People's Pilot, Volume 5, Number 48, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 June 1896 — Peoples Party News Bureau. [ARTICLE]

Peoples Party News Bureau.

HEADQUARTERS AT ST. LOUIS. Plutocracy is Alarmed at the Growth of the Reform Forces. THE INDEPENDENT VOTER IN THE SADDLE FOR Hl® RIGHTS.

Peoples Party News Bureau., 1 Headquarters National Ex. Committee > St. Louis. Mo.. June 4. j The people's party state convention of Montana will convene at Boulder, on Tuesday, June 23, to select delegates to the St. Louis convention, and for the transaction of other important business. The republicans have arranged to fuse with the populists in Dallas county, Texas. It will interest our readers to know that this is the home of Colonels Park and Tracy, of the Southern Mercury. The populists of Cowly county, Kansas, have unanimously indorsed Senator L. P. King as their choice for the nomination for governor. The senator has been a resident of Cowly county since 1855, and is one of the ablest men in the state. Hubert T. Houston, editor of “The Man,” Alderson, W. Va., reports the rapid growth of the people’s party in that state. He says there is no question about an overwhelming majority of West Virginia favoring the free coinage of silver. The Burnside Item, one of the heretofore leading democratic papers of eastern Kentucky, has recently come out for the people’s party. Hon. Stephen P. Shephard, of Kentucky, author of a very able work on the silver question, and a leader in the democratic free silver circles of Louisville, has resigned from the executive committee of the bimetallic league and writes the chairman as follows: “Hereafter my work will be devoted to the cause of the populist or people’s party.” Mr. Shephard is a strong man, an able writer, and one of the best posted men in Kentucky politics.

For the information of delegates and others who desire to attend the People’s party national convention at St. Louis, July 22, it has been ascertained that five of the six passenger associations in the United States have already agreed, on a onefare rate for the round trip; tickets subject to no conditions except the usual time limit. The Central passenger association, the only one not having issued a one-fare order, will undoubtedly do so soon. Local agents on all lines will receive instructions regarding the sale of tickets in due time to advertise the same and notify all who wish to attend the convention. A territorial conference to organize the people’s party of Indian territory was held at Wagoner, Saturday, May 30. Dr. Furlong and Leo Vincent of Oklahoma, H. E. Taubeneck ol the national committee, and other prominent populists were present. The chairman and secretary of the people’s party state committee of Indiana have issued a card in reply to a fake dispatch sent over the country last week stating that populists, bimetallists and silver democrats had held a conference and agreed to endorse the nominee of the democratic party, providing the (democrats declared for silver, to 1. They both declare emphatically that there is not a word of truth in the dispatch; that the populists of Indiana have no bargain or dicker to make with any other party. This ought to forever set at rest any rumor or sensational report That may come'from Indianapolis in the future. Several Kansas newspapers have hoisted the name of J. D. Botkin of Neodosha as the proper man for congressman at large. H. K. Thurber, the great New York grocer, whose goods are known by every housewife in the land, has renounced allegiance to the republican party on account of its attitude on the money question. The Labor Exchange of Los Angeles, California, is preparing for publication of a magazine and daily paper in the interest of the order. The St. Louis Globe Democrat, republican, lets the cat entirely out of the bag. It says: “It is well to keep this phrase ‘gold standard’ squarely to the front. Republicans in general when they use the word ‘binaet-

allism’ ordinarily mean the #old standard. Let them do as the party in Missouri and many other states do—employ the term directly and specifically.” Populists of Van Zandt, Texas, polled over 500 more votes in the primary this year than they did two years ago. The populist platform in the ninth congressional district of Indiana declares in favor of a national constitutional convention. The St. Paul Pioner Press, republican, admits that disaffection of republicans in South Dakota makes populist success in that state quite probable. It is admitted on all hands that populism has lost no adherence since 1894, and an increase of 1,200 votes properly distributed will give the people’s party the legislature. The populist convention in Spokane county, Washington, in its platform, condemns the course of the state for severity upon petty offenders and al lowing great criminals, particularly those interested in railroads, to escape scott free. The allied printing crafts’ union of Ohio has declared for the free coinage of silver at 16 to 1. Captain J. F. Johnson, demo cratic candidate for governor of Alabama, has returned the letter carrying the challenge of A. T. Goodwin, populist, for a joint debate, without acceptance of the proposition. Mrs. Lease is lecturing in Minnesota under the auspices of the people’s party state committee.

At a recent meeting of the sound money men of Illinois, held in Chicago, it was decided that a new democratic party organization in Illinois should be inaugurated. The main object of the new party will be to defeat the silver men and to that end they will hold a state convention of their own at which a delegation to the national democratic convention will be chosen. This delegation will be pledged to the single gold standard idea. Hon J. H. Davis, of Texas, has been secured to deliver several campaign speeches in Missouri and Nebraska during the early part of June. In the Cook county, Illinois, democratic convention, the Altgeld free silver democrats were completely in control and yet not a word appeared in their resolutions regarding the ratio of free coinage. The populists of the eighth Texas district will hold their convention at Dublin, June 12. E. J. Wheeler, who has for years been editor of the New York Voice, a national organ of the prohibition party, has been deposed because of his free silver views. Senator Teller is now out of the republican party beyond control. This is his latest utterance, in the New York Commercial Advertiser: “McKinley will not gain ten votes among free silver people by the buncombe on bimetallism. We will not let the same yellow dog bite us twice. We shall insist for the white metal first, last and all the time. If we do not get what we want we shall bolt and that is all there is to it.” The senator says the next election will be thrown into the house. In a purported interview with Gen. A. J. Warner, published recently in the Chicago Record, the general was quoted 'as having declared that the St. Louis silver convention would endorse the action of the democratic national convention if the latter should be controlled in the interest of free silver. I. N. Stevens, the free silver leader of Denver, says: “This consolidation cannot be effected under an old party banner. The coni gressional record for the past four years bristles with too many broken pledges—platform, party and otherwise—to so suddenly cohvince the people that the future will be widely different from the past. The success of the cause naturally depends more upon the character, force and wisdom of the conventions to be held in St. Louis, on the 22nd day of July, than upon

anything else in the world. The associated press doe-, not correctly qubte General Warner as, two days ago, I received a long letter from him in which he urged us to get our most representative men to go to Chicago. He called especial attention to the delicate and important work we had to do in getting voters with us if the silver democrats should win; and that oui- whole national! campaign depended upon the action at St. Louis.” Eight hundred democrats voted at the primaries in Callahan county, Texas, in 1892; this year only 432 votes could be mustered. The decrease in the democratic party represents a corresponding increase of populists. The three great San Francisco dailies are decidedly complimentary in their editorial remarks upon the recent populist state convention. The Chronicle, rep., says: “Taken altogether what has been done at Sacramento, well deserves the commendation of good citizens whether they are populists or not.” The Examiner, dem., rises to remark: “The populists have put enough good timber into their platform to fit out two or three parties-’ The Call, rep., says: “The course taken by the Sacramento convention may win no officers for the populists in this campaign but it is sure to win them converts.” Connecticut populists held a state convention at Hartford, May 21, and selected delegates to the national convention. The convention adobted resolutions opposing fusion with any organization that did not favor complete financial reform, government ownership of railroads, a graduated income tax, the and referendum and opposition to bonds. The prohibition national convention, which was held at Pittsburg, Pa., last week, was a stormy affair. Joshua Levering, a wealthy goldbug, of Baltimore, Md., was nominated for president and Hale Johnson of Illinois for vice president. The platform adopted is a compromise between the “narrow guage” and “broad guage” factions and declares for absolute prohibition of the liquor traffic, lull legal tender money a'.id free silver.