The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1896-07-30
SENATOR BUTLER DENIES THE
RUMOR THAT WATSON WILL
BE WITHDRAWN
He THINKS SEWALL SHOULD RESIGN
And Thus Complete the UnficatiOn Of
Silver Forces-CyclOne Davis,
Weaver and Others Sent to
Alabama to Stump
That State.

! st. LOUIS, July "a fulnOf got out 10
day to the effect that the pOpulists woulC
withdraw Watson, their candidate fol
vice president, if Sewall did not with
draw.
4 representative of the Associated
Press called on Senator Mario Butler
chairman of the national committee, and
asked him why, if his party desired Il
union of the silver forces, did they nOmi'
nate another candidate for vice presi-
dent.
Because" he said, eve found that by
so doing our party organization could be
better preserved in support of Mr.. Bryan
than by the nomination of Mr.. Scwall.
Does not this selection lead to much
embarra ssmcnt!'
"Oh, yes, but it was our only atcrna-
tive"
"Will the democratic and populist ma
| tional committees make some arrange
mcnt to unite their vote!"
"'rhc two party organizations will be
kept entirely separate and distinct and
the two campaigns will be conducted
separately on parallel lines, but we hope
to vote and be united
st is rumored that Mr.. Watson will
be withdrawn"
This will not be done The selection
of Mr.. Watson was Il deliberate action
by an overwhelming vote and voiced the
sentiments of the people, who themselves
had delibcrated upon the situation since
the Chicago convention. The peoples
party, in its desire to unity the reform
forces so as to make victory possible.
met the democratic party more than half
way by taking their candidate for prcsi-
dent. We could not unite upon Mr..
Scwall. and if we had attempted to do so
it would have disorganized our own
forces and endangered the election of
Mr.. Bryan. 1t is no reflection upon Mr..
Sewall. and we do not believe he or his
friends will so consider it. On the con-
trary we hope he is patriotic enough to
put the success Of the cause and the
welfare of the country above personal
interests and aspirations.
Il short. Mr.. Sewall is the one man in
the United States who now has in his
power to completely unity the silver
forces and make victory over the gold
combine absolutely certain. This is the
unanimous opinion of our executive COM
mittcC.'
In an interview tonight Senator Butler
further says:
Seen. James b. Weaver, ]. II. Sover-
cign. general master workman of the
knights of Labor; "Cyclone' Davis of
Texas, Hon. Thomas Il. Watson, vice
presidential candidate on the popuiiSt
ticket. and other speakers have gone to
Alabama to stump the state for free sill
YER They will reach there Tuesday and
,,r;n In, h,, Il
day until the election, which comes off
in August, when members of the state
legislature will be elected.
Senator Pugh's term expires soon and
the next legislature will elect his sue
cCSSor. 1t is to elect Il majority of free
silver legislators and insure the the cleo
ton of Il United States senator favorable
to the white metal that these speakers
will work.
"G,ovcrnor Oates is the democratic can
didatc for United States senator. y
large number of the candidates for the
legislature are gold men and will vote
for his election. but we hope to defeat
them us well as elect free silver CON
grcSsmcn from Alabama in November.
No one party has Il majority i'll North
Carolina. but we feel assured that Bryan
will roll up II majority there i'll the fall.
"Thr selection of national hcndquar-
tcrS has been left to me by the national
committee which met today. but | will
not he able to make known my decision
for several weeks. | shall have to care
fully canvass the situation and look into
the claims of the various cities mention
ed for the place. The most prominent of
the cities are Chicago. Omaha, Wash
ington and New York The opinion
seems to prevail among the members of
the committee that the selection of some
western city would be the best policy. |
will probably not make public my decis-
ion until | call Il meeting of the cXecu-
tive committee which may be in n few
weeks ut some city convenient to all the
members"
"Canddntcs for congress will also be
put up in each district, but the greatest
fight will be for Bryan"