Kootenai County Republican. (Rathdrum, Idaho) 1899-1903, 1902-03-14
POPULISTS HAVE
RfPUDIATfD FUSION


0OlSEs iu6IIO. MATCH H. u
only political devevelopments in IT,
capitol city OF recent date has tO do
with tie populist party. Some lit;f
general knowledge concerning then.
has been disseminated over the stat,
but nothing like an understandings.
based on inside information, has beeii
given.
Your correspondent has been able IA
obtain some information that vii.
give clearer insight into the latesl.
popalst movement than anythiB.
iiefetof,e published, and which NAV
enable your readers to calculate witt
some degree 1T certainty the position
OF the populist party AT this tint.
The tight that has been wagcd within
the populist ranks has been betweea
the fusion and the middic-of-ihe-ro.ni
or anti-fusion elements To ma Ike Ion.
story short, the middle-of the-roader>
have wen the day, The official orga,
ization Of the populist party is In I'll"
hands OF the anti-fusioists. For the
first time In the history of the part,
in Idaho it has gone on record agains
fusion. Moreover. IL has declared II.
sponsiblc for the disntegration Of ts,'a
party. II We might line the opposinl
factions up under ditferen; names, Vs.
might call one Heitfeld and the othcr
anti-lleitfeld. The anti-IIeitfcld clc-
ment is In possc ss!on Of the legal ma-
chinery uf the party. The Heitfci,i
faction belongs 10 the democracy.
These who had not openly joined the
democrats have been read out OF the
party for atiiliating with the demo-
Gratis. This humber includes men
who have been very prominent IN
populists cfrrles-members NJ the state
committee and OF county committees.
All have been weed,d out; the Leaders
in the Heitfelt faction lave been
bounced. and by name.
The origin of the fight is general,
known. senator Heitfeld Joined the
democracy and issued proclamation
advising all popuists to 60 and d.
likewise. Some did, many did not.
When 1t was seen that the antiHei,.
field men intended to continue obdur-
ately In the middle OF the politicai
highway, the Heitfeld men took steps
to land them in the tureen. 4 meet.
ing was called to which some Of thu
populist state committeeman re-
sponded. Chairman Andrews Was de-
clared ousted and Judge Sample Of
Blackfoot was elected In his place
However, the large majority Of those
who attended the meeting-men whs
had had been members OF the populisi
mmittee-had been removed b,
Chairman Andrews for af,lliatinp
with the democrats, No the committee
did not have legal majority by
good deal.
Chairman Andrews repudiatcd the
action of the Heitfeld men. lie de-
clared With much emphasis that he
had been elected 10y a body created bs
the state convention and no lcss
power than that bich gave him his
title as chairman could wrest II from
him. Furthermore, he stated til.
convention WIS tie only body having
poSer 10 dissolve tie populist party.
lie. therefore. held tie Sample com
nittee meeting referred To entirely H.
legal, proclaimed that he WAS Ai!
chairman and that there was only one
brand genuine. nanle-blow n-in-thc-bpi-
tie populists-th that headed by himself.
He called the other fellows all sorts II
pet names for their attempt 10 dis
rupt Tie party. naming them petSdI.
ally and denouacing them as political
grafiers and shysters, whose only In
tercst in any party was Ia feather
their own nests Among those 80
named were Martin Jacobs. state mine
inspector, w. n. Taylor Of Can,o on.
Senator Heitfeld aud others
- far rs the legal aspect Of the cas-
is concerned, IL is conceded by the
best attorneys here that he organiza-
tion headed by Andrews Is tine onl,
legal popu.ist body In the state. And
then, h'S about fusiony Chairman
Andrews called his committee iugcil-
eT. His action IN removing dcmora
Continued oa psxe1