Daily capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1896-1899, 1898-02-21
Letter Of {. Kroner
To National Chairman Hon. Marion
Butler
Setting Forth the Affairs Of the Peoples
Party in Oregon.

Under the date OF Portland, Febru.
ary 10, Mr.. Il. Kroner, secretary OF the
executive committee of the Peoples
party, has addressed the following let
Ter to Hon. Marion Butler:
rThe letter OF Mr.. JIG. Young state
chairman Of the Peoples party Of Or
egon, dated January %, replying 70
your request flor information about
the political situation in Oregon, has
had quite general circulation in the
Journals OF this state and partlcu
iarly 10 the Republican papers Con
sidering the Official position OF The
writer, you will agree that Mr.
Youn2's is somewhat remarkable, and
the fact OF its ready publication in
the gold standard press Is even more
remarkable, as IL Is doubtless safe to
assume thai this letter was not given
out for publication by yourself. The
Importance OF this matter must serve
as my excuse for coming before you
with this somewhat lengthy cOmmun-
ication. Mr.. Young had occasion 10
publish his views upon what he made
the subject matter of his letter to you
in the morning OregOnian OF January
"a, published ~ Portland, ard there
seemed no necessity aud certainly
little propriety OF any further prOmul
Cation OF his rancOrOus sentiments In
The gold standard press. Every
thing that occurred 10 me
at the time as answering
his objection TO a Union OF the lie
form elements is embodied 10 letter
answering his, which appeared In the
same paper on January Il, and a.
the question is really not germdne 70
your inquiry, l dismiss II with Ihis
passing mention, being informed that
the above papers nave been malled 10
you. Owing to the great Importance
TO you Of correct information | pre-
sent you here synopsis of the stu
tion in the state referring TO MIR
Young and his letter, when 1t appear
necessary to qualify or contradict his
statements.
The Bryan and Watson votes shows
as you are doubtless aware no ma eTial
decrease from the voting strength OF
two parties, except in a few Instances,
the most notable aud the only i'm
portant one being MultnOmah county
(city of PortlaDd,) outside OF this
county Bryan carried Oregon by over
30OO In Portland Mr.. YOung's in
innate friend Jonathan Bourne, and
"A man who had been elected To the
Oregon legislature by fusion" ar
ranged at the instigatlOn aud under
the direction of Mr.. Young in June
1896, was Ia charge Of the campaign.
The mayor OF Portland had given
him entire CONTROL of the police de-
partment TO prevent fraudulent voting
but the Cleveland Office holders
comb -.led with the selfstyled" respect.
able classes "formed so called" law
and order league"-and paraded the
streets on election day with a pomp-
Gus display of broadclJth coats white
ribbons and stove pipe hats, repeat
ing adlibltum. Mr.. Young's field
marshal proved unable with the en- .
tire police force Of Portland To pre-
vent this, in fact he never tackled
these men at all, presumably on ac-
count Of their social prominence.
This, together with the customary
intimidation Of employees resulted IN
reducing the Bryan votes about 400
and increasing the Mckinley vote
about 1000 Thus IL was that Nc
Kinley carried Oregon. But this does
not show that any dissatisfaction
exls. ed Ia Oregon. 1t rather shows
that the Populists supported
Bryan Loyalty and | think more 10y
ally than the Democrats aud careful
scrutiny OF the vote by precincts sup
ports that conclusion In IA general
way,
| have never found single eX-
preston Of dissatisfaction in the
many communications that constantly
pour into our papers and surely the
dissatisfaction which Mr.. Young
speaks OF could not have escaped the
notice OF yigilant perenniel corre-
spondent from the country whenever
populst in that part of the country
Is dissatisfied you generally hear from
him, Mr.. Young's case, think, illus
Lrates that sufficiently.
Mr. Young's declaration that the
Debs organization will lot become
active in Oregon, unless fusion Is
had aud that II then will and absorb
at once 1900 population amounts to
saying, that the De6sists propose to