The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-05-03
P0PULISM IN KANSAS.
A Committee to Decide on the Policy
of Fusion.

/ TOPEKA, Kan, May 2.-An unusual po-
| iitical meeting is to be held here May 6,
being called by the leaders of the Populist
| party in this State to determine the future
| OIL the party. The result of the recent cleo
ton showed so great a falling off that
even with the vote of the Democracy add
ed the party was yet in the minority: and
TINS TACT has so encouraged the Democrats
that they have been particularly aggres-
sive They have boldly claimed that, as
the Peoples Party is evidently dead as a
national organization, and that as its
state Influence is weakened to a degree
that it cannot hope to acquire again its
old-time prestige, the only logical thing
for the members to do is to join the Dem
| ocratic party, which, they assert. is prac-
| ucally advocating everything that the
Populists want.
To ascertain the feeling in their own
ranks, the Populists have recently ad-
dressed thousands of letters to, individuals
scattered over the State. hundred or
two have been published in the party pa
pers, and the State Committee in calling
shis convention to pass on the future
of the party, issues this statement as to
the whole:
"Ninety-three per cent of the letters re-
to the queries propounded by the State
Central Committee are in favor of putting
straight Peoples Party ticket in the
field next year. The other per cent are
in favor Of all Kansas Populists going
into the Democratic primaries and taking
possession of the machinery of that party
About one-half of the writer's say they
would favor the formation of new party
in the State. provided all the reform ele-
ments could be united under its banner;
otherwise not.
''All of the writers, with two exceptions,
are in favor of direct legislation, and So
per cent of them favor making it the
paramount issue in the next State cam
paign, by emphasizing 1t as the only way
to get public ownership of public utilities,
to stop the corruption of legislative bod
les, and to secure genuine rule by the peo-
pie. Ten per cent think 1t should be an
issue, but not the pare mount one. Eighty
per cent think 1t should be ar issue, and
possibly the paramount one, but are at
present unsettled in their minds as to the
latter point
The proportion of those advocating
straight ticket is not surprising to those
who know the Kansas Populist at home.
In the first place, it Is chiefly the middle
Of the-road members who will take the
trouble to write their views A large
number of them are former Republicans
and have double reason for opposition to
the name Democrat
In all the elections of the past decade
they have been able to salve their con-
science at times when fusion was in the
saddle by voting a ballot with the title
Peoples Party" even though alongside
it and with identically the same names
throughout was another ticket headed
Democratic" One of the first acts of the
present Republican administration on
coming into power last January was to
adopt law making it unlawful for any
name to appear on ballot more than
once, thus efectually stopping the fusion
from both parties and printed twice under
two headings Hence, it becomes neces-
sary for the Populists to decide what they
will do.
the partys fate, for. II II is decided to go
into the next campaign under the name
OF Democracy. there will be an end to
Populisn in name, as there is already in
fact. II it Is decided to retain the name
there will be three parties In the next
campaign, for the Democrats with their
national organization cannot afford to
vote the Populist ticket and stay off the
ballot. With three tickets. the Republic
cans would have a clear field and there
would be no hope for victory for the oppo
sition. Without national organization
and with their own ranks divided on the
question of party unity, the situation of
the Populists is embarrassing. The COM
mittee intimates that II will make a prop
osition to the Democrats to come into a
Populist mass convention next summer,
and 1t expects to prescribe that they come
in converted or stay away. IL is a crisis
point for both parties so far as the flu
ture in State politics is concerned.