The Topeka state journal., 1900-02-20
THEY BOLT BRYAN.
" Middle-ofthe-Road" PopuIists Issue
an Address of Defense.

Lincoln, Neb., Feb. 20.-The Middle
of the Road PopuIists have issued the
following address:
To the Populist and Independent Vo-
ters Of the United States:
It is to be regretted that at the meet
ing of the national committee of the
Peoples party in Lincoln, Neb., Feb
ruary 10, owing to the unprecedented
and outrageous effort of minority of
the committee to disfranchise the Pop
ulist voters of the nation by arbitrar-
lily and without cause or reason drop
ping from the rolls of this committee
nearly one-third of its members, has
compelled action on the part of the ma
5or1ty which has resulted in a division
of the committee and we ask that you
suspend judgment of the justice OF our
position until you are informed of the
facts. in detail, just as they exist
These facts viii be given in a formal
address to the public to be issued by
this committee It is sufficient that you
know that the late chairman of this
committee. Senator Marion Butler, in
calling this committee to order, pre-
sumed to drop from the rolls Of the
committee on the most fiinsy pretext
and in many instances having no rea-
son therefor. members of this commit
tee who were elected by the members
of our party in their several states and
who are today hOnored and respected
and sustained their constituents. Such
men as Frank Burkitt of Mississippi;
{. E McGregOr and William Phillips of
Georgia; John Seitz and Robert Mac
Cannon of Ohio; Paul Dixon, Dewitt
Eskew and James H. Hills, of Mis-
souri, and many others were arbitrarily
dropped from the rolls.
When this action was announced in
the committee, 10 A Parker asked the
chair by what authority the name OF
A. w. Files of Arkansas. as a test case
was dropped from the rolls This the
chairman refused to answer. He then
appointed a credential committee COM
posed OF Senator Allen, Gen. Weaver
and j. h. Davis and arbitrarily declar-
ed the meeting adjourned, refusing to
recognize delegates who were on the
floor for the purpose of making motions.
The members of this committee refused
to recognize that Senator Butler had
any right to adjourn the body without
vote being taken and on his vacating
the chair, elected D. c. Deaver, a mem
Der Of the committee from Nebraska, as
temporary chairman.
After perfecting the organization Of
the committee we submitted to the VOt-
ing members thereof, that if their Gre
dentials committee. composed a it was
of prejudiced and biased persons would
give us fair treatment and would hear
all contests without prejudice that we
would again meet with them This pro-
position they would not accede to, but
on the reassembling of their faction
passed by an almost unanimous vote
resolution to bar out of the committee
all members, or holder of proxies of
members, or all proxy holders who at
tended the Cincinnati convention or
who had ever expressed themselves as
favorable to the candidacy of Messrs.
Barker and Donneny. presuming that
such men would bolt the Peoples party
convention unless their candidates were
nominated On motion of Mr.. Walters
OF Indiana, a resolution was introduced
barring all members who have in the
past bOlted the action of the party's
conventions or who are at present affil-
lating with other parties. This resOlu-
t1On was defeated by a vote of 40 to T.
Notwithstanding the fact that men were
admitted as members and eligible to
seats who at the present time are in
open affiliatiOn with the Democratic
party and are not recOgniZa Bile as Pom
ulists in their own states, also men who
took part in the St. Louis convention
which nominated Bryan and Watson
and refused to support the ticket nomi-
mated, but in some cases supported
Bryan and Sewall and in others AIcKin-
ley and Hobart. We maintain that this
action demonstrated beyond any doubt
the insincerity of the faction in control
of the party organizations accordingly
members and holders of proxies repre- :
senting 81 members of this committee
proceeded to permanently reorganize
! the committee by electing D. Glenn Dea-
yer of Nebraska, chairman and 10 A.
| Parker of Kentucky, secretary. 1t must
not be forgotten that this committee at
/ all times represented Is majority of the
members in attendance and represented
/ at Lincoln, and the revolutionary acts
! of the late officers of the party and
/ their supporters are absolutely inexcus-
| able and foreign to every tenet of pop
/ ulism.
Accordingly the national committee
has ordered the issuance of call for q
| national convention of the party to
! meet at Cincinnati, O., on the second
/ Wednesday in May, for the purpose of
nominating a candidate for president
] and vice president of the United States
! which convention will be ordered in a
/ formal call to be issued by this com
mittee, together with an address to the
/ people, giving the details of the shame
/ less acts of thise enemies of populism
| who for several years in the past have
endeavored through fair means or foul
to deliver the voters of the Peoples
party over to the politicians of the old
/ parties.
We therefore ask you to suspend
| judgment on the matters which have
| led up to this action until the details
| OF the revolutionary procedure of Sen
ator Butler and his fellow cOnspirators
| may be made public. In conclusion we
! wish to congratulate the true People's
| party of the nation that on Nebraska s
! soil have been found men of character
| and ability who have aided those who
came here to defend your rights ana
save the Peoples party and that ir
! spite of Vaccinations of those whose
| reckless disregard of honor and Justice
have led them to commit these unpar-
donable acts, the grand old Peoples
| party still lives and will not die unit
the mission which it was born to fill i:
| accomplished. (Signed)
10 A. PARKER
Kentucky
ROBERT M'REYNOLDS,
Kentucky