The Iola register., 1902-07-18
A POpULIST YLEM OE IT:

Some days ego the REGISTER saw
In an exchange and reprinted para
graph from Conner Davies editorial
ON the Populist State convention.
Since then we have seen the entire ar.
acle and it makes such interesting
reading that we herewith reprint it in
suii, reminding our Populist readers
that Mr.. Davies is editor OF the Con.
oordia kansan, one Of the very ablest
.Populist papers in Kansas. Here is
his editorial:
We have not heretofore, in a score
OF years experience as newspaper
man, hesitated in giving our honest
convictions about matters of public
ooncern--it is getting too far toward
she evening of our life to adopt differ
ent methods in that reg ard now.
So far as the state organi 2ation is
concerned, the Populist party is ire
vocably, irredeemably dead.
Democratic newspapers and Demo-
cratic leaders call it fusion, but it is
a complete and humiliating surren-
der of the Populist party into the
hands OF Democracy.
Democratic leaders at the state con-
vention of their party in Wichita we're
delegates to the Populist convention
at Topeka. They would listen to no
reason nor any terms save the one
they knew they had the power to de-
mand-the complete surrender of all
our rights on the ballot to the dicta-
tion of the Democratic bosses.
We were permitted to recommend"
TO the Democratic committee the n names
OF populists whom we should like to
have them nominate" Then we
were forced TO wait beyond midnight
before we were permitted TO ''nomi-
nate' the same candidates-this on
the advice of Mr.. Overmyer. who sug.
gested that If we we're to do such a
thoughtless thing as TO nominate that
ticket on the date designated in our
call for such nominations, we might
possibly embarrass the legality of the
Democratic ticket. Sc we sat in Con-
vention hall waiting the pleasure of
the Democra tic bosses and the coming
of another day. And that's what they
call 'fusion"--it was cowardly sub
lime. We are told that we are to
have q ticket, at least until the su-
preme court has passed upon tit is
the worst kind of hallucination.
The Democratic idea OF that is so
we'll told by the Washington Palla-
dium, a staunch defender of that
party, that we reprint il here:
The effect Of this action. as an
ticipated by the Democrats, is that
the secretary of state will refuse
to file the Populist ticket and
she supreme court will uphold the
aBti-fusion law, which would knock
the POpulist party out entirely, and
as no Populist ticket will appear the
Populists will vote the Democratic
ticket which is the same as their own,
the names being identical "
The Democrats know we shall have
none, and if they thought we would.
under the plan adopted, they would
have fixed it otherwise.
There is not a CLEAN of hope that
our ticket will be on the ballot, there
is not a shadow of reason for believ-
ing that the leaders of the Democratic
party would wish for il there. much
less to presume on their assistance in
attaining such result
There are those who voted for that
procedure who are no doubt honest
an their conviction that it was the ex-
pedient thing TO do for this campaign
and have not yet aband oned fealty TO
the Populist party.
The men however, who manipulated.
and formulated the plan did it in the
avowed interest OF Democracy and the
complete abandonment of the Populist
party.
1t was a complete and ipexcusable
surrender.
No one expects the ticket to be
elected-we do not believe much efI ort
will be put forth in that direction. 1t
Is enough gain for the leaders of Kan
sas Democracy that they have branded
Populists into their party this year,
for service in 1904.
We "know not what course others
may take" but we refuse to take the
brand.
We have followed thePop ulistpar:y
30 its death. but we refu Sc TO be buried
with it in the grave of Democracy.
''But it has happened unto them ac-