The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-01-14

been stormy one. The end of the mat
ter was that this week Mr.. Grimes ad-
dressed letter to Mr.. Virgil Hobbies of
the free silver forces, saying that he had
entered into an agreement for an inter-
partisan convention in good faith, but
for fear he might have misrepresented his
party, he now desired to leave it to a
caucus of the Republican delegates
whether they should take separate action
and adjourn without going into a joint
convention with the free silver forces or
to go into joint convention.
As each party in the original arrange
ment contemplated having a separate
convention in the afternoon of convention
day for the purpose of resolving for free
homes, this plan appeared very plausible.
There is a dispute as to the subsequent
events in the matter. The followers of
Mr.. Grimes say that Governor Barnes
and his forces, not content with getting
the first concession out of Grimes, came
to Kingfisher with the purpose of resolv-
ing in favor of the national and terrific
rial administrations, and for free homes
and adjourning without a word on state
hood. ThecGrimes men said that Barnes
was against statehood and wanted to
ignore it.
When asked about this, Harper Gun
ningham, representing Barnes, said: 1--WE
came here fighting the plan of fusing with
the free silver forces for statehood, and
not fighting statehood. Everybody is for
statehood. But we do not propose to
counsel with the opposition. We have the
ell 10 6oI,
paign and it is not consistent to join with
them politically in anything. We did not
come here fighting statehood"
In contradiction of this the Grimes men
say that Governor Barnes did come here
to fight statehood in the Republican con-
vention, to ignore it entirely, that Mr.
Grimes had a hot conference with the
governor and warned him that If he at
tempted to ignore statehood in the reso-
buttons, Grimes would pass a resolution
denouncing the territorial administer ion.
No one seems to know just what took
place at this conference. which was held
in Governor Barnes room in the hotel
this morning. The Grimes following says
that their leader announced that state
hood must be endorsed or a big row
would be brought on; that Secretary Jen-
kins. Governor Seay and Jake Admire
backed up Grimes, also Marshal Thomp-
son, and that eventually Harper Cunning
ham advised the governor to accede,
which Mr.. Barnes did at last with re-
luctance.
The resolutions which were then agreed
upon, to be presented to the Republican
convention, favored free homes, endorse
ment of national and territorial admins
trations and re-afirmed the position on
statehood Of the congressional territorial
Republican convention of last year towit:
Statehood with boundaries as congress
may see fit to fix.
While the Republicans were wrangling
over these points the free silver forces
were standing by watching the fun. They
took it good naturally that they had been
invited 10 cooperate with the Republicans
and upon arriving found some of the Re
publicans who were unwilling to asso-
ciate with them. On statehood they were
divided with as much irregularity as were
the Republicans. Some of the free silver
men wanted immediate statehood; some
Of them didn't want it az all. one county
instructing against any statehood some
wanted statehood for Oklahoma alone:
some wanted it only if the Indian Terri
tory should he included.
There was among the free silver forces
no appearance of leadership.
This was the situation UP to the moment
the Republican free homes and statehood
convention met in the opera house at
2:S0 o'clock in the afternoon.