The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-12-29
WHY BRYAN LOST
Prof. HerrOn Says 1t Was Be-
cause of Political Ignorance
And the Fact That lie Is Not a
Radical Man.
SPEAKS TO POPULISTS
OF the Middle of the Road Per-
suasiOn at st. Louis.
Meeting Called to Outline
Party's Future Policy.
SPEAKS TO POPULIsTS

st. Louis Mo, Dec. PA conference
of middle-of-the-road Populists conven-
ed in the St. James hotel today in re-
sponse to call issued by Joe A. Parker,
Of Kentucky. chairman OF the national
committee of that party. for the pur-
pose OF discussing their future policy.
About ninety members OF the national
committee We're present in person or
represented by proxy. Neither Wharton
Barker nor Donneliy were here. The
latter is sick and could not come.
Among those present are Joe A. Parker.
Thomas J. Reed and j. ID. Johnson. of
Kentucky; W. $. Morgan, Of Arkansas;
Colonel Frank Burkett, OF Mississippi.
Tom p. Pease, Of South Dakota A. g..
Vantine and Joseph II. Ferris. OF flll-
nois; j. H. Hills, OF Missouri. colonel
J. s. Felter, OF Illinois; Colonel Thomas
Wadsworth, OF Indiana. and Miss Clara
Williams, Of West Plains. Mo. A rep
resentative OF the Socialist party was
present in the person or Prof George
ID. Heron, OF Grinneli. Ia
Chairman Parker in calling the gath
ering 70 order. made a short address. ia
the course Of '7'ich he said that the
cOnferente WAS called Tor the purpose or
consid friHp "a culture policy Of the
MIDI -of-thd&roaders. who stood for no
comeromise. He believed ia divorce
uirnt from both the old parties and de-
clared that the fight should be carried
forWGrd without any compromise Mr.
Parker said he had issued the call TO
representative OF all branches OF the
Populist party. but that the "fusionists"
had ignored it entirely. The time WAS
ripe, he said. FOR great political battle
and he desired to ask the representative
of other reform movements to stand
with the middle readers and
make the principles of the latter theirs.
Prof. George ID. Heron OF Grlnneli.
Ia, who had been invited to be present.
was asked to address the gathering on
socialism. He said that the reason
Bryan was not elected was because 30
was not a radical man. that he repre-
sented the eighteenth century philo-
sophics and was profoundly Ignorant ot
the present political needs. Before tho
last election a strange condition Of az
fairs existed. Oue-third Of the voters
the speaker declared. were not sure how
they should vote. They were not iu
sympdthy with the Republican party
the platform laid down by the Demo-
Gratis The result was they did the best
they could. These voters are now wait
ing for a definite. clear-cut. radical pro-
gramme OF reform to be presented to
them and this they viii uphold. The
real issue in America, Prof. Heron said,
is a clear-cut conflict between industrial
Democracy and capitalism or the old
political absolutism brought down To
date. There IS no middle ground, the
only way to obtain liberty. be said was
through Industrial Democracy.
AT the conclusion Of Dr. HcrrOnH re-
marks, there was "a general discussion
OF the question, whether IL was desir-
able to have union with other reform
elements. and. If so. on what basis could
they afford TO have such union. When
this discussion was finished. Chairman
Parker appointed committee, OF which
Colonel Frank Burkett OF Mississippi.
w. S. Morgan Of Arkansas. and Joseph
H. Ferris of Illinois were the principal
members, to prepare an address. re-
cess was taken.