The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1899-05-18
The National Organization Issues
an Address to the Country
Advising the Peoples Party to Keep In the
Middle Of the Road.

ident and Vice President in
1900, but the Committee Re-
fused to Recommend Such Ac-
ton.
KANSAS CITY, May 17-An adj
dress to the Populists of the country
was issued here tonight by the Ma
tional Organization of the Peoples
Party, with the Endorsement of the Ma
tional Reform Press Association. These
two bodies, whose common object is to
keep the Populist party in the middle of
the road, avoiding fusion with other
political parties everywhere, had been
in session here since Tuesday morning,
and the adoption of the address con-
cluded their labors.
All was not harmony among these
middle oftheroad leaders, and only
after long and heated discussions was
an address agreed upon. A hard fight
was made to secure the Endorsement of
Wharton Barker and Ignatius Donnelly
for President and Vice President in
1900, but this the committee refused to
recommend. Instead, a thorough or
in every section of the country is urged,
with the understanding that they shall
enter the next national campaign with
the present Populist organization, but
that wherever fusion shall gain the
day, whether in county, State or nation,
the middle-of- the-roaders shall bolt and
begin an active campaign to carry out
their principles.
The alleged fusionist tendencies of
Marion Butler, Chairman of the Ma
tlonal Committee, are provided against
in clause which authorizes the Ma
tional Organization Committee to call
a national convention, if they shall be
convinced that the National Chairman
or the National Committee are playing
into the hands of the fusionists.
The address of the committee in sub
stance follows:
That the voters of the nation may
feel assured that the Peoples Party
shall not again be betrayed in national
convention or it's working forces passed
into the hands of the enemy, and to in
spire confidence among the masses in
the integrity of our acts and sincerity
of our demands for Independent action
as party, we respectfully submit to
the Populists of the nation the follow
ing plan of action:
"First-That the National Organiza-
ton Committee hereby instructs its
Chairman to proceed with the forma-
ton Of Peoples Party precinct clubs
in all the States on the plan recon-
mended by the Cincinnati convention of
September, 1898, or some relative plan,
ing members already selected three
members of the National Organization
Committee, and with the assistance and
advice of these committeeman to select
a State Organization Committee of the
same number of members as the then
existing State committee, and through
these committeeman to organize as far
as possible organization committees in
Congressional Districts, counties and
voting precincts. Wherever it is posi-
lively known that those members of ma
tional, State. and other committees now
existing are unqualifiedly opposed to
fusion with either of the old parties,
and for Independent, Straightforward
action by the Peoples Party, they are
to be selected as members of the sew
eral organization committees.
"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 lead
ing up to the nominating Presidential
convention of 1900, who are opposed to
fusion; and, failing in this, to prove be-
fore and send contesting delegates to
the several conventions. That is to say,
if those who are opposed to fusion are
unfairly or dishonorably 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, as soon as this is de-
termined the middle Of the road delega-
tons shall leave the convention. and,
uniting with the contesting delegations.
shall hold another State convention and
send a contesting delegation from that
State to the national convention Should
the national convention be controlled
by straight Populists. all delegates sent
under this plan shall feel themselves
in honor bound to nominate those cam
didates for President and for Vice Pres
ident recommended by the referendum
vote; provided, in the Judgment of the
National Organization Committee there
shall have been sufficient organization
to make such vote both practicable
and representative of the will of the
party.
Should the national convention of
1900 be controlled in the interests of
FUSION the straight delegations shall
leave said convention and Join the con-
testing delegations sent under this plan
in a straight convention. and there
carry out the will of the Populists of
the nation, without regard to the flu
sion convention
In this case, the National Organiza-
ton Committee and the several State,
district, county and precinct commit
tees, organized under this plan, shall
be recognized as the Only committees
having any authority in the affairs of
the Peoples Party.
IF it should SO occur that the Ma
tional Committee fails to issue the call
for a national Peoples Party conven-
ton within due time. in the discretion
of the National Organization Commit
tee, said Organization Committee shall
then proceed to issue cal, for ma
tional convention.
I'VE offer this plan of action. know