Hutchinson gazette. [volume] (Hutchinson, Kan.) 1895-1902, 1896-07-23
UNCERTAIN As TO TIE BEST
COURSE TO PURSUE,
THREE FACTIONS AT WORK
Northern and Western Delegates Want
Bryan lndOrsed-SOutherners Want
Fusion on Electors-Middle Of
the Road Men Want
Straight Ticket and
PlatfOrm-NOtes.

are opposed to an Endorsement OF the
Democratic national ticket, and who
look with only less disfavor upon the
plan of fusion on electors, after day
and night of prosperous propaganda,
are at length called upon to do battle
in serious interest in defense of their
policy, the coming Of the Kansaps and
Nebraskans having strengthened and
encouraged the opposing forces. Pop
ulists ofall degrees are seized upon by
silver Republicans and silver Demo-
Gratis and labored with zealously in
Bryans interest
The Populists are now fairly divis-
lille into three distinct classes-One
which advocates the nomination or in
dorsement of the Democratic nominee,
a second which proposes division Of
electors between the parties upon the
basis of the vote cast at the last cleo
ton, and yet third which divines
the disintegration and destruction OF
the party in any sort of alliance and
demands the presenta ton to the coun-
try Of distinctly Populistic candi-
date and platform.
The coming of the Kansas and Ne
braska delegates has strengthened the
first class, which, despite the assist
ance Of its Democratic and Repub-
lican allies, has already met defeat in
premature endeavor to commit the
party to its purpose. A resolution
declaring it to be the patriotic duty
of all Populists to support Bryan was
significantly voted down in a caucus
held yesterday, graced with the at"
tendance of leaders of the opposing
faction. At another caucus to be
held tonight the effort may be re-
newed, with increased hope OF sue
cess.
To-day all the influx OF the first di-
vision of the Populists, all the influ-
ence of the delegates to the silver
convention and all the influence OF
the silver Democrats under the eve
and supervision Of Chairman Jones,
Governor Stone, etc, surrounds and
envelopes the Populists who yet take
their stand for division of the cleo.
tors or in the middle of the road.
THE FACTIONS AGAINST ENDORSEMENT.
The class of Populists which favors
fusion with the Democrats upon the
basis of a division of electors is nu-
merically respectable enough to COM
mand attention. Bryan's representa-
tiVes upon the ground, political and
personal, are almost as bitterly OPP
posed to this plan as to that of the
middle of-the road men.
General Coxey and Carl Browne are
strong advocates OF the fusion idea.
Cyclone" Davis of Texas, Chairman
Taubeneck, Calamity Weller of Iowa,
and like leaders head the third faction
of the party which demands that the
convention shall walk in the middle
of the road, looking neither TO the
Republican right nor the Dem ocratic
left, to platform and candidates of
its Populistic own.
BOLT BELIEVED TO BE SURE.
A bolt is among the strong proba-
bilities whatever may be the course
decided upon by the majority. Dele.
gates are arriving in numbers and the
larger the crowd becomes the more
evident is the intensity of the feeling
over the one question at issue, whether
to indorse Bryan and Sewall or to
nominate an independent ticket.
In a general way the contest Is be-
tween the North and the South. The
Western and Northern delegates call
themselves Populists and the Southern
delegates refer to themselves as Popu.
lites. Many of the delegates express
the opirion that there may at no dis
tant day be separate parties. The
Northern men as a class contend that
in the Endorsement of Bryan lies the
only hope of making the influence of
the party felt or of achieving practical
results, while the Southern men, re.
membering their many contests with
the Democrats in their section, main
tain that such a course is utterly
suicidal
The Bryan followers talk split more
openly than their opponents. They
are perfecting a thorough organiza.
ton and mean to make most strenu-
GUS effort to secure the Endorsement
of the Democratic nominee. They do
not publicly admit that there is any
possibility that they will not be able
to control the convention, but pri.
vately many of them say that il thew
are not in the majority, and If a sep
arate ticket is nominated, they viii
walk out of the convention aud an
peal to the people to rally to the sup
port Of Bryan and Sewall.
PROPOSITION To COMPROMISE.
A proposition to compromise b,
substituting a Southern Populist TO
Vice President and running him will
Bryan, comes, strangely enough, from
Texas, where the middle of the roa,
fight is the hottest. 1t is seconded b,
Arkansas. 1t is not accepted as
conclusion by anybody yet, but tn
fact that it has been put out rs
"feeler' and is discussed as a possible
solution Of the trouble is indicative o
the drift OF sentiment.
Little by little the middle.ot-the
road leaders are hedging. They ar
talking of settling the difficulty with
In the party to-day On Saturday an
even as late as Sunday they stood on
against all overtures of peace. To-da
the leaders have melted, while sullen
ness is the extent of the opposition O
the rank and file. Those who stil
stand out against any and all propos
tiOns to join hands with the Demo
Gratis continue to clamor and they ar
making a tremendous noise. An exam
pie of this element is wilkins of Cal
fornia, who is implacable. He wants