The representative., 1900-04-19
SIOUX FALLS FARCE
10 A. Parker Sizes Up the Sioux
Falls Outfit and Gives Reasons
Why Every True POpulist
Should Stay Away.

Some of the soft-shell fusionists il
Texas have been trying to mislead the
straight PoDulists by proposing tc
them that the proper thing would be
to go to Sioux Falls and fight Butler
in his own convention. It is needless
to say that these men did not flight
Butler when they were at Lincoln, and
that they would not be apt to fight him
very hard at Sioux Falls. But some
men who are being misled by this plea,
perhaps, have not given this matter
serious consideration. One of these is
the editor Of the New Leader at Wealth
erford. In reply to short editorial in
that paper, Secretary 10 A. Parker gives
few points in letter to that editor, as
follows:
Editor New Leader: In your current
issue l notice you say editorially: If
you are true Populist and oppose fus-
ion, why not go to the Sioux Falls con-
vention and fight it as represented by
Butler, Allen and their followers?'
Nov, believing that you are perfectly
sincere in your views, and that you
are willing that the question should be
answered, / trust you will publish in
your paper my answer, as a delegate
to the national convention, to that ques-
tion.
II cannot go to the Sioux Falls con-
ventiOn because, in the first place, it is
illegally and dishonesty called; in the
second place, its nominees are already
selected; in the third place, there will
be no opportunity for a fair and free
expression Of the will of the party
there.
ITO particularize: The Sioux Falls
convention is an illegal convention
because it was called by a minority of
the members of the national committee,
there at no time during the session Of
the Butler wing of the committee at
Lincoln being a quorum present, in per-
son or by proxy. It is illegal, because
In order to secure a majority of the
committee who favored a pre-arranged
line of action, the chairman arbitrarily
dropped from the rolls of the committee,
without any rule authorizing such
action, without any right SO to do, GER
tain members of the committee, duly
elected BY the Populists of their sew
eral states and by them recognized as
their legal representatives. It is a
mere matter of detail as to how many Of
these members were SO dropped from
the rolls; had only one member been
dropped, this action would have made
the subsequent action of the committee
invalid. II Populism means anything,
it means that the will of the people in
the government shall prevail-that the
will of the people in the Peoples party
shall prevail. Whenever Populist
committee adopts methods that put
above the will Of the people that Of the
machine, that committee ceases to be a
committee. The action OF
Butler and his contingent at Lincoln
in dropping from its rolls members OF
the committee made 1t necessary to
10 just what the Mid-Roaders did for
hose who were Populists, and not ma
chine politicians, to withdraw from
hem and call Populist convention To |
ut in Butler convention would be to re-
;ognize that his actions were right; to |
10 this would be to establish a preced- |
mt that would put aside popular gov
in the party for all time to
ome; for, II Butler may do as he has
lone, any state chairman, any county |
!. e., man, may do the same, and by |
from his :. committee those
vhom he does not like, become abso-
ute and arbitrary master OF the party
machinery, and use to serve any
ase end desired.
Further, the nominees of the Sioux
'alls convention are already selected.
hose who will have in their possess
ion the machinery of the party, and
he power to select the temporary or
have anticipated the con-
ention and selected Bryan and Cald-
vell as the nominees OF the Peoples
arty. Every act and statement OF
MS alleged regular" committee at
lincoln was to make prominent the
let that Bryan and Caldwell were to
selected, and although they had
greed at Omaha, in 1898, that no mem
er or officer of the national commit
,e should do anything to commit the
arty to fusion, their every effort was
| that direction, and their only differ
ace OF opinion, as one Of them ex-
ressed 1t, was as to the method by
hich they could most successfully de-
yer the Populist vote to the fusion
ominees.
Lastly, the Sioux Falls convention
III afford no opportunity for fair
Id free expression Of the VIII o. the