Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-08-03
Kansas Populists and Democrats Will
Unite.
Two STATE CONVENTIONS THIS WEEK
How Silver Sentiment Has Been
Fostered.
FIGHT FOR SOUND MONEY

TePuDuCdnS OF Kansas WILL De opposed Dy q
fusion Of democrats and populists is GER
tain. The former party will hold its state
convention at Hutchinson tomorrow and
the populists at Abilene Wednesday. 1t is
the plan of the leaders of both parties to
unite Oh a fusion ticket composed almost
entirely of populists. Since the Kansas
delegation to the pcpulist national conven-
ton voted solidly for Bryan there is no
disposition on the part of democrats to ask
for part of the state ticket. Populist
leaders are not unit on the composition
Of the electoral ticket. Ex-United States
Senator John Martin is in favor of the
nomination of Bryan and Sewall electors
and is trying to get the populist leaders to
agree TO indorse them at the Abilene con-
vention.
EN-Representative Harris, who will be
the fusion candidate for governor, is in
favor OF this. but Chairman Breidenthal of
the populist state committee is fighting the
proposition, and insists that the only thing
a populist convention can do will be to in
dorse the candidates for President and Vice
PRESIDENT of the party. 1t is probable that
when the democratic state convention
meets at Hutchinson it will nominate ten
Bryan and Sewall electors empower the
state committee to make nominations and
adjourn. Then the committee would nom
mate the candidates for state officers
chosen by the populist convention the day
following To prevent fight ii is believed
that the populist convention will name ten
bryan and W atson electors, and that la ter
The TWO state committees will come to-
gether and take off each five electors If
the combination wins in Kansas Watson
would have five and Sewall five votes for
Vice President
interested in the Money Question.
The people of Kansas are entering upon
one of the most exciting and bitterly con-
tested campaigns ever witnessed in the
state 1t is a campaign in which education
takes the place of prejudice. and the party
which presents the most convincing argu-
ments will win the victory. radical
change has taken place in this state during
the past six years. From 1889 to lS92-the
Farmers Alliance period in the west-the
voters who went into that movement con-
Quoted their campaign behind closed doors.
They would not attend republican meetings
because they were afraid that under the
inspiration the farmers would be induced
to return to the old party through the pre-
Judice against the south which had in
former campaigns, soldified the ranks and
made republican success easy. But a
change has manifested itself and the peo-
pie turn out to hear all shades of opinion.
With the thermometer at 100 in the shade
the spectacle of 500 persons coming from
distance of from ten to fifteen miles in q
sparsely settled western Kansas county to
SWelter and roast in a cramped court house
TOR three hours to listen to a speaker dis
cuss the financial issues is not an uncom-
mon occurrence. In fact it will be daily
occurrence from the middle of August until
the third day of November next. The peo-
pie never were SO anxious 10 hear discus
sion on this question. 1t matters not
whether the speaker is a gold standard re-
publican a free silver democrat or popu-
list. The masses turn out to hear both
sides, and having cast away all prejudice
which formerly held them to party they
Will be ready in November to vote for
what they deem to be their best interests.
Silver Sentiment in Kansas.
If the election was held in Kansas now it
Is believed that Bryan would carry the
state by 10000 majority. What the result
will be three months later, after the speak
ers have had chance to talk to the people,
is a problem which no man can solve now.
The national republican platform has pu.
the party in Kansas on the defensive For
six or seven years the republicans Of this
state were confronted with a powerful op-
pcnent The republican party never had
serious opposition until the Farmers Ali-
ance and peoples party made it's appear
ance This great political force declaring
for every ism under the sum- stampeded the
republican leaders. and in their mad rush
to concliiate the opposition they exceeded
the populists in their declarati tions for free
silver and class legisla ton. This ATTEMPT
to satisfy the farmers and get them back to
the old party was particularly noticeable in
congressional platforms. This character of
political dickering did not placate a single
opponent, but it left the party in Kansas in
anything but an enviable position when the
atlonal convention declared for a sound
currency. 1t Is not to be wondered that
there should be a bolt numbering several
thousand free silver republicans after six
years of such Instruction
Seven republican candidates for Congress
were nominated in Kansas before the ma
tional convention was held In each of these
conventions there was strong free silver
sentiment, but the fear that the ST I,ou,s
convention would declare for the gold
standard prevented the repetition of the
course pursued few years ago when the
republic ans were trying to stampede the
populist party by stealing part of their
thunder
In 1894 candidates for Congre SIS scattered
on the silver question. Congressman Cal
Gerhead. the only member Of the Kansas
delegation who stood for sound money car
ried the district that had been ed from
the republicans by John Davis. He was the
only speaker On the stump who began as a
eoid standard advocate ard held out to the
end Of the campaign. Congressman Blue,
Governor Morrill, and other prominent re-
publicans changed front on this question.
They would he glad now If they could 20
be1oTe the people on record as clear and
straight as that Of Mr.. Calderhead.
Lining Up for Sound Money.
Republican leaders in Kansas realize that
they can pursue but one course They
must stand by the national declaration and
make such a fight for that principle as was
Eevcr before waged in the west A meeting
of about forty leaders was held here two
weeks ago, which was attended by all the
candidates for Congress and state officers
Senator Lucien Baker and Congressman
Blue made speeches, in which they declared
that the party in the west Was confronted
with a powerful opposition, ard that to win
in this state republioa ans must stand for
sound moEey and go on the stump and de-
fend that policy without ecuivocaton or
evasion. All of the leaders present returned
to their homes and told the local workers
that there must be nc dodgirg on the mon
ey question.
The result is that the republicans are lin
ing up for the fight in every county of the
state, and Mckinley and Hobart clubs have
been organized in almost every town and
hamlet. The speeches Of Senator Baker
have had a telling effect upon the rank and
file of the party Thousands turn out to
hear him. A few days ago he spoke at the
little town of Norton. Two thousand peo-
pie. many of them coming twenty miles to
hear him, were packed in and about the
court house. He discussed the financial
question for two hours and the crowd asked