People's Pilot, Volume 5, Number 42, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 April 1896 — Political News From Headquarters. [ARTICLE]

Political News From Headquarters.

Peoples Party News Bureau. ) Headquarters National Ex. Committee, V St. Louis. Mo., April2l. ) The reform leaven is still working and each day makes success appear more certain. One of the main things necessary to secure the much desired result is harmony and concerted action all along the line. St. Louis and the entire country is waking up to the fact that the Peoples party national convention on the 22nd of July will be one of the greatest conventions ever held on American soil. An evidence of this is the anxiety and efforts being put forth by the railroads centering in St. Louis to secure traffic over their lines to the convention. The Wabash has already printed thousands of folders containing the call and other information concerning the convention for general circulation. There is a manifest disposition at this time among some of the indedendent metropolitan daily papers to treat our party with greater consideration and fairness than ever before. This is only a straw perhaps but it indicates the direction of the wind. The editors of the great papers are fully aware that the country is on the verge of a political revolution. In the recent Chicago election, Eugene Smith, member of our national committee, was a candidate for alderman in the 12th ward and received 2,506 votes, being second in the race. This is looked upon by all parties as being a phenomenal contest. Mr. Smith is in favor of a union of the reform forces, which accounts for the large vote which he received. It may not be generally known, but the election committee of the house recently voted to unseat James E. Cobb, democrat, of Alabama, and seat Mr. Goodwin, a Populist. J. H. Davis, the Texas “Cyclone,” has challenged the democratic candidate, M. W. Johnson, of the fourth congressional district, to a joint discussion of the political issues. It is predicted that after “Cyclone” gets through with Mr. Johnson he will not look so pretty but will know more. . Hon. H. S. P. Ashby, chairman of the Texas state commitiee, opened headquarters at theTremont hotel in Ft. Worth on April 8. Under his able leadership the party in that state has grown in four years from nothing to at least 200,000 voters at this time. No one is more deserving of credit for hard work and sacri|Lces than Mr. Ashby. Senator Tillman of South Carolina, in a recent interview at St. Louis, disclaimed being a Populist because of their wild and visionary ideas. The Populists nave a reciprocal feeling for Mr. Tillman. The Peoples party state committee of New Jersey has been called to meet at Trenton May 1 to fix the time and place for a state convention. No state east of the Alleghanies is in better condition, politically, than New Jersey. Chairman Proctor and John Wilcox and J R. Buchan are an army in themselves. The Oregon campaign is now in full blast. Chairman Young has opened headquarters at Hotel Perkins, Portland, and under date of April

7 writes to Chairman Taubeneck: “I hope that you may see your way clear to keep Gen. Weaver in Oregon until June. His long experience renders his advice not only valuable but highly essential. John W. Breidenthal and Ex. Governor Lewelling of Kansas were in St. Louis last week making arrangements for accommodations for Kansas delegation to the national convention. They are both confident of carrying Kansas this year. The recent announcement that Wharton Barker of Philadelphia, editor of “The American,” a great national journal, had allied himself with the silverites, is causing sorrow and gloom in the gold-bug camp. The republican state committee of North Carolina recently sent a delegation of its members to confer with the populist state committee of which Senator Butler is chairman regarding a fusion of forces but our leaders consider the party sufficiently strong in that-state to stand alone. Locally, fusion may continue in North Carolina but nor on a state ticket. Word comes from Alabama that the silver democrats are joining hands with the populists which makes success in that state almost certain. The Gibson county, Tennessee, populists in convention recently, instructed for J. Hugh McDowell as candidate for congress in the Ninth district. J. C. McDermon the present democratic congressman from that district had a majority of 2,625 two years ago. McDowell can defeat him if any one can. In local municipal elections held recently in Colorado, Utah and other western states the populists succeeded in making great gains over proceeding years and carried many cities This was also true in several Wisconsin towns. Oklahoma populists will hold district conventions on May 22 for the purpose of selecting delegates to the national convention. Chairman Vincent is stirring things up down there. Ex-Governor Boies of lowa has come out for free silver with a vengeance and threatens to bolt the action of the Chicago convention if the democrats declare for a gold standard. The time was when Governor Boies did not know exactly “where he was at” on the financial question. Perhaps the possibility of securing a presidential nomination*had something to do with his decision. Many democrats are deluding themselves with the idea that their party will declare unequivocally for free coinage of stiver this year and nominate a candidate for president who is in harmony with that idea. This will hardly be, since Wall street cannot take chances on allowing it. There is much dissension in the prohibition party over the money question with the prospect of a bolt when the party meets in convention at Pittsburg on May 27. Free silver pro-

hibitionists, like the free silver democrats and republicans can find a congenial home in the People’s party. The executive committee of Dallas county, Texas, with Mr. Harry Tracy, chairman, and C. H. Stribbling, secretary, recently issued a call for a county primary to be held June 13 to nominate a county ticket. The call contains the following: “All voters are eligible to participate in said primary irrespective of whether they be democrats, republicans, populists or independents except those participating in the democratic primary for county officers called for May 14. We advise those who endorse the above reform and desire to become candidates for any county, district or precinct offices in Dallas county to declare their candidacy subject to the above called referendum.” Milton Park, of the Southern Mercury in an interview in the Dallas News, states: “The democratic primary will be held on May 16 and we invite all citizens who are opposed to the 16th of May primary to participate in our primary on the 13th day of June. Gold men, silver men, democrats republicans and populists are invited to participate. No man will be barred unless he has previously voted in the democratic primary. If the people select candidates who are not populists, then we will support them. We do not care who they voted for or how they stand on state and national issues. A man can vote for Cleveland, Harrison of McKinley or any other presidential candidate. That will cut no figure in this case. Our invitation is general and sweeping. ' It is somewhat singular that Mr. Park and Mr. Tracy should lead such a movement, when they have been opposed to everything in favor of an honest union with the silver organizations throughout the United States. This is the first in the history of our party where a committee invited gold-bug republicans and goldbug democrats to take part in Peoples party primaries. A call for a national convention has been issued by E. Evans, chairman and M. F. Gray, secretary, of the so-called “National Reform” party which was launched at Staten island on July 4of last year. The convention will be held at Pittsburg, Pa,. May 25, two days before the prohibition convention for the purpose of uniting with them if possible. Union seems to be the watchword this year all along the line. A call has been issued by Eltweed Pomeroy for a conference of all voters in the United States who favor the principle of direct legislation to meet in St. Louis on July 21 for the purpose of formulating demands to be presented in the Peoples party convention to follow on the 22nd. The Peoples Party News Bureau is still receiving much complimentrry mention. Editor Salter of the Ocobla, Mississippi, Press writes: “These letters supply a long felt want by reform publishers, especially those in the rural districts.” ' A. R.