The Saint Paul globe., 1900-05-20
POSITION Of P()PILBTS
THE RAILROAD COMMISSIONER
EXPLAINS THE SITUATION THAT
CONFRONTED DELEGATES
MANY WERE UNDER ORDERS
Their First Duty Was to Garry Out
the Wishes of Their COnstit-
uents-Had to Nominate
Il Ticket.
To the Editor of the Globe:

! To the Editor of the Globe:
Will you permit my saying a few words
with regard to the action of the Peoples
party national convention in nominating
| Mr.. Towne for the Office of vice presi-
| dent? 1 am moved to make this request
not by any desire to air my views, but
| solely because of the misconception in
| some quarters as to the motives which
! actuated the convention in its final de-
| termination to nominate full ticket. 1t
! is for the purpose of correcting so far as
L can this misconception that 1 ask per-
| mission to encroach upon your space.
1t must be apparent to start with that
| If the actions of the Sioux Falls conven-
J tion are OF any political Importance
| whatever, they are so from the fact that
/ the convention represented an organized
! body of political units, and not because
| it's acts in themselves carry inherent
| weight, nor because the personnel of the
convention was such as to give force to
| them.
! If this view is correct-and [ hs01ly
/ think any one will seriously dispute it
! the question of moment is whether the
! convention did or did not truly and
I faithfully represent the wishes of those
| who had met in caucuses and delegated
| to it their powers 1 believe it did.
! The convention itself undoubtedly
Thought likewise. In support of this
conclusion I desire to call attention t2.
| few facts which TO my mind leave 40
room for doubt as to its correctness.
CONVENTIONS DUTY.
The caucuses, and state conventions
! growing out of them, come together for
| the purpose of choosing delegates to the
| national convention. In the absence of
| specific instructions to the contrary 1t
! became the duty of the delegates so
| chosen to come together at the time and
| place mentioned in the call and transact
! the usual business of a national conven-
! ton. No one will deny that the usual
! business of a national convention is,
| first, to adopt a platform, and, second,
| to nominate candidates for the offices of
! president and vice president of the United
| States.
There seems to be very little room for
! doubt as to what the rank and file of
| the Peoples party voters wanted the
! convention TO do They understood the
situation thoroughly. They were and
are not only desirous but anxious, that
| there shall be honorable cooperation for
| the overthrow of the imperial tendencies
! which have become so manifest during
the past year. Had it been their be-
lief that the best way to accomplish a
| satisfactory coalition was to appoint a
| conference committee they would have
! liloti uCtSu lHclI uGlSBatcS 10 lndI 6l-
| feet. They did not give such instructions.
| On the contrary, in many states, they
| instructed their representatives to make
! nomination
POLITICAL TREASON
| Ir the presence Of these instructions It
would have been political treason to have
delegated these duties to a committee.
| Representative goYsrnm. Mt can only claim
| to be popular government when the
| representative truly voices the sentiments
! of his constituents. The convention was
| in no doubt as to- what it's duty was in
| the premises. It's first and most sacred
| duty was to carry out the wishes of its
! constituency. Could those wishes have
| been safely Gisregardcd policy might haze
! directed the conference plan as the Que
| best calculated to insure the union of the
! three organiza atiCns-Democratic, Populisu
! and silver Republican. But 10 one Wh9
I is at all acquainted with the rank and
! file of the Peoples party will believe that
! their wishes could be thus disregarded
| without bringing disaster to those who
We're party to it. The average Populisa
takes for his gospel the doctrine that
| governments derive their powers from the
| consent OF the governed" He applies this
| doctrine to affairs within the party as
! well to public matters generally. Ec
not only holds this doctrine as a bsauti-
| full theory, but it is to him living truth
to which he cIings with all The tenacity
! of a zealOt, ard in defense of which he
! stands ready to make any sacrifice
Knowing this to be true, the convention
| found itself face to face with a dilemma
THE DILEMMA
If it made a nomination there appeared
| to be danger that the Democratic party
! might refuse to concur in it. On the 9TH
er hand, if it failed to carry out Its in
Structions, but appointed a committee, l.
| would pave the way for a perfect under
| standing with a similar committee to BE-
appointed by the Democratic convention
But the committee so appointed would
! only have represented the convention, and
| would have found itself deserted by the
| rank and file whose instructions the con-
vention had failed TO carry out To have
| adopted the committee plan under SUCH
| conditions would have been to knowingly
| perpetrate fraud on an ally.
| The only thing the convention could do
| in obedience to its duty IN fairness to its
allies and in justice to itself, was to nom
mate ticket and to place it's reasons
for SO doing canddly before those with
whom 1T desired tc cooperate, trust n.e
| to their good sense and patriotism to take
| broad and intelligent view of the situa-
ton. The first problem that confronts
each of the prospective allies is how best
keep its own forces together; and. second
! how 1t can promote unity of action he
! tween itself and other organizations seek
! ing the same end.
| PRESERVES THE PARTY
The Peoples party has adopted the
| course which, in the opinion of a ma ioritx
OF It's representatives in convention as
| sembied. alone could serve to hold If to.
! gether From now until july everv
| loyal mer3ber of the party will put forth
his best efforts to the end that the stu
alton may become understood and thai
reason may rule.
In the nominate of Mr. BRYAN IN The
office of president, the Peoples nartv has
| paid the Democratic party the highest
| compliment that one political oreaniza
! ton can pay to another. MIR. BRYAN was
not nominated with any idea of influence
! Ing the actions of the Democratic convan-
! t1on. The che practical fact that more
than all others confronted the PeoDle.s
| party convention was this; that BRYAN.
| the universally acknowledged leader of
| the democratic party, is already tha,
partys choice for the presidency. u
| recognized clearly, that, so far as human
| foresight can penetrate the future. Rrvan
I is the candidate of the Democratic marty
Had there been any doubt or this point
the head of the ticket could, with Soma
| reason have been left blank
BY virtue Of its numerical strength The
democratic party is conceded to he On.
utled to this place. The Democratic
party having already selected it's standa rl
bearer and, awaiting only the fixed tina
TO confirm its choice by the seal of Its
ofheial action, must feel the wisdom OF
I. .rlNlr