The independent. [volume] (Lincoln, Neb.) 1902-1907, 1903-07-30
is not a revolution at all, but the
death Of one

cOmpllShed nothlng-ln another 1t did.
The conference proper was waiting
Tor committees TO report, anu put i'll
the time in speeeh-making. The reso-
lutions committee demanded clerical
assistance FROM the secretaries-so Mr..
Calderhead remained at his post in
into the committee room. There were
resolutions galOre-enough to fill one
issue of The Independent. All good
material, too. but mot available" as
the magazine editors put it. The
Denver single tax league had plank
covering the subject from nation to
county; Mr.. Sprague of Colorado had
a money plank; and there were num-
erous long resolutions with many
"whereases' and Observation-Disclosures
Solveds."
But men like Senator Allen, Col.
Felter, Editor Mallett, DR.. Reemelin,
Judge Overs, Governor Poynter and
Mr.. Hewitt have had too many years
experience in platform writing to in
dulge in the nonsense of making a
Jacobs coat; and it did not take long
to determine two or three things:
First, the address must be brief enough
to be reprinted by every populist pa
per in America. Second, it must not
assume the form of political plat
form. And, third, it must call atten-
ton in no uncertain terms to the prin-
ciples of the Omaha platform and the
apparent futility of expecting any re-
lief through the republican or the
democratic party. That being decided
Governor Poynter, Colonel Felter and
Secretary De France were made
Subcommittee to hew out the address.
When they had completed the first
draft, the whole committee took it up
word for word and line for line and
finished it in the form as it appears on
our first page.
The afternoon session was called at
/ instead of Q o'clock in order to have
the committees report acted upon in
time to give the evening papers
chance to print it.
Notwithstanding the numerous views
expressed the night before, there
seemed to be unanimity in favor OF
the committees report Mr.. Tibbles
urged a transposition of words which
he believed would make one sentence
rhetorically stronger; Col. Park OBJ
iected to the words united Peoples
Party" unless the word united was
"put down" (not capitalized), mas
much as in one or two places the pop
ulists called their local organization
the Omitted Peoples Party but Sen
ator Allen and Secretary De France as
sumed the attitude of the Iowa anti
reyisionists' and urged either adop-
ton without change or rejection OF
the report, admitting that it was by
no means a perfect document-not
classic.
The strongest opposition came from
A. r. Allen of Vinland, Kas., who had
a money plank he wished to substitute
for subdivision "(a)". Senator Allen
urged the wisdom OF retaining as
nearly as possible the nomenclature OF
the Omaha platform.
Upon a rising vote the adoption was
unanimous, except that Mr.. Allen OF
Kansas shouted ringing mo" and
asked to explain his vote.
During the day the committee on
national organization had completed as
much as possible of the work OF Sc
lecting a national committeeman. and,
after the address was adopted, reported
that the work could not be finally COM
pleted except by correspondence. This
committee also deemed it inadvisable
to make public the names OF the COM
mitteemen at this time. Upon motion
of Editor Ferris5 of Illinois the COM
mittee on national organization was
continued until its work should be
fully performed. And upon motion OF
Governor Poynter it was declared that
the national committeeman chosen
should not supersede either of the two
national committees (headed by But
Ter and Parker, respectively, but
should act in harmony with both as
an auxiliary organization.
The conference having performed its
work it resolved itself into pcpulist
Glove feast" and many were the ex-
pressions Of delight that now, after
years of estrangement, the two wings
of the peoples party were united and
ready to go forth once more in battle
Adjournment sine die was taken just
before supper Tor dinner!).