Populist Party Reorganizes for Adams County
Delegates rally to push for direct democracy, bimetallism, and a formal political realignment in rural Washington.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
The populist county convention was called to order last Saturday at 11 a.m. by the chairman, Hiner Dorman. Thomas B. Leonard was elected temporary chairman and John A. Willis secretary. A platform committee was appointed, and following a recess, the convention adopted a declaration of principles focused on direct legislation, the nationalization of money, and the free and unlimited coinage of silver and gold at a ratio of 16 to 1. The platform also called for the election of U.S. senators by direct vote and opposed the growing trend of government by injunction. After internal debates regarding a potential conference with the Democratic party, the convention nominated a full county ticket, including W. O. Lewis for representative, W. L. Olmstead for auditor, and L. L. Sutton for treasurer.
“We demand that the people by direct legislation shall have the power to initiate and repeal laws.”
This convention captures the height of the Populist movement in the Inland Northwest, which sought to challenge corporate monopolies. Today’s debates over the influence of money in politics and direct democracy mirror these 1898 concerns about who really holds power in Adams County.
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