clined, Mr.. Dukes insisted, the commit
| tee of five should make the nomination
for the place. While the committee
was being chosen, Dr. Christian John
son, of Willmar, was called on for
speech at the suggestion of Capt. Mel
son of Minneapolis.
DR. Johnson said he did not come to
| speak, but to listen. He did not ap-.
| pear as an extreme partisan, but he did
believe in the principles of the Peoples
| party as it avowed them in 1894 He
was an anti-fusionist, however, and he
thought the mistake of two years ago
should teach the Populists to avoid
fusion hereafter. The loss of the con-
gressman in the Seventh district, he
said, was due directly to fusion, with
| the attendant circumstances which
| made the Pops appear as an appendage
! of the Democratic party. 1t drove those
Populists who had originally been Re-
| publicans back into that party. He
had himself supported John Lind, his