Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1896-07-30
WATSON OF GEORGIA FOR vIcE-PREsIDENT

ST. LOUIS, July 4.-The opposition
to Sewall i'm the POpulist convention
practically swampe1 the Bryan
forces at to-,lay's session Of the con-
vention by making it Impossible to
prevent division of the Chicago
ticket. The leaders were pOwerless
to check the strong feeling against
the Bath ship builder and banker
They had carried the day i'm the COM
mittee on resolutions i'm framing
comparatively moderate platform
which tney afterwards got through
the convention with ease. Their
strategy was skillfully displayed at
other points, but the intense under
current of feeling against Sewall was
fatal to them. Moreover, today, for
the first time, the middle of the road
delegates displayed generalship
worthy of the name. Recognizing
the fact that all hope Of defeating
Bryan's nomination was lost, they
all their efforts against
Sewall. They did more. They de-
a. " she
convention was forced to nominate
a vice-president before n president.
1t was an unprecedented thing, butit
served to mass the votes in favor of
a pOpulist candidate for vice-prcsi-
dent and uncover them i'm advance in
the fear that il Bryan was first nom-
mated the enthusiasm would break
down the opposition to Sewall and
stampede the majority of the votes
for the Nebraskan's running mate.
When the proposition was made to
change the regular order of the nomi-
nations, the Bryan men strained
every nerve to prevent it. They even
pleaded. The vote resulted in lao
majority in favor Of a nomination
for vice-president first. This made
the defeat of Sewall, and the nomin-
alton of IA Populist for vice-president
certain. After that the conference OF
the joint committee of the two con-
| ventions could come to nothing and
the silver convention promptly nom-
mated Bryan and Sewall and ad-
journed sine die. The anti-Bryan
men, although they presented mi
nority platform, demanding irre-
deemable paper currency and crowed
with bitter denunciatiOn of the DEM
ocratic and Republican parties. did
not attempt to press it after their
victory. The majority report, which
is moderate, and contains a few rad
ical propositions, such as a demand
for the gradual assumption by the
government of the ownership Of the
railroads and for direct legislation,
through the initiative and referen-
dunn, was adopted without IA divis-
ion and the minority report laid on
the table.
At the evening session the sensa-
tion of the convention was sprung.
The democratic managers had con-
suited, after it had become evident
that Sewall could not be nominated,
and Bryan was communicated with
by telegraph. They decided that
Bryan could not be iRduced to de-
sert his running mate, and word was
sent to the leading Bryan managers
| i'm the convention that the silver
knight of the west would not accept
the nomination unless Sewall was
also nominated. The convention
for five hours tonight listened to
nominating speeches, in profound ig-
norance of the fact. Tom Watson
of Georgia, Congressman Skinner Oi
North Carolina, Mills of Tennessee,
Burkitt, of Mississippi, and Manpage
of Virginia, were nominated. About
IL O'Clock the Bryan men decided to