Evening star., 1898-02-10
L. G. Bateman Says the Populist
Leaders Day is Past.
SAYS BRYAN is A POLITICAL FAKE
Middle of the-Road Faction Will
Nominate Wharton Barker.
REFERENDUM IN OPERATION


the members of the national committee of
the populist party. is now oUtspoken in his
opposition to Senator Butler, who is the
chairman of that committee. At the time
of the natio1al convention of the pcpulist
party held in s.. Louis, in 1896, Mr.. Bate
nan was chiefly instrumental in having
Senator Butler elected chairman of the ma
tIonal committee. At meeting held at the
Lindell Hotel Senator Buffers forces were
led by Mr.. Bateman, and, after long
struggle. Senator Butler elected chair
man by three majority. MIR. Bateman's
change of feeling toward Senator Butler is
typical of the feelings of many in the popu-
list party.
Mr.. Bateman was asked by the cor
respondent of The Star what the populists
intend to do in relation to the proposed fu-
sion with the democrats. He said:
The situation SO far the populists are
concerned. is rapidly clearing. The fusion
tactics of the last two years can never be
repeated. No political party in this country
was ever before dsgTaced ours has been
by its leaders They have fused with every
thing in sight that would bring them an
office. Allen. and Edgerton. In Nebraska.
went over to the democrats completely
This they had right to do. and we find
no fault
Butler Called n Benedict Arnold
Chairman Butler. however. has proven
himself to be the Benedict Arnold of the
century. Every move he has made since he
was made chairman of the national COM
Elittee has been made to advance his own
personal interest. His treachery has been
of the most unblushing kind. He wants to
he reelected to the United States Senate
and knows he cannot be without the aid of
the democrats in North Carolina. For that
reason he has become the abject lick-spittle
ct Bryan and Senator Jones. The news
row reaches us that he and Jones are
about to issue a Joint manifesto advising
complete fusion in the approaching congress
SONAR elections. Jones is the who in
troduced Senate bill No. 2642 to issue $500
"""FD worth of gold bonds to retire the
greenbacks with. A nice man for popuiists
10 fuse with. isn't he?
Butler's course is run A majority of the
popuLst national committee are already
against him, and he will shortly be de-
posed from the chairmanship. In order to
make assurance doub- sure, we shall
wait until most of the states have held
their gubernatorial conventions In these
conventions new national committeeman
will be chosen to take the places of all
fusion members. This method of elccting
members of the rational committee was
adopted at the st. Louis convention
herever the genuine populists are in the
iead tney Will pull down every fusionist
anc elect a new man who is middle-of-
tEe-roader. This We do in every state
except Kansas, Nebraska and the silver
states, so called. We know exactly how
we stand, and by the first week in June
We snail have four-fifths of the national
committee ready for aggressive action.
Butler will be made to walk the plank
without moments hesitation"
viii Butler be reelected to the Senator
PoDulixts VIII Cruelty Butler.
No. The rank and file of our party are
bitter enough to cruelty him. Never was
man so thoroughly hated and despised
as he Is Even the democrats have re-
jected him in North Carolina, and now
there are none SO mean as to 40 him honor
Yes, 1 was the man who presented But
lers Iame to our national committee as
chairman. He was elected by only three
majority after more than a dozen votes
had been taken. 1t is the only political
act of my life of which 1 am heartily
ashamed But, thark God we will soon
pun MIN down from that position which lie
has disgraced.
THE recant meeting of the reorganiza-
tion committee in St. Louis was unan-
nous for independent action and an early
national convention for our party No
more fusion for them This feeling is re-
echoed by the rank and file all over the
country Inc committee did not deem 1t
wise to call national convention at that
time but left the date TO b. fixed by the
rank and file OF the party.
a referendum vote is now being taken
TO see whether the convention shall be
held July of this year, May, 1899 or Feb
rGaTy, 1:SD. There is little doubt that July
"a
OF the party Will vote for that date, accord
ing TO the present Indications This is so
efnihehtiy fair a method of deciding the
matter that even the fusionists concede
the point 1t Is the first time in the history
OF tn country that the Swiss principle of
TIE referendum has been introduced into
the management of a political party
losses are powerless under this method
The rank and file decide the matter for
themselves.
Will Nominate Wharton Barker.
Who will be nominated. you ask Let
me tell you a story The democrats have
been preaching TO US fer two years how
necessary IT Is for us to be patriotic and
rise above party. Perhaps you have no.
ticed that every time we have risen above
the party a democrat has occupied the
drivers seat. Well. We have become so
thoroughly imbue1 with the idea of rising
above party that We going to do il
oEce more You will observe that even
lost on us
We shall nominate Wharton Barker. the
eoitor OF the Philadelphia American The
democrats and their assistants like But
Ter and Allen, would be delighted to have
the dle-of-the-road men nominate an
old-time agitator like Tom Watson or Igna-
tius Donnelly- We all love and honor Tom
watson He is one of Gods noblemen-true
as steel. and a thorough populst But we
realize that should We nominate him the
night would come between the two old par
ties, as usual. The fusonsts would then
go over in a body to the democrats. Oh.
no. the Butier-Jones faction will not see
us get our feet into that trap however
skillfully II may be laid With Wharton
Barker for our candidate we shall have
risen so far above party that even the DEM
ocratic schemers will come to a realizing
sense that We are apt students. You are
goirg to see one of the biggest upheayaIs
In this country the coming year that was
ever witnessed.
Bryan is a back number. and the process
sion has left him far behind. 1t is doubt
full If even the democrats again nominate
him They certainly viii not do so unless he
becomes the abiect tool OF Wall street
Then they would nominate him simply as
decoy duck That he would be perfectly
willing to play his part is more than evi-
dent He Is the biggest political fake of
the century.
Alexander Claremont. who carried Uncle
Sans mail on foot from Green Bay Wis,
to Chicago. sixty-six years ago, is dead,
aged nlnety-seven.