The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-01-11
PEOPLES PARTY PROBLEMS.
Meeting for ReOrgnnizatiOn TO he
Held at st. Louis To-day.


Boston. Jan. l0-Interesting develop
meuts are expected at the meeting for the
reorganization of the Peoples party. which
will be held at ST. Louis tomorrow. The
members of the national committee and
the prominent leaders OF the party will
be present at the gathering, which is the
outgrowth of the Nashville conference
last February.
Shortly after the close Of the national
campaign, George F. Washburn of Boston,
member of the national executive commit
tee, issued an appeal calling on the Pop
ulists to break away from the Democrats
and conduct their fight independently. He
favored the conference at Nashville at
which the present reorganization commit
tee was created.
In November the executive committee
was called together ana issued a cali for
a meeting of The full committee to-mor-
row, and demanded that they issue a coll
for o meeting Of the committee, TO be held
next spring for the purpose of adopting
platform and placing presidential
standard-bearer i'm the field.
This has aroused Mr. Washburn, who
contends that nominating convention
called by any other than the national COM
organization of factions.
He therefore prefers joint meeting of
the two committees above referred to be
held In the spring. that the proposed nom
mating convention be abandoned and that
a plan of action for the party be outlined
and adopted.
He says How shall we preserve our
party. unite It's factions and remedy the
misfortunes that have resulted from dis
union. These are the problems that are
agitating our party to-day. 1T is evident
that the blighting period of inactivity must
cease at once. We must re-establish con-
fidence, inspire hope, arouse enthusiasm
in short we must go to work again in
dead earnest TO accomplish this, it Is
necessary that the party. as a whole,
should move in one direction ana not IN
factions and in diverging lines
Unnecessarily, the first step towards con-
citation and unity of action Is a joint
meeting of the members of the reorganl-
zation committee This board could meet
separately and then confer jointly regard
ing the welfare and the policy of the
party. What better day for the meeting
could be selected than the anniversary of
our party next May? To accomplish this
il win be necessary for the reorganization
committee to abandon the idea of
calling the proposed nominating conVen-
ton next spring. The national committee
could be called by its officers, or through
the referendum, to meet at such time and
place IS might be agreed upon by the two
committees. believe our committee
should give assurance to our people by OIL
cial vote that the national nominating con-
venton should be held prior TO the nation
al nominating committee OF the two old
parties This would serve to aliay sus-
picion. give confidence to and satisfy many
who desire a spring convention because
they fear a repetition of the experience OF
1896 There should be a congressional
committee selected, that We may enter the
congr ressiOnal campaign nest fall with Wig
or and enthusiasm all along the line.
"The silvertes cannot trust our men
when they cannot trust each other; there
fore, If they wish to indorse our candidate,
it Is their privilege TO do so, but let II be
understood that those are Pooulsts who
corine their support 10 their own candl-
dates. Heroic action Ike this would In
spire confidence and thrill and unite our
party more than 10 hold nominating con-
vention 1t would serve to bury anlmosi-
ties than to arouse factional bitterness,
and would cal to activity every worker.
Cannot we unite our forces upon some
conservative mddle-of-the-road plan Ike
this The time Is now at hand. 1t Is time
for the party to speak"