The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1898-07-06
WHY He BOLTED.

"A" interesting Letter From a Dele.
gate to the Peoples Party State Con.
vention.
Editor Representatives
Your paper Of the 22d has been re.
celved and It's contents perused with
much satisfaction. l find therein M at
tempt to misrepresent the fusion and
feopie's party state convention, or to
oe unfair with the fusionists. On the
contrary, Mr.. Donnelly does not do him.
SELF Justice in his report of the debat.
between himself and Mr. Owen. He has
given Mr.. Owen all the advantage that
consistency with the truth would a1low
notlce that every plutocratic paper in
the Northwest fastened to espouse tho
cause OF Mr. Owen in their reports of
the affairs, and to belittle Mr.. Donnellv s
complete reply and vindication. Does
lhls not prove who has the sympathy of
lhe gold-bug press? And for years it
mas been the same. Mr. Donnellv has
Deen the target for their continuous as
sauits while Mr.. Owen has been nassed
Dy without comment, except on occas-
lonal mild criticism when he has beon q
candidate.
was temporary secretary of the con-
ventlon Of the 18th and also allied NV
self with the dissatisfied element who
held a Peoples party convention in G.
A. K. hall on the 18th. My purpose in
tnls communication is to explain whv
l "bolted." The preamble to the nlat-
form OF the Peoples party convention,
TO which l had the honor of subscribing
sets forth, in a general way. "the
causes which impelled us to the separa-
ton, but l desire to be more. snecifc
FOR the past year have made it a point
TO read all the arguments in favor of
honorable cooperation" and believing
that the rank and file of the BRYAN
Democrats and silver Republicans near-
~ conceded with the Peoples party in
theories OF government. 1 went as a
delegate to the state convention. hopinp
to assist in allaying factionalsm and
enec'lng that honorable cooperation. :"
belleved the first requisite of honor
able cooperation was the preservation
or each separate party organization for
history records no complete fusion of
aiheo armies until after the battles
nave been fought and won and each a]lv
mas proved to the others it's fidelity on
the held. The plan advocated nv
Messrs. Meighen, Stewart and Long
seemed to me most liberal, most fair.
most reasonable and most honorable
1 could see nothing in it any hon
est co-operationist could object to and
confidently expected it to win. and nv
hopes were UNNECESSARILY strengthened
when L learned that Mr.. Donnelly, the
champion of independent action. had
| consented to it, and further that NJr
Donnelly'S friends had chosen Mr.
Me1ghen as their candidate for temnor-
airy chairman OF the convention. By
accident L was present at the cauc,,s
which selected Mr.. Meighen, heard him
say that he would accept that honor
upon the condition that he be left All
solutely free to make up his committees
10 this the caucus heartily and unani-
mously agreed; Mr.. Eric Olson yOicinr
the prevailing sentiment in the remark
That is just the kind of a man we
want Nothing was said about mid
dle-of-the-road, but all seemed anxious
to put down factions and secure har-
mony and fair deliberations in the con-
vention. And who will deny that TO
put down all factional feeling was the
first duty of every honest man in that
| convention? And was it done? Let ia
| see
The opposition to Mr.. Meighen put I'D
Reishus and S. M. Owen advocated him
in fusion speech! Mr.. Donnelly then
| supported Mr.. Meighen il the interest
! of fairness to all opinions. When the
vote came to be taken, 1, as one of the
secretaries and the only Meighen sup-
porter on the platform. was harassed
| from the beginning to the end of the
| count by questions and other tactics,
| discourteous, If not designing. During
the contest Chairman Gibbs delivered
his famous ruling in favor of the fusion