People's Pilot, Volume 5, Number 41, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 April 1896 — PEOPLES PARTY NEWS. [ARTICLE]

PEOPLES PARTY NEWS.

The Prospects Bright and Such as to Enthuse. THERE IS EVERY INCENTIVE TO WORK. * ’ i, "I -/ - • tr Republican. Divided In Oregefti and Elsewhere. Democrats at Daggers Points " ™ Everywii&ie. * t People’s Party News Bureau, / Headquarters National Ex. Com. \ St. Louis, Mo., April 14. The news that reaches headquarters these days is all good news. Everything seems to be coming our way. Notwithstanding the extremely hard financial conditions, our people can take hope. There is certainly a brighter day just ahead. At no time since the meeting of our national committee in January, has so much encouraging news been received at headquarters as during the weekending April 11. Up to that date 405 delegates had been elected to the national convention. Of this number 360 are instructed, or favor a union with all the reform elements opposed to present conditions. The attention of our people is now directed chiefly to Oregon and Virginia where events are rapidly shaping themseves so that the People's party may score a victory. In Oregon Gen. Weaver is doing great work, speaking daily to crowded houses. The democrats there, aseverywhere else, hopelessly divided on * the money question, are fighting with pen and ink while the republicans, having resorted to more ener getic measures, are showing broken heads and demolished ballot boxes as results in their primaries. Gen. Weaver writes: “Pennoyer’s nomination for mayor of Portland was made in an orderly, quiet and open convention large in size and witheut a dissenting vote.” The Populist state committee of Utah will meet at Ogden, June 20. The state convention will probably be held in July to name presidential electors, a candidate for congress, anew state committee and select delegates to the national Convention. I In Florida the democracy is becoming demoralized. The gold standard advocates are making desperate efforts to carry the state. The Populists, while appearing quiet are firm and advancing all along the line. 0 Probably ninety per cent of them favor the Omaha platform, but they are willing to take all free silverites into the party. All reports from Maine agree that in case Speaker Reed fails to secure the Republican nomination for the presidency the Fopulists will receive large accessions froth the republican ranks in that state. Expressions from every section are generally favorable to deferring state, congressional and

connty nominations until aftey the national convention. Editor J. R. Norman of the Southern lowa Educator writes: “I am getting all of the Populist and silver dailies yet I like the plan of your News Bureau and believe it should be liberally patronized. The Populists and free silverites in lowa will have no trouble in uniting if the former are consistent and the latter sincere.” The secretary of the Virginia state committee in a special to this Bureau says: “The meeting of the state Committee at Richmond on April £ tjhe largest knpwp in the histpry of the pbrty in the state. Every district was repreV sen ted and many prominent members of the parish besides the committee, were in attendance. Extreme partisans Ip is losing its hold upon Jne voters. The si|ver contingent is growing stronger and stronger, influential democrats and republicans publicly declare that they will not support on the money question. Straddleism seems to have had its day. We have good chances to carry several districts. If not by majorities, by pluralities. The state committee selected thirteen delegates at large to the national convention, among them, Gen. Jas. G. Field, Peoples party candidate for vice-presi-dent 1892, Major Mann Page, president of the National Farmers Alliance and Industrial Union, Col. Robert Beverly, E. R. Cocke, Peoples party candidate for governor in 1893 and J. A. Hobson. A sub-committee composed of delegates to St. Louis was selected to issue a call for a state convention immediately after adjournment of the national convention. The committee issued a ringing address reaffirming the Omaha platform, but inviting the cooperation of all citizens and organizations favoring a distinctive American policy of finance through the free coinage of silver at a ratio of 16 to 1. Government issue of money and opposition to bonds, and instructed the delegates to the national convention to use all honorable endeavors t© secure a union of such forces. On April 16 the Peoples party of Maryland will hold their state convention to elect delegates to the national convention. Letters received from all the leaders in that state indicate that Maryland will follow Virginia in sending a strong conservative delegation to the national convention. On the 17th inst. the Nebraska state central committee will meet at Hastings to fix the time and place fOr a convention to elect delegates to the national convention. Nebraska will undoubtedly send as strong a delegation to the national convention ss any other state. Ex-Governor Waite of Colorado denies bolting the action of the Denver reorganization committee and says: “It is the reorganizers who have bolted.” The ratio against the Governor, however, seems to be about 14 to 4. ; r It is reported, on what seems to be good au-” thority, that Senator Allen of Nebraska has written a letter to Governor Holcomb of that state, declining to be a candidate for the presidency. Nebraska however, has other strong men. Senator Tillman of South Carolina is making a tour of the western states, speaking in the interest of the white metal. It is pretty generally believed that the Senator is more of a Populis,

than Democrat and will lead a bolt from the democratic national convention and join his forces with ours at the St. Louis convention. Governor Stone of Missouri and ex-Governor Boies of lowa seem to be working in harmony with Senator Tillman. f 'he self-styled committee on sound currency, wi h headquarters in Wall street, are at their old tri ks again. In order to accomplish their dastai lly work of fastening the gold standard, with its attendant evils, upon- the people they offer to sei i free of charge, either “plate” matter or so J>lenaents to ajl old party sheets they are £bl9 tfi subsidise ip that manner. public beware eg this yf|low tinted literature. J. H. Lathrop of Topeka, Kansas, is perfecting arrangements to run' special trails from several points ip Kansas for the accommodation of delegates and others who desire to attend the national convention in July. Similar arrangements will also be made in other states. Kean St. Charles, editor of “Our Mineral Wealth” of Kingman, Arizona, and a delegate to the national convention, writes: “Three Peoples party papers are now being published Arizona; one at Phoenix, one at Bisbee and “Our Mineral Wealth” at Kingman. Three of the four delegates to the national convention favor a financial plank and the initiative and referendum, if necessary, to bring the reform forces together. For my part the financial plank is good enough until tne administration of government affairs is taken out of the hands of the “shylocks.” Then reform can be carried out along the whole line. All Americans who no longer believe in the many working for the few must join together.” From Georgia Tom Watson writes: “The first contest for ’96 occured between Democrats and Populists in Georgia this week. Screver county heretofore Democratic went Populist by 507 majority. T. C. Bateman, candidate for governor of Maine in 1094, writes: “The spring elections here show immense gains for us. Els worth, the home of Senator Hale, the two old parties fused to beat us and we tied the vote. In Norway where I had 26 votes two years ago, we had 337 this spring!! From South Dakota Henry S. Volkmar encloses printed form for organization of Peoples party leagues with which good work is being done in his state. He regrets that the form may seem “tame to old time Populists but reports that they arq bringing in the dissatisfied old party voters. This Bureau will soon undertake to fill orders for literature and .^^.cfcoperate with state and local committees in the matter of railroad transportation and hotel accomod£tiosjjfor those desiring to attend the national convention. A. R.