The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1899-12-28
THE POPULIsT CONVENTION.
What Are We to Do:

what Are We to Do.
In another column we print lette
from Senator Butler, of North Carolina
chairman of the national committee O
the Peoples party of the United States
to the members of his committee, ask
ing when the national convention ha(
better be held and whether the silver
Republicans should be invited to meet
at the same time and place
| This. on the. face of it, seems all right
| We hope it is all right We have no de-
| sire to prejudice or denounce Senator
| Butler. If he does his duty no man will
be more ready to indorse and sustain
him than ourself. The action taken at
Omaha and Cincinnati, in 1898, by the
radical and earnest members of the
Peoples party was not intended to split
up the organization into hostile factions
but to guard the life Of the party against
the secret Vaccinations of those who
desired to destroy it, and turn over it's
membership to the Democratic party
We did not help to organize the Peo-
pies party at Cincinnati St. Louis and
Omaha. in 1891 and 1892, simply to re-
store the old party of Buchanan and
Cleveland 20 power, but to create a new
organization which, we fondly hoped,
would drive both the Democratic party
and Republican party off the face of the
earth forever.
II we have not succeeded in doing this
before this time 1t has been because of
false and shallow leaders, who were so
eager for the offices that they were
ready to sacrifice the party and slay il
then and there.
What are we to do now?
Our own national committee, of the
radicals, decided at Kansas City that
events were not ripe for us to make
nominations without a national con-
vention; and that "the apostolic success
sion" rested on the head of Senator But
Ter and his committee; and that we
must respect and follow them until it
became perfectly evident that they had
sold us out to the enemy, and were de-
termined to murder the party of which
they were the regularly constituted
leaders.
But they also told us that whenever
1t became evident that our commanders
had sold out, like Benedict Arnold for
price, we were under no more obliga-
ton to follow them than the soldiers of
1776 were to follow Arnold The COM
mites advised us to go to that conven-
ton ready to honestly accept results If
they were honestly attained, but ready
Glso to withdraw in body if it became
evident that the party was to be betray-
ed and delivered over to Democracy,
whether the bait was William Jennings
Bryan or anyone else.
Thus everyone will understand that
the Populist national convention is UNI
derlaid with dynamite ten feet thick
and that treachery or trickery will fire
it instantly, and blow Democracy to the
skies; and will leave such sentiment |
among the voters as will end the D. !
O. P. forever on this continent.
1t has been continuous fraud ever |
since the days of that old fox, Martin !!
Van Buren,; but the meanest fraud it |
has ever attempted has been it's effort |
to destroy the new party of reform by |
that 1--WE all think alike"
when nearly one-half of it is as devoted |
TO plutocracy as are the Republicans
And SO, friends our advice is to carry
a white flag in your left hand and re-
peating rifle in your right hand. Do all
you can to unite all who honestly desire
he success of the Omaha platform, but
start grave yard first for the perpetual
'epose of all traitors.
AS to inviting the Free Silver Repub-
leans to meet at the same time and
place, we fear it will amount to nothing
they constitute sentiment, not a party
Their national committee has already
esolved in favor of meeting at the same
ime and place as the Democrats! They
lave never shown any desire to cooper
tie with the Populists. They preferred
he party of Clement Vallandigham
md. David B. Hill. Their leader, Sen
tor Stewart, of Nevada, has already
eturned to the Republican fold. Towne
s uttering two words about expansion
where he says one about silver.
If they would come to meet us as
riends we should give them cordial
Welcome; but if their presence is design
d simply as an ambuscade, behind
which Democracy shall shelter itself,
nd bring a tremendous pressure to bear
pom our convention, with fanfaron-
de in favor of Bryan, then we want
othing to do with them.
The Peoples party must live. 1T
HALL NOT DIE.
1t is not an ostrich feather to be
tuck in the tail Of either of the old
arties, but a grand organization to de-
end the republic and save mankind.