The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-09-08

az Cincinnati this week selected it's
standard bearers for 1850 in ;ss persons
of Wharton Barker. Of Pennsylvania,
fer president and the Errspressib9e Tgna-
tius Dcnne.ly. 81 Minnesota, for yfce
president. II Is described az the small
est national convention CT record, and
IL had the longest platform o. record
1t was z characteristic gathering of
Popglists. The proceedings were 50
vfvacaees that at one ffrse the manager
Of the hall In which the turbulent gath
ering assembled requested them 10 va
cate. as be feared for the security OF
his property.
An elaborate address 20 the people
Of the United States was adopted. in
which Senator Marion Butler. Of North
Carolina. chairman Of their national
committee, was denounced as traitor
and compared 10 Benedict Arnold ia his
betrayal Of the party into the hands Of
the Democrats by means Of fusion. The
adoption Of this address. which was in
corporated bodily into the platform,
caused a bolt Of the Butler men. and
nearly half the delegates present left
the hall. The remaining delegates went
on with their work and proceeded 10
'.reofganize the party
One plank Of the platform adopted
especially denounces Chairman Butler
for attempting ito drive the Populist
party into the Democratic party
The most important action 81 The con-
yenrion was the adoption Of the refer
endum system as the cardinal principle
Of the reorganized party, which pro-
vides that the party should never again
hold delegate convention Of any sort.
national, state. district or local, but
that the nominations for all offices shall
be made through the Initiative and
referendum. or petitions Endorsed by
popular vote" The nominations made
were referred to the referendum of the
voters Of the Peoples party Of all the
states and territories. This will give
the populists an opportunity TO turn
down the ticket selected at Cincinnati,
If they See fit, and select other stand
ard bearers. The convention disclosed
q split in the ranks OF the middle-of-the-
road wing Of the party Of such proper
.ions that II does not seem possible that
the party can ever again become unit
ed. The far-seeing leaders IF the Pop
ulist party fought fusion with the Dem
ocrasg two years ago. because they
! clearly saw the object was To drive the
Populis.s into the Democratic ranks.
There will be no united Populist party
in 1906 There will be- different factions
of the party, each with It's candidates.
but the Democratic party Will have alb
sorbcd the greater number, just as 1t
set cut In do In 1896 This Will result
In the Democratic party absorbing some
Of the vicious doctrines Of the Popu
lists. enough at least To keep the con-
servative element of the party from
participating In the party councils. De
feat will follow and gradually the Dem
ocratIc party will eliminate the vicious
principles IL inherited with it's Fopuist
contingent and will once mere stand
forth the embodiment OF the principles
If the true Democracy Of Jefferson ard
Jackson.
Popullsm has run its course Fusion
has killed whatever was good in It:
prosperity and a return 10 common
sense has destroyed The evil. There viii
be many attempts to revive THE party
by thos. who wish to profit by IL. but
none will succeed. Like an epidemic
| II measles, il has run rs course, and.
! like the measles. it's after effects may
prove worse than the disease. The
| party which absorhs its principles
/ should have this in mind,