The Southern Mercury. (Dallas, Tex.), Vol. 16, No. 27, Ed. 1 Thursday, July 8, 1897 Page: 1 of 16
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VOL. XVI., NO. 27.
DALL, AS, TEXAS, THURSDAY, JULY 8, 1897.
PER ANNUM
FROM NASHVILLE.
The Middle-of-the-Roaders Meet and
Rid Themselves of Butler and
His Followers.
Declare Against Fusion and De-
cide Upon a Plan of Reor-
ganization.
Nashville, Tenn., July 5.—In response
to a call issued by the National Reform
Press Association the national conference
of the people's party met at 10 o'clock
to-day in the hall of thé house of repre-
sentatives at the state capítol, nearly a
thousand middle-of-the-roaders in at-
tendance. The conference were called to
order by Milton Park of Texas, who said
this was a conference of men who believe
in the principles enunciated at Omaha
and St Louis, in populism straight and
not for fusion.
Bradley of Texas, was elected tempor-
ary chairman. He said he wanted to see
plain, unmistakable declations that no
one could misunderstand, and he wanted
to see some means of making them effec-
tive. He trusted that the deliberations
would be cool and calm, and that there
would be no recrimination.
Parker of Kentucky, was chosen tem-
porary secretary.
The conference then took a recess of
thirty minutes, and meetings of the state
delegations were held all over the hall to
select members of the committee on cre-
dentials.
The committee on credentials was an-
nounced and a motion to call the roll for
naming the committee on resolutions and
permanent organization, but objection
was made that this could not be done
until the committee on credentials re
ported.
A motion to adjourn until 1 o'clock
was carried.
The afternoon session of the populist
conference was called to order at 1 45,
and ex-Gov. Buchanan delivered an ad-
dress of welcome.
In his address Mr. Buchanan said that
this was the critical period which this
advance movement in politics had ever
reached, that foes beset it behind and
before and danger lurks within and with-
out
Wimberly of Georgia, responded. His
speech was along the religio-political line
and advocated non-fusion.
The report of the committee on cre-
dentials showed that 355 delegates with
proper credentials were present, . as fol-
lows :
Alabama 38, Arkansas 1S, Florida 4,
Georgia 39, Illinois 24, Indiana 12, Iowa
7, Kansas 2, Kentucky 9, Louisiana 13,
Michigan 12, Minnesota 19, Mississippi
7, Missouri S7, Febraska 2, Montana 3,
New Hampshire i, North Carolina 2,
Ohio 21, Rhode Island 1, Tennessee 13,
Texas 89, Washington 1, West Virginia
2, Wisconsin 1; total 355, The tempor-
ary organization was made permanent
A committee on resolutions, consisting
of one member from each state was ap-
pointed. It follows:
Alabama, M. W. Howard; Arkansas,
W. S. Morgan; Florida, F. H. Lyele;
Georgia, W. L. Peem; Illinois, James H.
Ferris; Indiana, N. H. Motsinger; Iowa,
J. O. Beebe; Kentucky, A. H. Cardin:
Louisiana, A. Gunby; Michigan, Jame*
E. McBridef Minnesota, Ignatius Don-
nelly; Mississippi, W. P. Ratcliffe; Mis
souri, J. P. Dines; Montana, Wm. Hold-
en; New Hampshire, J. J.Streeter; North
Carolina, E. E. Boggs; Ohio, J. S. Cox-
ey; Rhode Island, J. N. Arnold; Tennes
see, A. L. Minis; Texas, Harry Tracy;
Washington, F. D. Mays; West Virgin
ia,J. W. Shull; Wisconsin, Robert Schill-
ing.
During the afternoon a number of
brief speeches were made by the dele-
gates, among them was one by W. E.
Farmer of Texas.
A resolution was ottered to the effect
that hereafter any populist who advocat-
ed fusion should be forever rejected from
the ranks. Another declares that if a
man sells his vote he should be deprived
of the right of suffrage now and forever.
If Butler ever attempts to call a conven-
tion after the other p arties have held
their conventions he shall be decapitated
was the sum and substance of a third res-
olution.
The convention then adjourned till
Tuesday, July 6.
They reassembled in the hall of the
house of representatives at 9:3o. It was
expected that the committee on resolu-
tions would present their report soon af-
ter the conference had been called to or-
der, but the chairman announced that
the report would not likely be ready be-
fore noon.
Several resolutions were introduced
and referred to the committee, and the
committee took a recess for a short time.
The resolutions committee completed
The Reform Editors.
Coatimted page 8.
About 150 members of the National
Reform Press Association met in Nash-
ville last Saturday, in response to a call
for a meeting, issued by the president
Many states were represented, and ev-
ery man there was strictly a middle-of-
the-roader.
Every man had something to say and
from the good feeling that existed one
would have judged it to be a reunion of
war veterans rather than a set of men de-
vising how to remove the political scalps
of traitorous scoundrels who've been try-
ing to kidnap their foster child—the pop-
ulist party.
One topic of discussion, was the anti-
dote for the troubles arising out of the
last presidential election. It was a very
pronounced opinion of all that the reme-
dy was not thorough fusion with any oth-
er party or faith.
The morning session was opened by
Vice President Mays of Washington,
President Burkett of Mississippi, being
absent on account of sickness.
J. H. McDowell delivered a welcome,
which was responded to by Bradley of
Texas.
After the appointment of committees
an adjournment was taken till afternoon,
when the remedies for the existing
troubles in the party were discussed.
The national committee also received
considerable attention. Butler got the
lion's share of the invectives, and if the
old saying is true, his ears must have
burned completely off, even though they
were within the cool protecting walls of
the national capitol at the time, and
soothed by cheering words and renewed
promises from his democratic brethren.
It is no doubt well that he was absent,
for some of the irate speakers went as
far as words could carry them in express-
ing their opinion.
The convention was opened was open-
ed with prayer by Dr. J. D. Barbee, who
invoked a blessing upon the country and
asked guidance for the men in the as-
sembly.
After the prayer, Milton Park present-
ed the association with a gavel of bird's
eye maple, made by H. P. Bloodheart of
Oregon, This species of wood, he said,
was disappearing in the country, as true
patriotism was. A quality of it is that it
never splits, and the speaker expressed
the hope that the attribute would be ap-
plicable to the party with which the Press
Association is connected.
Mr. Mays, on behalf of the associa-
tion, accepted the gavel, thanking the
maker and commending his interest in
the welfare of the party, as evidenced by
his forethought in making the gavel.
He spoke highly of his fellow editors,
in the convention. They were accom-
plishing much for the good of the coun-
try, he said, in spite of great difficulties.
"We, of the National Reform Press
Association, have been ostracised, we
have been called Anarchist, we have met
with almost ovewhelming obstacles, that
would have driven less brave men from
the field, but stHl we have persisted."
A committee was appointed as follows:
W. S. Morgan, of Arkansas; O. F. Don-
blazer, of Texas; Abe Steinberger, of
Kansas; T. J. King, of Mississippi.
An informal recess was taken for the
committee achieve its ends. During the
interval Drr, Barbee invited association
to visit tee publishing house.
A committee on resolutions was ap-
pointed as follows: Harry Tracy, of
Texas; Paul Dixon, Missouri; Abe Stein-
berger, of Kansas; M. H. Motsinger, of
Indiana, and J. A. Parker, of Ken-
tucky.
Jesse Harper, of Illinois, an aged
1'Greenbacker," was invited to speak for
ten minutes, and did so. He discussed
the needs of the party.
In the afternoon, upon a motion by
Milton Park, the regular order of busi-
ness was suspended. The following par-
ties were made honorary members of the
association, with all the privileges of ac-
tive members except voting: Edwin S.
Pope, former editor of Indianapolis Sun;
B. F. Brooks, former editor of the Work-
ingman's Union of Nashville; Jesse Har-
per, author of populistic literature; Mar-
vin Warren, author of "Money Chart,"
of Nebraska, and J. W. McBride. Louis-
ville, Miss.
Messrs. Pope and Brooks made sta-
ring speeches in acceptance of the honor
conferred upon them by the associa-
tion.
A number of short speeches were made
upon the topic, "How shall the party
get out of the troubles which the last
election has brought about?*'
Mr. McClelland, of Texas, said that
the people of his state were set agains t
anything that looked like fusion and
would resist it
Jesse Harper, 01 Illinois, spoke upen
the subject for a few minutes. He told
of the convnntion at Omaha and in this
he advocated a similar proceeding, a
grand national convention. The coming
conference, he said, was called by the
Continued on page 8.
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Park, Milton. The Southern Mercury. (Dallas, Tex.), Vol. 16, No. 27, Ed. 1 Thursday, July 8, 1897, newspaper, July 8, 1897; Dallas, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth185717/m1/1/: accessed April 26, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; .