The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1899-05-25
WHAT WAS DONE.



The gathering of the organization
committee of the Peoples Party, and the
Reform Press Association, at Kansas
City, Mo-, on May 1918, was a very in
teresting and important occasion.
We print their concluding resolutions
elsewhere in this issue; also the address
of Frank Burkitt, the reelected presi-
dent of the Reform Press Association.
The action taken will be disappoint-
ment to great many earnest Populists.
We felt, for one, constrained to oppose
it; and yet it may work out all right.
That very able and consistent Popu-
list, Paul ]. Dixon, of the Missouri
World, led the debate. He argued that
the action of the Cincinnati convention,
in doing away with all future state and
national conventions, had met the hearty
approval of the Populists of his state,
and had inspired the first enthusiasm
manifested since the sell-out to Democ-
racy in 1896. He feared that the pro-
posed action would be viewed as
crawling back under the wing of Marion
Butler; that the Democrats would pack
the national convention of 1900, and
either indorse Bryan outright, or put up
some Populist stOOl-pigeOn, who would
decline few weeks before election, and
leave us the helpless prey of the fusion
lists.
The editor of The Representative in
the course Of the debate expressed SUBJ
stantially the same views. He added
that he was handicapped by the fact
that he had, without any solicitation on
his own part, been nominated for vice.
president; and the meeting might think
he was simply fighting for his honors.
But, he SAID, his resignation was at all
times at the service of the party; he was
as ready to battle in the rear rank as in
the front rank. He thought the pro-
posed action while we'll meant, was I'M
wise and would be injurious to the party.
N. H. Motsinger, editor of the Shoales,
Ind, Referendum, made strong speech
on the same side.
To this it was replied, with cogency
and force, by ex-Congressman Hon. L.
H. Weller, of the Advocate, Independ-
Steinberger, of the Girard World, Kan
sas; Joel A. Parker of Texas; James H.
Ferris, of the Joliet, ILL.,, Daily News; w.
S. Morgan, of the Buzz-Saw, Arkansas:
7 ~ o+I
ers.
1. That the proposed resolutions in
dorsed the plan of the Cincinnati con-
vention of September, 1898, and directed
the national chairman, Hon. Milton
Park, of Texas, to organize the whole
country with reference to clubs, as pro-
posed by that convention.
2. The resolutions declared for the
taking of referendum vote, as propos-
ed at Cincinnati, through each club upon
the question of nominating Messrs. Bar
ker and Donnelly for president and vice.
president, or any other parties receiving
the highest number of such votes, so
that the work of the Cincinnati conven-
ton is not abandoned. but to be carried
out in good faith.
g. That the Peoples Party could not
possibly win unless all Populists were
united at the ballot box; and this could
only be had by national convention
They urged that the Cincinnati conven-
ton was participated in by but a small
percentage of the members of the party,
and that the others did not feel bound
by it's action; or by any other action in
which they did not have a share
4. That while it was true that the
Democrats and fusionists might try to
pack that 1900 convention, the Populists
would be fOrewarned, and ought to be
able to defeat any such scheme; and
that the referendum clubs would be a
great aid in such work. Moreover, the
disposition to fusion would not be as
strong as it was in 1896 or 1898, for every
one knew that such a combination of
discordant elements had produced dis
aster and defeat wherever it had been
tried; it had reduced our representation
in congress and in the state legislatures
to a minimum, and even the Democrats
were now repudiating it.
S. If the Democrats and fusionists,
however, did control the 1900 Populist
national convention, then the resolu-
tons directed the Mid-Roaders to with
draw and put up their own ticket. This
would discourage fusion, because the
Democrats would see that even if they
captured our convention, "the goods
could not be delivered" They could say
with Macbeth:
upon my head they placed fruitless
crown,
And put a barren scepter in my grippe,
Thence to be wrenched with an unlin-
cal hand,
No SON of mine succeeding"