The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-05-18
An Address to the Straight Mid
die of the Readers.
PULL TOGETHER OR BOLT
Effort to Secure Endorsement of Whar-
ton Barker and Ignatius Donnelly
for Standard Bearers in 1900
Unavailing- The Plan.

tional organization of the peoples par
ty with the Endorsement of the Ma
tional Reform Press association. These
two bodies, whose common object is to
keep the populist party in the middle
of the road, avoiding fusion with other
political parties everywhere, had been
in session here since Tuesday morning,
and the adoption of the address con-
Guided their labors.
All was not harmony among the mid
dle-of the-road leaders, and only after
long and heated discussions was an
address agreed upon. A hard fight
was made to secure the Endorsement
of Wharton Barker and Ignatius Dom
nelly for president and vice president
to recommend. Instead thorough
organization of the middle f-the-road-
ers in very section of the country is
urged with the understanding that
they shall enter the next national cam
palgn with the present populiSt organ
ization, but wherever fusion shall gain
the day. whether in county, state or
national, the middle-of- the-roaders
shall bolt and begin an active campaign
to carry out their principles.
The alleged fusionist tendencies of
Marion Butler chairman of the populist
national committee, were protested
against in a clause which authorizes
the national organization committee to
call a national convention if they shall
be convinced that the national chair
man or the national committee are
playing into the hands of the fusion
lists. The address of the committee in
substance follows:
That the voters of the nation may
feel assured that the peoples party
shall not again be betrayed in national
convention or its working forces pass
ed into the hands of the enemy, and
to inspire confidence among the masses
In the integrity of our acts and SINGER
ity Of our demands for independent
action as a party, we respectfully sub
init to the people of the nation the
following plan of action
'F1rst-That the national organiza-
uon committee hereby instruct it's
chairman to proceed with the forma-
tlon OF peoples party precinct clubs in
all the states on the plan recommended
by the Cincinnati convention of Sep
TENDER, 1898, or some relative plan and
to appoint in each state, not having
members already selected, three mem
bers of the national organization COM
mittee, and with the assistance and
| advice of these committeeman, to Sc
| lect the state organization committee
OF the same number of members as the
| then existing state committee. and
| through these committeeman to organ
| ize as far as possible organization
| committees in congressional districts,
| counties and veting precincts Wher-
| ever it is positively known that these
members of national, state and other
| committees now existing are unuuali-
| RI FIJI ats :
the old parties and for independent,
straightforward action by the peo-
pies party, they are to be selected as
members of the several organization
| committees.
'Second-It shall be the duty of these
| several committees to use all honor
| able means to secure the election of
| delegates to the ST. Louis convention
leading up to the nominating presiden-
tial convention of 1900, who are OPP
posed to fusion; and failing in this,
to provide for and send contesting dele
gates to these several conventions
That is to say, if those who are op-
posed to fusion are unfairly or dishon-
orably treated in the county conven-
ton, they shall send a delegation to
contest the seats of the fusion de1ega-
ton in the state convention.
IF the state convention is controlled
in the interest of fusion and against an
pleS'S party policy, as soon as this is
determined the middle Of the road dele
cations shall leave the convention and
uniting with the contesting delegations
shall hold another state convention and
send a contesting delegation from that
state. Should the national convention
be controlled by straight populists, al
delegates sent under this plan shall
| feel themselves in honor bound to nomi.
nate candidates for president and vice
| president recommended by the referen
dunn vote, provided in the judgment OF
the national organization committee.
SHOULD the national convention o.
1900 be controlled in the interest o.
'fusien,' the straight delegations shall
leave said convention and join the con
testing delegations sent under this plal
in a straight convention and there tt
carry out the will of the populists o
the nation without regard to the fusion
convention.
I'm this case, the national organiza
tion committee and the state, district
county and precinct committees, or
eanized under this plan, shall be recog
nized as the only committees haVlns
any authority in the affairs of the PEG
pies party.
committee fail to issue the call for
national peoples party conventio
within due time, in the discretion of III
national organization committee, sal
organization committee shall then Pre-
, coed to issue call for a national con
vention.
I'VE offer this plan of action KNOWN
: that it will. first. show to every populls
that we are willing to remain in goo
, fellowship with our fusion brethre
with whom we have differed in the pas
in accepting distasteful allegiance wit
the enemies of the peoples party; pro
yided they will, with US, stand square
ly on the original principles of the PAL
l ty and the lines of action intended b
its founders, who declared in Omahs
in 1892, that the two old parties Wer
{ Jointly responsible for the miseries +
the people and the unjust legislatio
which oppressed them, second, If the
: | refuse to do so, that we wish them
know that we can go with them n
further preferring to adhere to tn
grand principles of untainted populisi
= than to traffic in those sacred prime
pies for personal or political advance
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