The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1899-03-01
HE IS DISGUISED.
L Strong Letter From Bateman, of Maine.

Editor Representative:
An invitation has recently reached me
to attend reform conference at Buffalo,
N. Y. June IS. The committe of invitation
is headed by Governor Pingree, of Michi-
leaders, That this so-called conference is
Matched up to nullify the action Of the late
Cincinnati convention is clearly evident.
Up to that time the fusionists were having
everything their own way. They made no
secret of their intention to turn our party
Mans were being shared to t' that a end The The
nomination of Barker and Donnelly
brought them up with jerk. and they are
DESTROYS of confering with each other Bah.
1t is the same old gang. The ASS ears
protrude above the lions hide.
ceedingly doubtful if Gov Pingree even
knew his there until the call
lists are placed there as decoy ducks The
was issued A few of our mid-rOad POpu-
Democrats who are getting up this confer
ence hope to get some of our true Popu-
lists there and then work Upon them until
clear to my mind than the fact that this
is simply an advance Bryan movement,
and as such Populists should let it severely
alone.
In this connection it may not be amss
to say that the md-road Populists who
II money and force can do it, And may |
enquire what the Nashville committee are
doing to meet this threatened invasion?
detect that they have done anything or
even propose to do anything. They seem
to have no more nor nerve or back bone than
jelly-1sh. They passed a foolish resOlu-
at Cincinnati that the nominations there
made should be submitted to a referendum
vote. They knew. or at least ought to have
known, that in our disorganized condition
it was an absolute impossibility to take
referendum vote that would be a fair test.
The last referendum vote was a farce. as
every one knows. The referendum is
noble principle. and a great reform. but 1t
can only be handled by thoroughly or
ganiZed party. We have no machinery to
take such a vote and cannot perfect such
machinery in time to be OF any avail in
the coming campaign. The duty Of every
and Donnelly at once. 1t looks very sus-
piciously as If this referendum nonsense
s Mds track eas u.s. II it was genuine and SIM,
cere proposition why is not the committee
attending to its business and taking the
ing for? Q, some one exclaims, they are
waiting to organize into precinct clubs.
Bosh! To my certain knowledge every
Populist paper in America has been calling
In its every issue for the last twenty years
for the people to organize into clubs at
but Nan are further e 2 that de
to wait until the people organize into
precinct clubs there will be no middle-of-
time our men are getting more, and more
away in all directions. There is absolute
ocrats with their Buffalo conferences. are
gradually gathering us into their tolls.
What the middle of the road Populists now
need is bold leadership and holder action.
In both we are sadly lacking. 1t is i'm
possible for Wharton Barker or Mr.. DON
nelly to do anything long as this threat
ened referendum is hanging over their
heads. They cannot tell whether they
are to be retained az candidates or
not. Once settle that question and an ac-
tive campaign would at once begin. There
are men who are abundantly able standing
ready to contribute literally to our cam
paign fund as soon as 1t is known whether
we are to have a campaign: but these men
will give nothing to a cause that is liable
to be upset the next day.