Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-09-25
Details of the Fusion Between Popu-
lists and Democrats.
THINK BRYAN WILL CARRY TEE State
Republican Leaders Still Give Nc
KinIey 10000 Majority.
s O NJ r, b E T S OFF E r f d

toral ticket. The republicans say they
knew two weeks ago this was sure thing.
The democrats do not like to term it fusion.
They prefer the word arrangement for
there are many democrats on whose minds
the idea of voting for populst lies as
heavy as a nightmare. The populists say
they think the result of the fusion will be
that Bryan will carry this state.
But the populists are not enthusiastic;
they assert nothing positively. The position
of theiI party is a singular one. They de-
sire only one thias-to continue to hold the
balance of power. They have their eyes
TIE Legislature and say they will certainly
hold the balance of power there. The pop
ul.st leaders want to hold the democrats
and rcpubicans both in check. They would
perhaps rather be the balance of power
than to lead as it gives them a capital OPP
portunity to get the best things the two
old parties can offer and to secure bargains
literally on their own terms.
The democrats do not pin much faith on
Eopust sincerity. and some of them Won
der whether the populists will keep faith
with them and really vote for Sewall- On
the other hand, the populiStS diStruSt equal
~ their democratic allies. These are the
endorsements of talk and thought. which
in the cases of frark-spokea men of either
rarty float &c the surface.
Weakness in This Fasion.
The elements of weakness in this fusion
On electors several. First are the dem
ccrats who are for gold: second. those who,
while favoring silver. cannot make up their
mind to vote for popu1fst; third. popu
lists who are more or less dominated by
republican ideas. and who would perhaps
rather vote for Mckinley than for Sewail.
fourth. those popuhsts who were formerly
republicans. and who, the republicans say.
VIII at the sign of distress by their Old
mother party return to it.
The republican state committeeman say
this electoral ticket will slough off at bo:n
ends. They mean that they think classes
Two and three above referred to will not
atide by what the state committees have
agreed 10 do. Now, it is fact, so far
all those parties are concerned. that more
business has been done through committees
and less through conventions this year
than ever before. The republicans broadly
asserl that the populist committee has no
longer the power to control that party.
They say the democrats have as a prerequi-
site TO electoral fusion promised Senator
Gutlcr much of the North Carolina patron
age. The electoral fusion as effected gives
the fol'owins division: At large. Locke
Craig. democrat; r. Il. Davis. populist.
First district, Thos. White, popuIist; sec
Thomas. democrat; fourth. w. S. Baiiy
Pcpulist fifth William Merritt, pepuiist;
sixth. B. i. Keith. national free silver pa--
Tvs chairman for North Carolina: seventh.
A.
d. mocrdt; ninth, r. ID. Giimer, democrat.
As will lie seen. the populists practically
take the east and the democrats the west.
All the electors Of both parties mad ten
dtrei their designations to their respective
state committees
The populistS assert that they first
brought forward the idea of having a free
silver man put on as an elector, and assign
reason that il one party had taken six
electors and the other five there would
have been Jealousy. But the democrats
claim that August 10. at their committee
meeting. ex-senator Jarvis made a motion
that the free sily er party be allowed repre-
sentation the electoral ticket, but that
this Was laid over until such time as the
popul:sts should accept the democratic offer
TO divide electors. But the populists sent in
a counter proposition Monday when the
committees met. asking that a free silver
he put
Keith is mere. He says that while it was
stated by that his party had only
three members in the state-himsen DIR. ].
J. Mott and John Pearson of Morganton-
and while others gave IT only 1000 members,
he cannot give its strength He can only
say there were 2D.WD independent demo-
Gratis in the state, and that if his party had
PUT up a state ticket 1t could have COM
manded 6b,WO votes.
Estimates of Votes.
In the matter of estimates of vote there
is a wide difference between the democrats
and republicans. II is quite noticeable that
the populists never give out any calcula-
tons of votes The democratic state chair
man asserts that Bryan will sweep the state
now by 3OGyD. The republican state chair
man says he sees no reason to take away
any figures from his estimate OF Ga.OOO as
McKinley's North Carolina majority. The
popuIist state chairman simply says he
thinks the fusion ticket will win; that all
hands have wanted a chance to vote for
free silver and that now they have it.
The democrats say they never believed
the fusion in state affairs and Congressman
between populists and republicans would
stand. AM say the signs of breaking up of
1t are already numerous. though 1t is
barely two weeks old. And populists say 20
Your correspondent that the republicans do
hot appear to be keeping up to their fusion
contracts and that If they do not the popu-
] SITS will declare 1t off and be ready for a
Lew with other people. This is quite a
l road hint Senator Butler has always In
sisted that the congressional and electoral
matters must and ought to go along to-
gether-
Senator Buffers position is peculiar. To
lie frank some democrats think he does not
w.nt Bryan to carry this state. His friends
saw this is unjust others think he wanted
fusion with the republicans. and was on
the quiet party to II. But member OF
the popuist state committee says that at
the meeting of that committee. when fu-
sion with the republicans was arranged,
or ra Their partially arranged. Buffers views
did not prevail, IN other words, he was
ONerSlaughed- Inc repuDNcanS nave con-
tended this from the start: in fact, said
they intended to break the backbone of
Buffers power. and Senator Pritchard,
against whom Butler had made a sharp
demonstration. August II. led in this move
ment. Butler did want to defeat the demo-
Gratis He says as much
Each of the two Old parties has played
and is yet playing for the populist vote.
The republicans have given the populists
only 45OaS votes, and have in talks under
valued their influence This moved the
populst state chairman to say that 1t was
all Very queer: that If the Populists had no
power or influence, why in the world Ia 1t
that the republicans are seeking to get
them to co-operate9 The fusion democrats
have never made any secret OF their wild
desire to get populist votes. What will
best suit the popuiistsr' is a very common
question.
Working Like Beavers.
The republicans are working like beavers.
They have nineteen speakers in the field.
exclusive of the state nominees. They are
well equipped with funds and are sending
out vast quantities of campaign documents.
They are forming Mckinley clubs very
rapidly.
The democratic committee Is said not to