The record-union., 1896-07-22
Populists All at Sea as to What Action
Will be Taken.
Bitter Fight Still Waging Over the
Question of Indorsing Bryan and
Sewall--Plain Sailing for the Silver
Men-They Will Simply Meet,
Listen to Some Speech-Making,
Iudorse the Democratic Nominee
and Issue an Address.

ST. LOUIS, July 21.-The "Siamese
twin conventions which will meet here
tomorrow in different halls, but at the
same hour, will have as the ligature that
binds them together in settled pur-
pose only the free-silver plank OF the
Chicago platform. There is no attempt
to disguise the truth that on all other
issues the two conventions will be nope
lessly divided
The National Silver party, whose call
was issued January 4, 1896, stated that
the paramount issue it had to consider
was the gold standard, gold bonds ana
bank currency on the one side, and the
bimetallic standard no bonds and Gov
ernment currency on the other" On
this platform a representation of 1,31S
votes was proposed for the National Sill
Yer Convention This representation
was apportioned with a basis of one for
each Senator and Representative in
Congress. and then additional delegates
added in accordance with the silver
votes of the several States as recorded
by the Bimetallic Union Not more
than 300 of these straight-silver dele
aeets were recorded as present in the
city, and scarcely more than that num-
Der are likely to be present when DR.. j.
J. Mott of North Carolina calls the con-
Yention of silver men TO order to-mor-
row.
The representation of the Peoples
party. or as it is generally termed, the
Populist party of the United States, was
established ON a ratio which should
have yielded 1853 delegates and 616 al
ternates, total of 2034. Chairman
Taubeneck, who is not the least san
guine of the executive officers of the
Peoples party, does not venture to an
ticipate a larger attendance than 1000
delegates and alternates tomorrow.
The National Silver party is to meet in
what is known as the Music Hall. It's
course will be all plain sailing. 1t has
only one purpose in view, Endorsement of
free coinage of silver. 1t will listen with
more or less attention to long scholarly
addresses from Francis G.. Newlands of
Nevada, the silverite Congressman, its
chosen Temporary President, and from
William P. ST. John of New York, ex-
banker who will be the Permanent
President. This body will in all prob
ability follow its programme, which is
TO indorse the Chicago nominees on the
silver plank, issue an address to the
people, and either adjourn in short or
der or prol0ng its session by speeches
until its more turbulent neighbor has
concluded its proceedings.
The Peoples party will assemble in
the same hall which recently echoed
with the name of Mckinley as
the Republican nominee. AS to what its
course of procedure will be the claims of
the two factions are tonight as diver
gent as they have ever been. The pres
ence of Senator Jones of Arkansas,
Chairman of the Democratic National
Executive Committee, and his frequent
interviews With prominent Populstic
delegates, has naturally given rise to
rumors that a deal was (which
rumore that ''deaI' was on which
and Sewall by the convention, and such
a recognition of the Peoples party as
would induce them to sink for the time
being their own Identity
Against this theory Mr.. Taubeneck,
Chairman of the Peoples party Nation
al Committee, interposes the strongest
kind OF disclaimer, asserting with We
hemence that the Populists intend to
nominate candidates Of their own upon
q platform of their own
There has been all day strong talk of
nominating a Southern Populist for the
second place on the ticket, even if
Bryan shall secure sufficient strength
10 be indorsed for first place. But
shrewd manipulators who are manag-
ing matters say that "the tall gees with
the hide" and that if they carry Bryan
through (of which they have no doubt,
Sewall will follow.
The middle of the road" men, on the
other hand, are claiming to have carried
everything before them. They held a
meeting tonight and counted twenty
States as with them in a determina-
ton not to indorse the Chicago ticket.
Rut their opponents assert that they
counted all the recalcitrant Bryan men
as representing their States, whereas
the full delegation, il polled, would have
been adverse TO them.
Both sides seem at a loss to estimate
the significance of the selection of Sen
ator Marion Butler of North Carolina by
the National Committee as the Tempo
rary Chairman of the convention. He
has been claimed by each faction, and
appears not to have committed him
self irrevocably to either. This may
possibly explain his unanimous selec-
ticn as the temporary presiding officer
Of the convention.
That it Will be picturesque and Curl
ously interesting gathering is already
assured. Amongst those to be present
are General Weaver of Iowa and Mr..
Streeter of Illinois. both former candi-
dates for the Presidency on the Populist
ticket, and General Fields of Virginia
candidate four years ago for the Vice
Presidency. Eugene V. Debs of railroad
strike and injunction fame telegraphs
from Indianapolis that he will endeavor
10 be present tomorrow. His lieutenant
Turns, who shared his Imprisonment, is
one of the contesting delegates from
Illinois. Mrs. Helen Cougar. Mrs. Mary
ElIen Lease. General Jacob S. Coxey
and Carl Browne are among the posi-
hilities who will intermix with the griZ-
lied wheat farmers Of the West, the
cotton planters of the South and the en-
tbt1siastic new converts from the East