The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1899-06-01
INSIDE HISTORY.
Bogus PODulislal.

Bogus POpulism.
Mr.. Ferris, of the Joliet, ILL.,, News,
one of our few Populist dallies, speaks
thus of the inside history of the People s
party. Referring to the recent meeting
at Kansas City, he says:
The difference concerned merely the line
of march. All were solidly against fusion,
but some desired to remain in the regular
POpulist organization, while others were
ready to drop everything and organize anew.
The latter generally, if not wholly, Endorsed
the Cincinnati plan, if not the candidates,
as named in that plan. The resolution
therefore principally congratulated the
Nashville committee upon the good work
performed along strictly Populist lines.
In nearly three days of continuous dis
cussion, the whole ground was gone over
from Omaha to Nashville and back to Oma-
ha again.
At Nashville, July, 1897, a large and
representative convention of Populist dele
gates largely selected by their constituents
empowered a committee of three in each
state to look after the work of organizing
the party on straight Populist lines. Since
then Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio Ken
lucky, Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, Ar
kansas, Missouri, generally voting for fus-
ion in 1896 at st. Louis, have been brought
regularly, and there are as many more states
probably already in or under way.
But at Omaha June '98, in conference
between the national central committee, and
the Nashville organization committee, those
two elements lacked about half an hour of
securing perfect agreement. The latter
committee asked that each state under a
states right plan, be allowed to manage
it's own affairs in it's own way, and send
delegates to POpulist national convention
for settlement. This plan was readily
agreed to, for there was also an advantage
in it for the fusion states In fact it
seemed the only plan all could agree to
unless all could agree to abandon fusion.
Then the executive committee of the ma
tional committee was instructed to enter
tain no propositions of fusion in national af-
fairs and not to interfere in congressional
or state elections, unless requested by the
proper authorities, and in the interest of
regular Populist candidates
Next the Nashville members asked that
the national convention be called in ad-
vance of the old party conventions. This
was granted.
Next that the delegates for the convention
be apportioned upon the actual Populist
vote cast in 1892 or since. That is that the
Republican and Democratic votes should
not be counted. At St. Louis, North Caro-
lima voted 80 votes for fusion, the appor-
tonment being allotted on fusion of Re-
publican and POpulist vOtes-Tennessee had
20 votes on the same plan and cast them
for Bryan and so through the list. This
concession to the Nashville committee alone
was worth all the Omaha effort cost.
Lastly the Nashville committee, the mid
die of the readers, asked that Chairman But
Ter be removed in the interest of harmony,
or that national convention be called in
March of the present year to reorganize the
committee. This they lost by a few votes,
and it was the only point they lost. Yet
a few. were not satisfied, and Is signed a
call for convention to be held at Cincin-
natl to nominate candidates for president
and vice president. This was held last
September. About so people attended ILL.,
nois sent a full delegation instructed to op-
pose the nomination, and delegates from
neighboring states, about 40 in all, left the
hall before nominations we're made, leav-
ing only the same number to nominate a
president of the United States. However,
Georgia, one of the best states, is solidly
for the ticket, and Missouri offers a large
following, although the regular committee
will send delegation to the regular con-
venton next year.
There is no difference of platform or
principle and no other differences except
the one question of the resignation of a
man from the national committee. lit
tie patience will settle everything properly,
and the News delegate prefers to remain
regular. The Cincinnati party to get down
to bed rock, is organized upon the sole issue
of dislike for Senator Marion Butler.
Should Butler resign or die, the party would
be left without leading issue and at the
farthest a national convention of the Pop
ulists will be called and may be held with
in year.
All new parties have great troubles and
it does not seem worth while to start an
other on the little trouble Butler has given
us.
1t is not merely question of Senator
Butler. The issue is bigger than that
1t means the turning over of our vote
to the Democratic party, and thereby de-
'stroying our organization. A man can
not be both POpulist and a Democrat
at the same time. He cannot serve God
and Mammon. If the two parties mean
the same thing, then there is no use of
maintaining both. One must be dropped
and that one will be the smaller and
younger party.
If any Populist thinks the Democracy
ellis the bill" he is bound in honor to
join it; but he has no right to pose as
a Populist, simply to lead his fellows
into the D. o. P. and crush the party he
is pretending to support.
We picked up the last issue of the
Omaha, Neb., Non-Conformist, dated
May 25, 1899, and there, on the first
page we read:
THE POPULIST BANQUET"
ION last Saturday night was given the
first annual banquet of the Peter Cooper
Populist club of OMAHA" etc.
We expected something good, but, as
we read on, we perceived that the whole