The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-03-02

Republicans and Democr,t. Watching
the Ref0rmers With nyuch rntarast

"epuDiicans and Democrats watching
eiormers With Much Interest.
WASHINGTON CRY, March Especial. I
III Is safe to say that the prominent
,ehoers OF both the Republican and
democratic parties in Washington City
are somewhat disturbed over the prob
aplity Oh a third party ticket be-
ing placed in the field in the coming
presidential campaign. Since the con-
vention at st. Louis the leaders of the
Aliiance-Labor movement have been very
busy. 1t is claimed that number of those
who favor independent action in this cam
paign have held several conferences and
have determined to go outside of the men
engaged in this movement to select the
presidential candidate. They are of the
opinion that neither Ignatius Donnelly.
ueherai weaver nor T. V. Powderly would
DC aoie to secure enthusiastic support at
the November election. A dispatch from
chicago to New York paper this morning
indicates that there is movement on foot
10 try and induce Judge Gresham to ac-
cept the third party nomination.
II Judge Gresham could finally be pre-
vailed upon to do this he would certainly
give the candidates on the Democratic and
Republican tickets very lively race. 1t
is considered impossible, of course, that he
would be elected. The friends of Judge
Gresham in Washington City. however,
say that it's foolish to think that he would
ever allow himself to be placed at the head
OF movement of this kind If the
leaders of the independent party fail in in
ducing Judge Gresham to accept their
nomination, it seems probable that they
will seek other candidates, and if they fail
may be obliged TO turn to either Donnelly,
Weaver or Powderly. In an event of this
kind the farmers vote in the Northern
and Western states would probably not
swerve from the old parties.
The Democrats seem to be more dis
furbed over the outlook now than the Re-
publicans. This is because they fear that
in some of the Southern states such big
vote will be polled by the independent
party that the defeat of the Democratic
ticket in these states would be almost GER
tain. North and South Carolina and
Georgia are three of the states that the
Democratic leaders will have to keep an
eye on If q third party ticket is launched
in the presidential campaign. The reason
for their fear in the Southern states is that
the majority of the voters are ignorant as
to the issues of the day and could be led
by the Alliance men in control to desert
the Democratic party and swing to the in
dependent ticket.
In many of the Northern states 1t is be-
lieved that the members of the Farmers
Alliance will turn back to the old parties,
whether there are three tickets in the
field or not. Senator Pettigrew, of South
Dakota, says there is no danger in his state
this year, for the reason that the farmers
will be sure to vote the Republican ticket.
There is likely to be independent action
by the Alliance men in Minnesota. The
Republicans in that state have feared that
the Democrats would be able to fuse with
the Alliance and do the Republicans con-
siderable damage. Representative Hal
vorsen, the only Alliance men,
Der from Minnesota in congress,
said today that there was no possibility OF
any fusion between the Alliance and Dem
ocrats in Minnesota. He said the ALI
ance leaders proposed to act independently
of both the old parties in the presidential,
state and legislative campaigns. North
Dakota men in Washington City declare
that the third party ticket would receive a
yery small vote in that state. This is be-
Iieved to be true also in Iowa. 1t is be-
lieyed that the farmers of Nebraska will
not support any independent presidential
ticket this year, but will vote with the Re-
publicans, as they always have done previ-
Gus to the landslide of two years ago.