The Topeka state journal., 1902-01-17
Wants a Reorganization and an
"American Ticket"
TO HOLD CONVENTIONS
Would Have Both Parties Make
Their Selections.
Then Proposes a Mass COnven-
tiOn to Ratify Them.

Senator w. A. Harris. who is recog-
nized as the biggest man in either the
Democratic or Populist parties, and one
of the leaders in the United States SEN
ate regardless of politics, believes that
the Populists and Democrats should get
together on a common ticket for this
years campaign, but that both parties
should maintain their state organiza-
tons Senator Harris will come to To-
peka from Washington on February Il
TO attend the Populist conference. In
discussing the situation he says:
'I believe the Populists should sup
mort the Democratic candidates on an
agreed ticket, but do not believe our
organization should be abandoned at
would simply give some of the disturb
ers an opportunity to organize What
they would insist was the Popu1st par
ty and make trouble. My idea IS that
the organization should be continued
until the regular nominating conVen-
ton and I think that there will then be
no trouble in getting the Democrats TO
nominate a ticket that the PopuIlstS
will unitedly support I want to ask
a nomination at the hands of the con-
vention for senator We are not per-
n1itted to elect senators by a direct vote
of the people and the closest approach
to it is the regular nomination OF
candidate for senator by a party con-
vention-
Iieve, that Judge Doster will have no
Democratic opposition for the supreme
bench. With these two nominations the
Democrats could be given the candidate
for governor on the regular ticket and
we could without great difficulty agree
through conferences on other places on
the ticket / understand there will be
PopulistS in many of the counties who
will participate in the Democratic pri-
maries and these will help shape an
acceptable ticket
George w. Hanna, state senator from
Clay county, proposes a plan which
would virtually be Senator Harris idea
worked out in detail He would have
each party hold state convention,
each to select a state committee and to
agree on certain candidates for state
Offices Then he would have the two
conventions adjourn and meet together
in mass convention to nominate the
state ticket agreed upon under the
name, American Ticket" This. he ar
CUES would leave the organizations of
both parties intact. He says:
Noticing considerable discussion at
this time in the newspapers as to the
future of the opposition forces to the
party fostering trusts. combines and
waging a war of determination, think
the Populist state committee in their
call for a conference in February
adopted one of the cardinal principles
of our party, the referendum idea, of
keeping close in touch with our people
and that good will result from ii.
las Populists it behooves US and is
our duty at our county conventions to
elect delegates to represent us in To-
peka, February 21 to select our best
Populists and instruct them as to what
I'VE want done at the meeting.
This conference will in my judgment
be the most important ever held so far
as the future of the Populist party is
concerned
THE most feasible plan I can think
of is to instruct our delegates to the
conference to set an early date and
call state convention to select our
candidates for ticket invite the Demo-
Gratis to call their state convention for
the same date, both parties to select
their state committees, after which
both conventions adjourn to meet in
mass convention and nominate
American Ticket placing thereon the
names OF such men as was agreed upon
In conventions of Populists and Demo-
Gratis. In this way we can poll more
other in opposition to the Republican
party ticket
I'm our section of the state it would
be useless and suicidal to go through
the farce of delivering the Populist
party to Democracy as the majority of
the Populists would not stay over night
by this plan both parties can main
tain state organizations for 1904 and
neither one have advantage over the
other
1.-The Populists of Clay county and the
state in my judgment will not go out
of business this year or next and now
should show their mettle and stay by
the ship.
Il am for an American ticket and for
victory in 1902