The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1898-01-26

Majority of the National Com nit
tee Was Hostile to Such Meeting,
When the Question Was Never
Submitted to Them.
Strange as it may appear and in con.
tradction to the general report that the
national organization committee were
secessiOniSts'' Revolutionary" and
"disrupters" Of the Peoples party, to
them and to them only is the credit due
that the party today Is In a fair way to
harmonic the different factions into one
great harmonious political party.
The radical action Of the Southern
members Of the national committee to
sever their connection with what Is
known as the Butler committee was The
leading feature of the conference. The
resolution introduced by Mr. Livings-
ton, of Missouri, member Of the nation
al committee, was supported by nearly
every member of the national committee
present for two whole days, and as Wig
OrOusly opposed by the organization
committee, who advocated a conservative
and harmonizing policy and even finally
VIGOROUSLY inducing Mr.. Livingston to
withdraw his separation resolution"
Much credit is due to ]. B. Dukes, of
Minnesota, j. S. Hagan, secretary Of
state from Montana Mr. Weeks of
Iowa; j. H. Ferris, of Illinois; Table, of
Michigan; Steinberger of Kansas, and C.
ID. Morgan, of Arkansas, for their active
support of the conservative resolutions
adopted.
BUTLER DENOUNCED.
The writer's of these items in the
past mas been charged, by parties in this
state, with being rebel to the authority
OF the national committee of the Peo-
pies party. He has been upbraided for
acting without authority on matters
which he thought of the greatest I'M
portance to the welfare of the Peoples
party. He has been denounced by those
same parties for his "pernicious &C
ttvity' as Grover Cleveland would say,
and reminded that Mr.. Butler was a very
call the national committee together
whenever asked to do SO by three mem
hers of the national committee The
excuse given by those supporters of Mr..
Buffers action was that three men,
bers of the national committee could not
be found who would ask him to call the
committee together" thus indorsing his
action by the negative. In order to test
this question l asked in the conference,
If there were any three delegates pre-
sent who had ever petitioned Mr. Butler
to call such meeting of the national
committee? Mr.. Tracey, of Texas, re-
piled that the three national committee
men of his state did so petition him.
Col. Frank Burkitt, of Tennessee, said
the three members from his state, Of
which he was chairman, had also petit
toned Butler to call such a meeting
Gen. Coxey, of Ohio, said his state also
had petitioned. So did Iowa and Indi-
ana.
l then asked the question of those
members present, of the national COM
mittee, how many propositions of the
above character were ever submitted to
them to vote upon or were ever received
by them from Mr. Butler, and the an
swer was none
| then asked the question: What
report did Mr.. Butler give you upon your
propOsitiOn?' The answer from Butler
in each case was "a majority of the COM
mittee are not in favor Of the proposi-
ton.
This revelation created a sensation and
was the cause of much indignation and
hard feeling towards Mr.. Butler aud
those members Of the national commit
tee who Endorsed his action; and was
one OF the chief causes for introducing
the Radical resolution"
The national conference also adopted
the national chartered club plan as the
most effective for organizing the party,
and the organization committee of the
Northern and Northwestern states was
requested to complete circuit wherein
Hon. Thomas E. Watson, of Georgia.
would tour the North during state con-
ventions in the next couple OF months
The Southern state were also requested
to secure Hon. Ignatius Donnelly, of
Minnesota, to tour the South The
state of Georgia offers to guarantee the
expenses of Mr.. Watson in his Northern
tour. Mr.. Watson will appear at In
dianapolis on Feb 2, at the Indiana
state convention. What is the matter
with securing Mr. Watson for our March
18th state convention?
j. G.. HANLEY,