Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-02-17
IT'S DEAD IN KANSAS
Populist Party in That State
Will Celebrate Its Demise
Next Friday.
The Organization Will Be Aban.
doned and Merged Into the
Democracy.
Its Rise and Fall an Interesting
Chapter in the States
History.

History.
Topeka, Kas., Feb. 1T.-The Populist
party, which has ben in force in KAN
sas politics for twelve years, probably
will pass into history on Friday next.
The remnant of its once powerful
organization in Kansas will hold it's
last state convention on that day. And
while some of the rank and file are in
favor of continuing the Populist or
ganization until new party can be
organized to take it's place, the major
fly of the PARTY leaders favor going
bodily into the Democratic party and
taking possession of the latters po-
litical machinery.
The Populist party sprang into be-
ing twelve years ago. 1t was built on
the ruins of the Union Labor organiza-
ton. Thru the influence of the Farm
ers' Alliance 1t came within a few
votes of carrying the first state cleo
ton after its inception and it elected
every congressman in the state with
one exception.
LII 4ooS Liz PdA ~ NoPSatNN NAAS S-N~SS
utive department of the state govern.
ment and one branch of the legislature.
Two years later it lost ground and the
state again returned to the republic
ans, but in 1896. with the aid OF the
democrats, the populist party swert
everything before it.
With the advent of the Mckinley
administration and good times the
populist party lost its power. and in
1898 the republicans defeated 1t, and
the populists have lost steadily sever
since Now the populist leaders con-
cede that their party, in its present
form and under it's present name will
never again be q power in Kansas pol
tiles.
During the recent state campaigns
the populists and democrats. while
maintaining separate organizations,
have voted common ticket They
have divided the Offices between them
and each has Endorsed the Others
nominees, SO that the same ticket has
appeared twice on the official ballot
under both the populist and democratic
headings.
The last legislature passed law pro-
viding that no name should appear
and this law has destroyed the fusion
of the populists and democrats as two
separate parties on common ticket.
They are now confronted with the ne
cessity of getting together under a
common name or running different
tickets The democrats have refused to
give up their name and organization.
The populists are far more numerous
than the democrats, and. altho they
have tried for months to induce the
democrats to come to them. the demo-
Gratis have stood firm against 1t, now
the populists have weakened and will
go to the democrats.
few weeks ago the democratic state
central committee extended formal
invitation to the populists TO enter the
democratic party, participate in the
democratic primaries, and help run the
democratic state convention.
To ascertain the will of the rank and
file of the populists OF Kansas the
state central committee has called a
delegate conference to meet in Topeka
= on Friday to consider the democratic
invitation and. while some of the old
line leaders-men who We're formerly
greenbackers-favor keeping aloof from
the democrats, 1t is probable that the
majority will indicate that the populist
party is dead and Will vote to accept
the democratic invitation.
The rise of the populist party brought
some peculiar characters. 1t began
with Jerry Simpson. Mrs. Lease, and
John T.. Willitts, whom 1t nearly cleo
ted governor of the state in 1890. All of
these except Jerry Simpson are now
back in the republican party. Simpson
is advising the exodus into the demo-
4 cratic camp. and 1t is talked in Kansas
political circles that he is preparing to
enter the race against Congressman
Long for his old seat in congress.
During its career In Kansas the pop
uIist party elected score of congress
men, three United States senator's two
supreme court judges and two sets OF
state officers. 1t dominated the state
senate for eight years and the house OF
Representatives for four years. There
are few counties in the state that have
not been in its power at some time
within the last decade.
Its ascendency to power in the state
was meteoric. The republican leaders
knew in the fall of 1890 that an organi-
zation known as the Farmers Alliance
was at work among the farmers of the
state and that 1t was holding many
school house meetings, but they We're
not prepared for the surprise with
which they were greeted when the re-
turned began to come in after the polls
closed on election day. $780,
The republican majority of $4,000 OF
1883 was wiped out and the republican
state ticket won by narrow margin
The populists elected their candidates
for congress in six of the seven con-
gressional districts and they had
enough members of the legislature to
elect William A. PETER to the United
States senate.
Two years later the populists elected
their state ticket and a majority of the
state senate, but lost control of the
house.
In 1894 the republicans regained their
power but 1t was only temporary and
in 1895 the populists swept everything
from presidential electors down thru
most of the county Offices
ROMANCE ENDS IN COURT.