The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-06-28
READY TO QUIT.
POpuIist State Secretary Curran
to Abandon Headquarters.
IF Party Is to SO to Democrats
He VIII Deliver.
ELDER DISCOURAGED.
Veteran War Horse Says Party
Is in Chaos.
A. P. Elder Resigns Place to
Join the Democracy.

Every week continues the slide of the
Populist party toward the Democratic
party If it wants to be delivered bod
lily Secretary John Curran, of the Pop
ulist state central committee, stands
ready to do the delivering. Curran is
out in an official statement today in
which he puts the question squarely up
to the rank and file.
His proposition is to abandon head
quarters August /. He has read the
signs to be that the Populist party is
ready to go out of business in Kansas.
An appeal for funds that he has been
running in his weekly official party
news" column for eight weeks contin-
uously brought in just $29.
Ex-Lieutenant Governor P. P. Elder
in report of a Franklin county Pop
ulist committee meeting submitted to
the state committee. said:
1.-THE unanimous feeling of the coun-
ty committee was that the party is in
chaos, and that the theory of keeping
open state headquarters and doing any
work is visionary and doing no good.
A. P. Elder, Gov. Elders son, sent in
his resignation from mem bership on the
Populist central committee and an
nounced his flop to the Democracy
Events OF this character elected the
following published statement from Sec
rotary Curran in his party news"
column today:
I have about come to the conclusion
that Governor Elders report expresses
the sentiment of a majority of the Pop
ulistS in the state 1t may be true that
any attempt to keep up the organiza-
ton of the party is visionary and doing
no good The effort of few to do this
has met with but little substantial en-
couragement it is true, though hum
dredS have expressed qualification that
the work was going on, and that a
rallying point for Populists was kept
up
''The best evidence that the party is
in chaos is for a county central COM
mittee to declare that it is These and
many other signs show a movement of
greater or less proportions toward the
Democratic party. The invita- ton of the
Democratic party to join its ranks is
only a reiteration Of many Individual
Invitations, and there are many who
claim that the invitation of the Demo-
cratic state committee will be generally
accepted. If the refusal of the Demo-
cratic committee to adopt the union
idea be Endorsed by the rank and file
OF the party, there will be nothing left
for those who insist upon working with
the Democrats to do but to join them.
Those who remain Populists will have
to go it alone. Each must settle this
question for himself. If it is the senti-
ment of a majority of the Populists to
join the Democratic party, then indeed
is the dictum of the Franklin county
committee true, and I have no bust
ness here. If every county committee
in the state is as much at sea as is the
Franklin committee as to whether its
constituency are POpuliStS or Demo-
Gratis, it were high time some conclusion
were reached.
THE Republican papers have made
much of the fact that it has been next
to impossible to secure funds from the
party to pay postage. 1t is true there
has been little response to calls for con-
trfbutions. The few who have contrib
uted are of the old guard who never
sleep and who never quit fighting. It is
for the hopes of these that I have
struggled on for the past eight months.
With all the sympathy that has been
expressed. the saving grace of the
great Americ can dollar has been lacking.
II have decided to close headquarters
on August 1, unless by that time hear
from enough of our people to warrant
me in continuing the work This viii
give the party ranks a month in which
to express themselves I have no rule
above my party's wish, and if it wishes
the work to go on surely this call for an
expression will bring sufficient aid to
do it.
of evil portend and so fraught with
danger to the organization as now. If
it is to die-if keeping up even a sem
blance of it is visionary and doing no
good'-then indeed is there no reason
for toll to keep it alive. But if it is to
go on, then the flag must be kept flying
and must keep marching. This is
the business of every POpulist.
1.-THE storms of adversely are driving
the old ship on the breakers. VIII you
abandon her, or will you man the ropes
and bring the old craft up to the wind
again and head her straight for port?
I shall expect to hear from every Pop
ulist in the state who has an opinion
on the subject. Your answer shall be
my guide.
II hope this will be taken in the spirit
in which it is written. If the party
wills it to stop all work, I shall not be
troubled, but will return for the present
to my own neglected affairs, feeling
that in the great scheme of nature all
things work together for good, and that
it is not that you have abandoned the
principles, but that you feel that they
ner.'