Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1896-09-03
DEMo-POP FUSION.
A Case Of "You Can Have What . DOM I
Want" Perrine Finally Recognized.
Conventions of Conferences.

The Democratic and Populist con-
ventions which assembled here
Thursday last were characterized by
frequent adjournments and numer-
GUS conference committees, rendered
necessary i'm order to avoid an open
break between the two parties.
Fusion was finally arranged-that is
the Democrats took all they wanted
and the Pops swallowed the dose.
At a conference held in the land
Office the morning of the convention
it was agreed that the Pops should
have the clerk and recorder, clerk of
court, one member of the Legislature
and one member of the board of
county commissioners, but the DEM
Ocrats had no intention of delivering
the goods for they had already
practically agreed to nominate
Harry Kendall of Gilt Edge, a silver
Republican, for clerk of court. They
did not mind the Pops taking the
nomination for county clerk, for as
one Democrat expressed it, ''we
don't want to beat Perkins anyway
and If Pop wants to be eslaughtered
why, alright" The nomination of
Messner of Utica for commissioner
by the Populist and his endorsement
by the Democrats was a sop to the
silver men, not to the Populists.
The entire disagreement between
the parties seemed to hinge on the
nomination for clerk of court and
every time the Democratic cOnven-
ton approached this order on the
program they adjourned and held a
conference until finally they named
Kendall unanimously and told the
Pops "tO go to-" David Scott was
first named by the Populists for this
office and when his name was re-
jected by the Democrats Bart Noble,
representing the POpulists. made an
impassioned speech which caused
another adjournment at once. Then
NJ. j. Garrett was named but he saw
his fate staring him i'm the face and
refused to allow his name to 20 be-
fore the Democratic convention. The
final result was that the Pops re-
fused to endors. of H. q. Wareham
for commissioner and Kendall for
clerk of court. They will not, how
ever, fill these vacancies and the Pop
ticket will be two nominees short.
This suits the Democrats exactly as
they do not need Pop support any
way, at least so they say.
The effort to unite silver Republi-
cans on their ticket was "a dismal
failure. Only three such delegates
asked admittance, VIM. Graham OF
Gilt Edge, Mr.. Stephenson of Maiden,
and W. III. Culver of Lewistown.
The latter was not chosen by any
primary caucus.
The Democratic convention had
thirty-seven delegates and the Pops
fourteen-a lonely lot. Even Chair
man Watkins was disgusted and
quit the Pops cold after they refused
to get mad over David Scott's turn
ing down. He said the Peoples
Party was fighting for principle not
for offices and when his comrades
abandoned their principles for pie
and didn't even get that, he quit.
The platform, which was presented
by b. e. White, indorses Bryan, the
Chicago platform, the course oi
Charles Hartman, recommends the
nomination of Dudley DuBose for
Judge and on the tariff question
favors tariff duties which do not
discriminate between classes or sec
tiOns and are sufficiently high to
make up the deficit in revenue"
Some of Chairman BiackfOrd's rul
ings were amusing. When he de
sired adjournment 1t always carried
Mr.. Dawes denounced the naming o.
Messner because he was a resident al
Breed creek and when he learned hii
mistake told a war stOry-thi,
squared him. Mr.. McKoin said q
straight Democrat was good enough
for him and then nominated n silver
Republican for another
delegate promptly denOuncing tn.
latter as a gold bug. The rejection
Iof the name Of T. HI. Mackey fol-