People's Pilot, Volume 6, Number 3, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 July 1896 — “SURE AS THE WORLD” [ARTICLE]

“SURE AS THE WORLD”

KANSAS IS LOST TO THE REPUBLICANS, SAYS EX-SECRETARY HIGGINS. r NATIONAL CONVENTION NEWS. THE ST. JAMES HOTEL WILL BE HEADQUARTERS FOR NEBRASKA, ARKANSAS AND MISSOURI DELEGATES.

There has never been a time in the history of our country when political conditions were so uncertain as at present. Surprising changes are occurring daily and it is a wise man indeed who can make definite phrophecies of coming results. Before the campaign is over it is reasonable to believe, however, that thousands will cease their useless struggle to remain true to the old parties and their own consciences at the same time. The' men who have already abandoned the attempt, discredited their former political affiliations and come Into the camp of the oqly genuine reform party in existence, are but the forerunners of these thousands. The Reform Press association will establish headquarters at the St. James hotel, opposite . the Southern, during the national convention at St. Louis. The St. James will also be made headquarters for Missouri, Arkansas, Nebraska and several other state delegations. The uniform rate for rooms and board is |2 per day. Sergeant-at-Arms J. Hugh McDowell and his assistsnts are hard at work arranging details for the national convention. Everything necessary for the comfort of delegates and visitors will be provided and from the present outlook the attend- . ance will be enormous. Most of the congressional dis tricts in West Virginia are holding conventions this week for the selection of delegates to the national convention. “The Battle of the Standards,” by Senator Henry M. Teller and James H. Teller, is a new book on the silver side of the money question just issued by the Schulte Publishing Co., of Chicago, which promises to have a very wide sale. Quite a number of republican papers in Oregon and Kansas have renounced their allegiance to the party since the adoption of the gold standard platform by the national republican con- : vention and announced allegiance to the people’s party. Hon. Jas. C. Sibley of Pennsylvania, is receiving many 'requests from his state to enter the lecture field and discuss financial issues. x Mrs. Lease and Ralph Beaumont are doing effective campaign work for the people’s party in Minnesota. The official call has been ♦issued for rhe populist state convention of Kentucky, to be held at Paducha, on July 20, for the selection of delegates to the national convention. The state is entitled to twenty-six delegates. From the tone of many of the reform papers and commufiications reaching headquarters from leading populists throughout the country, there is evidently a strong sentiment in ‘‘favor of the nomination of Senator Teller, of Colorado, for president, by the people’s party convention, at St. -Louis on July 22. Texas populists are making preparations for the largest nominating convention ever held in that state at Galveston on August 5. At the populist convention of Thurston county, Wash., the principles of the Omaha platform were reaffirmed and resolutions were passed favoring a union of reform forces at St. ' Louis provided the same could be accomplished without sacri- • ficing the fundamental principles of the people’s party. Resolutions were also passed condemning the action of any public officer, particularly populists who have accepted free transportation over steamboat and railroad lines. The populists of Chehalis county, Wash., adopted resolutions favoring the union of all reform forces on a silver platform, irrespective of party. The delegates were instructed by unanimous vote to present the name of Dr- O. G. Chase as a delegate to the national convention. Warren Foster, who has been nominated for congress by the populists of Utah, was one of the first men in Kansas to break aw ay from the republican party.

He established the Alliance Gazette at Huchinson in 1890. In 1894 he visited Utah and made the first- people’s party speech ever delivered in Salt Lake City and a few months later he established the Inter-Mountain Advocate in that city, the first true blue populist paper published in the then territory. Mr. Foster is one of the best campaigners in the west. Ex-Governor Lewelling of Kansas, who is again a candidate for election, ha issued an open letter in which she criticises the action of the state convention in changing the demand for government ownership of railroads to one for government control. John J. Hall, of Johnson county, has been nominated for congress by the people’s party of the 22nd Illinois district. The twenty-two delegates from Cook county, Hl., will come to the national convention instructed to present the name of Dr. H. S. Taylor of Chicago for vice presindntial candidate. Lyman Trumbull, the eminent jurist, ex-senator from Illinois and great populist is dead. Eugene V. Debs, the noted labor agitator, is stumping the New England states in the interests of the people’s party. The labor organizations and local populists of St. Louis are arranging to give the delegates and visitors to the national convention a hearty welcome. M. P. Bulger, chairman of the state central committee of the people’s party in Washington, is mentioned as a probable candidate for congress. George W. Brewster, of Falls city, Neb., editor of the Populist has announced his candidacy for the populist 'nomination for congress. Jerome Kerby, prospective candidate for governor in Texas is making a warm campaign in that state, which is denominated a “democrat killer” by Frank Chancellor of the Pioneer Exponent. At the Colorado state convention held in Denver July 4 a state association of populist women was formed, after the order of the woman’s association of Denver. The members of the association are expected to increase the liveliness of the campaigning all over the state. The warmest political fight in populist ranks in Kansas is the contest-for the nomination for congress in 'the fifth district between H. N. Gaines and W. D. Vincent. The fifth is the district formerly represented by John Davis. The people’s party convention in Dickinson county, Kan., commends the action of Senator Teller in bolting the republican convention and declares for the initiative and referendum.

The republican county convention held at Beaver City, Neb., refused to endorse the lately adopted platform of the republican national convention. John S. Crosby, the noted populist of Kansas City, Mo., is winning compliments and fame unsurpassed by the favors shown any other single tax campaigner in Delaware. Baker city editor of the St. Louis Star (republican) says that Crosby is the-greatest orator in the United States. ~ Mrs. T. L. Nugent, wife of the late noted reformer of Texas announces the intended publication of a life of her husband, published by herself. A. H. Livingstone, populist candidate for congress in the fourteenth district of Missouri, is making a fight of remarkable self sacrifice and vigor, and if he is given the right kind of assistance by the party of the state at large he will undoubted • ly be victorious. The populists have a reasonable chance of success in several other districts in the state. Populists of the fifteenth Missouri district have secured special train service for the crowd which will attend the national convention. The Detroit Tribune, which repudiated the republican platform adopted at St. Louis, says: “The platform on the only important issue before the country

is damnable, unpatriotic and unrepublican.” The Tribune has been the leading republican paper of the state for years and it now advises active campaigning against gold monometallism congressional candidates. William Higgins, ex-republi-can secretary of state of Kansas, says his party will lose Kansas as sure as. the world. George A. Munger of Greenwood, Kan., is the latest candidate talked about for the people’s party nomination for governor. Ex-Governor Lewelling does not propose to be put in the false attitude of opposing Jerry Simpson. He has gone before the central committee of his county, Sedgwick, and insisted upon the county supporting the mad from Medicine Lodge for the nomination for congress from his old district, the big seventh. Leo Vincent is to have opposition in his candidacy for the people’s party nomination for Congress in Oklahoma in the persons of Ed M. Clark of Perry and W. A. Ruggles of Tecumseh, both of whom have officially announced their candidacy. The first people’s party state convention ever held in Utah, beside putting special stress on a free silver resolution, declared against national banks; in favor of a graduated land and inheritance tax; for better immigration laws; in favor of the election of United States senators and the president by a direct wte of the people; in favor of the system of ’direct legislation; endorsing Coxey’s non-in-terest bearing bond bill; favoring the reduction of official salaries; eliminating the sub-treas-ury plank of the Omaha platform'; opposed to the interference of priests in the matter of politics. ‘ Again the news bureau wishes to call attention to its invitation for correspondence and special contributions by mail, direct from populist national, state, congressional and county committeemen and from reform editors in every section of the country. All information of populist movements»and declarations sent to room 525 Commercial building, St. Louis, Mo. will be appreciated. The campaign 4s oh and the bureau wants the news, wants all the news and wants it at first hand,

right off

A. R.