The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-05-18

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Kansas City, Mo, May 17.-An adj
dress to the Populists of the country
was issued here tonight by the national
organization of the Peoples party,
with the endorsement of the National
Reform Press association. These two
bodies, whose common object is to keep
the Populist party in the middle-of-
tdle-road, avoiding fusion with other
political parties everywhere. had been
i'll session here since Tuesday morning,
and tine adoption of the address con-
Guided their labors.
All was not harmony among these
middle-Of-the-road leaders, and only
after long and heated discussions was
an address agreed upon. \ hard fight
was made to secure the endorsement
or Wharton Barker and Ignatius DON
nelly for president and vice president
| in 1900, but this the committee refused
to recommend. Instead, a thorough or
ganiZation of the middle-Of-t -the-roaders
/ in every section of the country is
urged, with the understanding that
they shall enter the next national cam
paign with the present POpuiiSt or
ganlzation, but that wherever fusion
shall gain the day, whether in county.
! state or nation. the middle-of-t the-road-
ers shall bolt and begin an active cam
paiSn TO carry out their principles.
Prepare For Treachery.
The alleged fusionist tendencies OF
! Marion Butler. chairman of the Popu-
| list national committee. are provided
| 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. ''---,-
1ne 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 passed
in 10 the hands of the enemy, and to
inspire confidence among the masses
in the integrity of our acts and sin
cerity of our demands for independent
action as a party. We respectfully sub
nit to the POpuHStS of the nation the
following plan of action:
First-That the national organiZa-
ton committee hereby instruct its
chairman to proceed with the forma-
ton of Peoples party precinct clubs in
all the states, on the plan recommend
ed by the Cincinnati convention OF
September, 1898, or some relative plan,
and 10 appoint in each state not having
members already selected, three men,
berS of the national organization com
mittee, and, with the assistance and
advice oe these committeeman, to Sc
lect state organization comGnittee 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 voting precincts. Wher-
ever 1t is positively known that those
members of national. state and other
committees now existing are unquaii-
iedly opposed to fusion with either of
the old parties, and for independent.
straightforward action by the Peoples
party, they are to be selected as men,
bers of the several organization COM
mittees.
Opposition to Fusion.
''Second-It shall be the duty of these
several committees to use all honorable
means to secure the selection of dele
gates TO the various conventions leading
up to the nominating presidential con
vention of 1900 who are opposed TO
fusion; and, failing in this, to provide
for and send contesting delegates TO
these several conventions. That is to
say, if those who are opposed to fusion
are unfairly or dishOnorabiy treated in
the county convention. they shall send
a delegation to contest the seats of the
fusion delegation in the state conven-
ton.
IF the state convention is controlled
in the interest of fusion and against
an honorable and straightforward Peo-
pies party policy, soon as this is de-
termlned. the middle-of-the-road dele
cations shall hold another state con-
vention and send a conteSting delega-
ton from that state to the national
convention Should the national con-
vention be controlled by straight PoDu-
lists. all delegates sent under this plan
shall feel themselves in honor bound tG
nominate the candidates for president
and for vice president recommended BY
the referendum vote. provided, in the
Judgment of the national organization
there shall have been suffi-
cient organization to make such a vote
both practicable and representative or
the will of the party
Ordered to Bolt Convention.
Should the national convention of
1900 be controlled in the interest OF
FUSION the straight delegations shall
leave said convention and join the con-
testing delegations sent under this plan
IN straight convention. and there car
~ out the will of the Populists of the
nation with out regard TO the fusion
In this case the national organiza-
ion committee and the several state,
district. county and precinct commit
ices, organized under this plan. shall
De recognized as the only committees
having any authority in the affairs of
he Peoples party
IF it should so occur that the ma
ional committee fail to issue the call
,or a national Peoples party conven-
ion within due time. in the discretion
u the national organization committee.
'aid organization committee shall then
proceed to issue a call for a national
1--WE offer this plan of action, know
ng that il will (first) show to every
9opulist that we are willing TO remain
n good fellowship with our fusion