People's Pilot, Volume 4, Number 39, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 March 1895 — A GRAND MEETING. [ARTICLE]

A GRAND MEETING.

OFFICIAL REPORT OF CONVEN* TION AT KANSAS CITY. Ringing RasolutlonN of Adhoroneo to Omaha Platform- In the “Mlddla of the Rond,” Neither Drifting Townrd Kxtreme Soclaltam. It was a great meeting—the one held by the Reform editors at Kansas City on Feb. 22 and 23. Many of the old wheel horses were present. The program was the best ever arranged at any meeting of the National Reform Press Association. The growing popularity of the association was attested by the addition of twenty-six new members. Never before in the history of the association were such grave questions to be confronted and dealt with, and never before in the history of any body were they handled with such profound wisdom. The single-plank Issue, with all Its discordant attachments, was carefully considered, and the action taken

on that will do more to inspire confidence, patriotism and energetic work than anything that has been done for many a day. Relating to this question the following resolutions were passed: First —We recognize no authority in this association or elsewhere to change or modify the Omaha platform until another national representative convention, elected by the people, shall as* semble. Second—We recognize the fact that any one of the questions embodied In that platform may be forced to the front by the logic of events at different times and under different circumstances and thereby claim priority of attention and whenever this occurs it if our duty us true Populists to meet the Issue like men. Third —We recognize tne further fact that the policy of the present administration and the attitude of members of congress of both parties have brought the money question in its various phases forward in such manner as to make it the most prominent issue of the hour, and the Reform Press Association has no desire or disposition to evade it. Fourth —We recognize no disposition of the members of this association to drift away from the principles of the Omaha platform, but on the other hand there has ever been a united adherence to them, which is entitled to the highest consideration.

Fifth—Manifestly our adversaries would be immensely gratified at any want of harmony in our ranks, and we do not propose to afford them this satisfaction. We are proud to announce that no schism exists in our ranks. On the contrary, our members are united, active and aggressive. We are constrained to persevere in this policy because of the phenomenal growth of the People’s party, which polled 1,000,000 votes in 1892 and over 1,500,000 in 1894 (that were counted), which can be attributed to no other cause than that of a plain, honest and unflinching advocacy of the Omaha platform in its entirety. The concensus of opinion was, that the great body of our people were opposed to any change or modification of the Omaha platform, or the adoption of any policy that could be construed into an abandonment of any part of it. Not a man lifted his voice in favor of a sin-gle-plank issue. The officers chosen, both for the association and the Industrial Legion, were all straight middle-of-the-road Populists after the Omaha platform pattern. While the members of the association, or most of thetn, regretted that any disposition existed to practically abandon all of the Omaha platform except part of the currency plank, they carefully refrained from doing or saying anything that would be calculated to create discord or make a breach in the ranks of the party. In this they exercised not only great wisdom but true patriotism. It is enough for the people to knowthat the Reform Press of the United States stands squarely upon the deck of the Ship of State, with the unmodified chart given by the people assembled at Omaha in 1892 before them, and that we intend to sail the vessel according to that chart until another one Is given in national convention, and most especially not to be lured off by our enemies who Btmnd upon breakers, with no craft of their own to offer us for snfetjr or relief, and who deeert

us the moment we ever proposed to return to the People’s platform. It is unfortunate that the Reform Press has been charged with disloyalty —with drifting toward extreme socialism. While it is wholly unnecessary to deny the truth of the charge, it is proper to refer to it as being made for the purpose of justifying certain parties who, either through mistake or corrupt motives, seek to so change the past policy of the People's party that it may be construed into an abandonment of the greater part of the principles embodies in the Omaha platform. We do not charge corruption—it was not charged at the Kansas City meeting, but the concensus of opinion was that some of our leaders had been overmatched by the wily politicians at Washington and that the headquarters ought to be removed from that rotten and corrupt city. Be that as it may, the slogan has gone forth. There is to be no abandonment of the Omaha platform. The Reform Press brought the currency question to the front, and it will not abandon It now. This is the line upon which the People’s party has won its most brilliant victories. This Is the line which the logic of events points out as the true one. But while it is doing this it does not propose to haul down its flag from the transportation and land issues to please the silver men or anybody else who are either too prejudiced or too blind to see that the logic of events is rapidly crowding these questions to the front, with almost as many friends to sustain the position on them taken by the Omaha platform, as there are friends of free silver outside of the People’s party.

The man or men who claim to be the discoverer of the fact that the currency question is paramount at this time is twenty-seven years behind the old wooden mold-board plow. The assumption of such a position could only emanate from supreme egotism or an eDexcusable ignorance of the mind and temper of the people. For years from three-fourths to nine-tenths of the reading space in Reform papers has been occupied with a discussion of the currency question in its different phases. It was this agitation that pressed it to the front. It is not the chosen battle ground of the e-aemy—he dodged the question as long as he could. We have pressed the fight and compelled him to accept the gage of battle on these lines. While doing that we have brought up with us, in solid line, our transportation forces, our land forces, our income-tax forces and others who are now arrayed with us in line of battle to help fight the money power. Shall we forsake these for mere promises of those who have never yet had the courage to join our ranks, because, forsooth, some one has taken up the old plutocratic cry of “socialism?” No. A thousand times no. If there ever was a time in the history of this country when men should stand firm it is now. And this is especially true of our leaders. The people are disgusted. The ranks of the enemy are wavering. They are looking for great, true and brave men who will press the fight on the line of principle and not stop to barter on the line of policy. From a business standpoint the meeting of the Press Association was a grand success. Many interesting papers were read. A communication was appointed to establish a Daily Populist news service, and another to concentrate our patronage on a ready print and plate service.

The new officers of the National Reform Press Association elected for the ensuing year are as follows: Milton Park of the Southern Mercury, Dallas, Tex., president: W. A. Hotchkiss of the National Republican, Presto, Minn., vice-president; W. S. Morgan of the Buzz Saw, Hardy, Ark., secretary and treasurer; executive committee, J. H. McDowell, Nashville; Paul J. Dixon, Chillocothe, Mo.; C. H. Matthews, Indianapolis, Ind.; E. S. Peters, Calvert, Tex.; W. L. Brown, Kingman, Kan. W. S. Morgan was also re-elected editor for the National Reform Press Association Official Ready Print and Plate Service for another year. The importance of the existence of a national association was more forcibly impressed upon the minds of those present than ever before. It has shown itself to be the bulwark of the Reform movement, and the people can rely upon its unfaltering loyalty in the great battle for human rights. Every Reform editor should belong to the association.

W. S. MORGAN, Sec’y.