The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-09-02
FEARED The FARMERS
Hence Briedenthal in 1894
DOctored the Platform.
CUT OUT LABOR CLAUSE
leanings as Between Corpor-
atoms and People,


IS having trouble in explaining 10 some
of the leading labor representatives some
Of his past actions touching khe labor
question.
II has been charged that Breidenthal
while chairman Of the Populist State
Central Committee arbitrarily cut out the
labor platform adopted by the Populist
state convention that year, giving as his
excuse for his action that the labor plat
form would hurt among other voters. He
persistently refused to allow the plat
form adopted by the conveitno to be cir
culated during that campaign but fixed
up the platform 10 suit himself which
omitted altogether the labor plank.
s S. King Of Kansas iCty, well
known PopuIist, author OF Seed Time
Harvest" and other Populist works,
wrote the labor platform referred TO-
Some correspondence he has recently had
in reference to this subject has come 70
light. and the explanation he gives Of
BreidenthaI's action in this matter plac-
sing position. Mr.. King while not writ
ing MS letter for publication strongly
accuses Breidenthal Of unfriendly atti-
tUde toward the laboring man and of an
undue friendlines toward banks and cor
porations. He seems to prove his case
very well in this correspondence. The
following letter from Mr.. Hypes and Mr..
Kings reply to the same fully explain
themselves:
Topeka, Kansas, Aug. %, 1900.
Judge S. S. King, Kansas City. Kansas:
Dear Sir: have heard 1t charged that
on one occasion. at least when the Pop
ulist party Incorporated labor plank in
its state platform, John Breidenthal who
was then chairman Of the Populist state
committee. struck it out for some reason.
have been told that you know all about
this matter. If so, please tell me when
this was, what was the labor resolution
that Prudential objected to, and what
were his objections. Yours truly.
c. B. HYPES.
Editor Of Western Barber" and State
Organizer Of X S. B. A
Kansas City. Kan, Aug. 8. 1900
Der and State Organizer Of K. S. B. A:
Ny Dear Sir: I have your letter Of
the end instant and take pleasure in CIV
ing YOU the information you ask
[ presume the occasion you refer TO is
q campaign of 1894 Ny relations to that
campaign were such as to make me IA
pillar with many # its details. I earn
estly desired that the Populist party
should so broaden its platform that or
gained labor could stand with the farm
ers. So I attended the Populist conver-
ton AT Topeka about the first Of June in
that year. and myself wrote the following
plank Of our platform:
we condemn the unwise and cruel
policy of ali the governing parties of this
nation whose legislation has favored can !
ital and oppressed labor, and we hereby
declare our sympathy with all toifers in /
their efforts TO improve their condition. |
ana demand such legislation as will re- |
suit in removing some of the burdens
y toll by shortening the hours of labor
without lessenins the daily wage"
This resolution became part OF the Plat |
: JrIn a. VIII he seeen by reference ~ +ha |
! e2eka Advocate or any of the daiIias
e that sine, It was adopted without a /
dissenting vote. And why should If NOT |
BE unanimously adopted in a PonuIist /
convention. or any other? It is not a /
radical utterance. by any means. There |
are three propositions in it. The first
SIMPLY condemns any party whose LEXIS
.stion has favored capital and oppressed
labor. Who would not condemne The |
second would symothize with all toie-s
IN their efforts 10 improve their condition
VINO would not sympathize? Tho third
IS demand. not for direct. arbitrary 1a7-
islation that would fix the nunbo~ -
hours man should work or the wsgae
re should receive, but advocates srcb
whole some legislation as will result in Tho
ma S'1sAt-less work without less nav
y no would not advocate this7
soon after the convention I entered inf,
: contract with the. state committee -
when Mr. BreidenthaI as cha!rnanidtb,-
a'ea Mr. Breidenthal was chairman
whereby 1 was 10 furnish the committee,
la'p' conics Of my pamphlet. seed Tim
ana Harvest" including in this a5f-io,
among other things our PopuIist s+a,a
sia'forn- I had clipped the rIs+f,-r,
rom The Topeka State Advocate. and
given it to the printer for COW. T-bsr,
"hen ] was ready to read the printers
PROOF. received a letter from NJ. Rrefd-
en'hai as chairman, from which quote
as follows:
Please ind enclosed herewith conv NJ
re Omaha platform. and also the ON
cal copy Of orr state platform and the
names and addresses Of the seata central
2InIniJtes, which we would be pleased n
have y7u insert in this work"
ha5 known that John was ALWAYS
great in having something "of7cier-, o,,,
7ecte9 with every convention in which. n,
participated II il was 10 20 s7meU-5e-a
there must be an Official route. ana a.
living there IN official place n sion
With Official edihles. an Official b-ar5
II beer. ard various other 'ofHcia,-.
hinEs. In fact. there must be an Off
'lai halo about John and his Official aSso-
nate thar would make them known and
distinguished from the common herd
sui th1t ne would make an official
9lati 9rrn different from the one the con
rention had made never occurred to ne
Sut he did-not accidentally. bur de-
ignedly IN reading the proof 7 SEQ, >
discovered the fact that this scf5cisI.- ,
'iatfo-m omitted every word ~ the res
tuition quoted above That important |
declaration adopted by the party did NOT ;
,uste suit Johns notions. snd 81 he
trick IL ont and made an Official
'iauorm Of his own
Wha- were his objections 10 this plank. .
gu ask Ills expressed objection was Il
.urt Us among the farmers They didn't
Vlat better wages nor shorter hours.
1d they didn't ike that resolution. he
"a Sc they ltha cnrnmiteeA had cut L :