The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-05-17
y. Mack Love Declines Populist
Proposition.
Says Democrats Have Little
Left But = Name.
WILL CLING TO THAT.
Would Not Consent to Disorgan-
izatiOn of Party.
Conference to Be Held in To-
peka Tonight.

Chairman J. Mack Love, of the Dem
ocratic state committee, has sent mis-
answer to the Populist state committee
on the proposition for the two parties
to disorganize for the next state cam
paign and form a union party to whip
the Republicans for passing the anti
fusion law. The answer is not what
the Populists expected, for it Is tanta-
mount to a refusal. This is done on
the grounds that it is not within the
province of the Democratic state com
mittee to surrender the party name IA
addition to all the other surrenders II
has made in the past. Mack Love says
the name is about all it has left as the
result of fusion, and the feeling OF the
Bourbons is to cling to that
Love follows his letter pretty closely
to Topeka The letter came WedneS-
day. and it has been sewed up ever
since by John Curran to get even with
the newspapers for learning OF the
scheme in the first place. Mr.. Love will
be in Topeka this evening he IS on
his way from Arkansas City to Kansas
City on the business trip indicated IN
his letter. He sent word 70 FRANK
Thomas. treasurer of the state commit
tee. of his coming, and there Will be a
conference of Topeka Democrats with
the chairman at the Hotel Throop this
evening A further exchange OF views
on the union plan and the future gen
orally will be the subject-m after.
Thomas says he does not agree that
fusion has been Improbable he says
the Democrats have had their snare
But" he says, I'VE cannot give up our
organization in the state. When II
comes to the next national convention,
if we did, our credentials would not pc
recognized They would say There IS
no Democratic party in Kansas Who
are your Why, we are the Union
party Well. the Unionfsts are not
Democrats. We don't know you.
maintain this would happen even II we
r 4 cf ter
We would have a state committee, but
where would be our rank and hle2"
The Populists are ready to go after
Mack Love. The party organ looks at
Loves keeping hands off as a bit of
arrogance, and says that he sets him
self high to disdain to submit propo-
sition to the rank and file of his party.
They blame him for not giving his
party voters a referendum on the mat
Loves letter, in which he declines to
call the Democratic state committee IN
to a conference of the two committees,
for the present at least, is as follows:
Hon. J. H. Curran, Secretary r. P.
State Committee, Topeka, Kansas.
Dear Sir:-The communication of your
committee, addressed to the Democratic
state committee, dated 9TH inst, Is at
hand -
In reply would say that I would not
want to speak for our committee in
matter Of this kind, and before answer
ing your communication and stating
whether the Democratic committee
would meet with your COMMITTEES in
conference I would want to consult
with the members of our committee.
expect to be out of the state for two or
three weeks, and cannot take the mat
ter up before / return. would simply
add that my opinion is that our com
1nittee at this time would not care to
enter into any conference on the lines
suggested in this communication. take
this from letters I have already received
from members of the committee in re-
gard to the same.
The general feeling among the Demo-
Gratis as far as / have been able to
certain, is that we have tested in this
state pretty thoroughly the merits of
fusion" That the last two campaigns
have proven that it is futile of any
good results to the people. those who
are in earnest as to genuine REFORM
That the Democratic party of this state
has in the interest of reform measures.
already surrendered every thing except
its shame and when tbs asked to do that. I
think the majority of the Democrats
would consider that it was going too
far, and I believe myself that it is some
thing entirely beyond the jurisdiction,
province or function of our committee to
take up and pass upon
I am satisfied that our committee will
be anxious to give the courteous consid-
Grafton it rightly reserves, and at the
same time it may be the opinion of our
committee and of Democrats generally
that a conference of this kind is not de-
sirable, and if they so decide, I should
not want you to consider that it is out
of any dfscourtesy to the Populist COM
mittee's good intentions, that the mat
ter was so decided, by the Democrats
of our committee.
will give the matter attention as
soon as get back. which will be some
time in the fore part of June.
Yours truly, J. MACK LOVE