The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1900-05-09
MIDDLE OF The
ROAD POPULISTS
Meet in National Convention at
Cincinnati.
WILL NOT NOMINATE BRYAN
Virginia Republicans Hold Their Convention
...The Administration lndorsed :. Strong
Speech Made BY Governor Akin.
son, as Chairman.

CINCINNATI. May Sat a pro-
tracted meeting tonight OF the nation
al committee Of the mlddle-of- the-road
popuIists. plans were perfected for the
routine business Of the national con-
yention. which VIII be called to order
at o'clock tomorrow afternoon. For
mer Congressman Howard. Of Alaba-
ma. viii be recommended 70 the con-
ycntion for temporary chairman.
After the appointment Of the creden-
tials committee. the convention viii re-
solve itself into an experience meet
ing" This will be for the benefit
Of the members OF the committee on
resolutions.
II win be the endeavor OF the lead
ers to hear expression Of opinion on
the part OF every state represented
before the resolutions committee gees
10 work.
Thursday morning the resolutions
committee viii report and nominations
will then be taken up.
Tonight 1t was asserted that Igna-
tus Donnelly had made definite an
nouncement Of HIS candidacy for the
presidential nomination.
Another surprise was the presenta-
ton Of the names of former Congress-
man NJ. W. Howard. Of Alabama, for
president, and d. c. Deaver, Of Ne
braslsa, for vice-president.
Nearly 700 delegates have already
arrived in the city. Every state in
the Union. with the exception Of Ari-
zona, New Mexico. North and South
Carolina ard Vermont win be repre-
sented.
Secretary Parker's report in the mat
ter OF expenses showed that the work
Of organizing the middle-of- the-road
convention. which has been carried on
since the split at Lincoln. February
10. has cost less than $780,
This sum includes all the expense Of
the convention in this city and shows
the smallest outlay If any national
convention Of its size in the history Of
the country.
CINCINNATI. May S.-Members of
the National Reform Press Associa-
tion. editors and proprietors for the
most part Of weekly populist papers
throughout the south and west, met
here today, and after lengthy debate
adopted the following resolutions,
which win be presented TO the national
committee of the middle-of- the-roae-
ers.
1.-Initiative and referendum.
2.-IIonest money. which is govern.
ment paper money.
Standardization Of our railroads.
L-Public ownership of public fran
chises.
a-Abolition of private trusts.
6,-Electiye judiciary of short tenure
of Office.
Compulsory arbitration of labor
disputes.
S.-Frineiple of graduated income
taxation.
The ninth article was submitted in
the original report of the resolutions
committee, which contained these
words and nothing more: philippine
independence"
FAIRMoNTH. W. Va, May S.
The republican state convention as
sembled at noon. Governor Atkinson
was announced as temporary chair
man.
After a few preliminary remarks,
Governor Atkinson took up the Puerto
Rican question. defending the tariff
policy adopted by the administration as
the best method of raising revenues
for the island. He said % per cent of
the population was poor and had moth
ing to export, while the other five per
cent were we'll to do and amply able
to pay. Said he:
1T is claimed by our democrat
ic friends that this plan for raising
revenue was dictated by the tobacco
and sugar trusts. This is not true
Common sense itself brands the charge
as fallacious and false. The trusts
naturally wish to buy as cheaply as
they can. They buy raw materials in
large quantities and no doubt plan to
save, so far as possible, all expense
for mlddlemen. They would naturally,
therefore, buy their raw materials as
directly as possible from the producers
themselves,
1T is probable, therefore, that most
of the raw sugar and tobacco now in
Puerto Rico warehouses belong to the
trusts or their brokers. But they have
already bought the sugar and tobacco
now In the warehouses Of Puerto Rico,
and 1t would be manifestly to their
interest to have these products admit
ted to the United States free Of duty,
In no way that can see could it be
profitable to them to have a tariff on