The Topeka state journal., 1899-11-22
CLEMENS SARCASTIC.
Says Meeting of POpuIist Committee
Is In Reality Conference of


In discussing the meeting of the Popu-
list committee G. c. Clemens said to
Journal reporter:
Il have no information as to the inten-
tiOnS of the Democratic gentlemen who
are here to hold a meeting of the Populist
they were coming until read it in yester-
days newspapers. The chairman promiS-
ed me, sometime before the election, that
he would let me know when he called the
comynittee together, so that some of US
might call conference of Populists at
the same time, but his letter has probably
gone to the dead letter office; it failed
to reach me Neither nave been invited
to even remain in the city during the
sessions of the committee. have almost
MADE up my mlnQ Ihat the committee
has decided to try to get along some how
without my presence and advice 1 am
inclined to think that the chairman acted
wisely in not notifying me: for what has
a mere POpulist to do with it anyhow?
ance enough from the two or three Pop
ulists who through somebody's blunder-
ing at the state conVentlon last year were
appointed members OF the POpulist state
iq committee tee and and p0pHSt eonfeFenfe @ f
gentlemen who yearn for harmony above
Although have not been invited to be
present, l take an interest in the pro-
cee9diIpg&s; & and although 7 have not been
give some. Firstly, since the state re-
union of old soldiers, the anti-expanSion-
1st crusade seems to have stopped some
where for a hand-out; so far as Kansas
Journal Of last Sunday a week came out
editOrially and declared that the AIneri
manded that Mr.. Bryan should get off his
perch and advise Democratic cOngressmen
national committee has just had a meet
ing and has been very mild about anti
heard as an objectionable hereto for
having had sense enough to see some
of my party are just beginning to per
ceive? It is not right. My next sugges-
tiOn is that when the committee begin to
consider for what particular offices on
the POpuliSt state ticket POpuliStS shall
exclude Populists altogether, and give all
the places TO the party represented by the
ulist should be allowed to commit pOliti-
cal suicide by accepting a nomination on
ticket can be elected. I have one other
suggestion to make. Some days ago I
gan that the old time POpulists who wish
to be reasonably conservative and so are
Goebel, Whitney and Mclean in their
radical wild-eyed reform crusade, are to
or somebody-by the Democrats who act
as leaders of the Populist party. Ny ad-
Our dearly beloved chum, Aguinaldo, tried
that. He persistently relegated the TWen-
have to record that AguinaIdo was not
happy. Might not the committee find it
unpleasant if the relegated PODuliStS
should be as unl1ind as the fighting Twen-
I wish to warn all genuine Populists
that the very existence of their party is
at stake; that men appointed to build
that I have opportunity to know and that
my accusation is deliberate. Anything
to beat the Republicans is not the doc
trine Of the Omaha platform; What
avails to beat the Republicans if we beat
them with men who think and feel like
Republicans? The most atrocious mill
tartsm' ever practiced anywhere on earth
in modern times, not even excepting Rus
sia. has been practiced in Idaho against
defenseless miners and by a governor
elected on the Chicago platform. Have we
our allies in the state senate at the spec
ial session? Were they not Republicans
in their votes on every important meas
ure? Some party will stand for the poor
in Kansas next year. If the Populist
party is no longer able to do so because
it has been captured by its foes, there will
be. another party with which men who
heIiaNa in something Nnfe -