The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-01-10
POLITICAL GOSSIP
POpulist State Convention to
Be Held March IL.
Committee Meets in Topeka and
Issues Call.
ATTENDANCE is SMALL
Only Fourteen of the Member.
ship of Forty.
Newspaper Reporters Are Ex'
cluded From Meeting.

March II was the date selected last
night by the Populist State Central
committee for the meeting of the
Populist state convention. The con-
vention will be held in Topeka, and
the specific purpose is to elect dele
gates to the Populist National con-
vention in st. Louis on April 2,
though the convention may go ahead
and nominate a state ticket. That de-
pends on whether the legislature en-
acts direct primary law.
There were only five out of town
members of the nittee present at
the meeting. Il total attendance
was IA out of a LoIal membership of
40. OF course the Populists do not
have any expectation of electing any,
thing in Kansas, but they want to
preserve their party organization for
the purpose of cooperating with the
National committee in the presiden-
tial campaign.
The Populist committee, as usual,
held its meeting in secret. That is
one of the regular annual political
jokes. The committee meets, solemn
ly adopts resolution excluding news
paper men, and then stays in session
until midnight. The exclusion resolu-
ton is always approved by the news
paper reporters because they don't
chewing any more than the Popu-
lists want them to stay. 1t is mu-
tually agreeable arrangement, but 1t
is entirely different from the open
door policy adopted by the Republi-
can and Democratic committees.
After the meeting last night, Chair
man George Hanna made public the
following call:
ITO the Populists of Kansas:
There is ample reason to maintain
I@Sz --kx
with the record of the Peoples party
as the advocate of reform principles
which have since been claimed in
part by both of the old political par
ties each claiming to be the champion
of the same. We are proud of the
Peoples party record in reform and
we would gladly greet the old parties
il they would adopt our pure demo-
cratic principles of government in re-
lation to finance, land and transporta-
ton.
ssWhat we call the Peoples party
was organized in the homes and
school houses of the country and not
in its capitals and chief cities. 1t Or
gan1zes sovereign political powers and
admits no other organizations to be
sovereign. 1t has no head centers
Unlike committees of other parties
which flourish best when people are
dormant, our committees cease to live
when the people abandon their home
organizations.
ssWhereas, The national committee
of the Populist party, meeting with
other reform organizations, having
issued a call for national convention
to be held in st. Louis April 2, 1908,
for the purpose of nominating can
didates for president and vice presi-
dent of the United States, with a rep
resentation Of two delegates for each
congressional district, four for the
state at large and one at large for
each 1000 votes cast for the Peoples
party national ticket In 1904, making
a total of 26 delegates for this state.
Therefore the state central COM
mittee hereby calls state convention
Of true Populists to meet in Topeka,
March IL to elect delegates to the
Populist national convention at st.
Louis, to elect a state committee and
take such further action as that COM
mittee shall deem best for the inter-
ests of the Peoples party"
The Populists who attended the
committee meeting last night are:
Chairman George w. Hanna, Clay
Center; D. w. Boutwell,, Topeka; e. c.
Fowler, Topeka; w. w. Wiley, Tope-
ka; Edwin Taylor, Edwardsville; Nels
Anderson, Topeka; w. F. Rightmire,
Topeka; Ed s. Waterbury, Emporia;
H. B. Hewitt, Topeka: H. N. Gaines.
Topeka; S. H. Allen, Topeka; Albert
Griffin, Topeka; w. F. Eyster, Tope-
ka; NJ. A. Coppack. Emporia; M. J.
A. Jordan, Riley county; Robert
Hauserman, Riley county.
The Holton Recorder says: ''The
vote of the county central committee
II to in favor of a resolution endors-
ing Bailey for governor seems to leave
no doubt in the minds of anyone that
Jackson county is for the ex-governor
and will elect a Bailey delegation to
the state convention. 1t Is a signi1-
cant fact that a large minority of the
members of the committee were four
years ago anti-Bailey and in favor Of a
Hoch delegation. There has evidently
been a radical change of sentiment
toward Bailey since he was refused
nomination for a second term. The
sober Judgment of voters of all factions
now is that W. J. Bailey gave the state
a good honest administration and that
If was unfair to him to turn him down
as was done The people Of Jackson
county know Bailey pretty we'll. many
of them are personally acquainted with
him. and they know that he Is a loyal
friend to the people and that there is
no shadow of foundation for the stuff
published in the Topeka Capital charg-
ing him with favoring the railroads
and Standard Oil company. The writer
of this personally knows that no man
in the state has better reasons for dis
the standard than w. ]. Bailey 1t is
now matter Of political history and
well known to the people generally that
If was a combination between lot OF
politicians and the railroad political
attorneys that defeated Bailey for
second term
The Abilene Reflector says of Bailey's
candidacy: "W. ]. Bailey of Atchison
is a candidate for the Republican nom
ination for governor. Grant Hornaday
baS oIIit. Tom McNea1 won't run: Le-
lands candidacy is not considered ser
iousIy. In the opinion of those famil-
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