Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-07-16
BREAKERS AHEAD
In the Course Of the Silver Con.
vention at st. Louis.
BRYAN FIGHT NAY BE A HOT ONE.

wide Differences Develop a. to the Matter
Of Indorsing the Democratic Nominee
Opinions Of Men on the Ground ~ to the
Chances for Silver victory.New York
State Democracy Declares for q New
Convention and Ticket-Bryan's Day at
Salem, nls-lowa Republicans-Sewall's
Welcome at Bath, Me-Notes from the
Political Field.
ST. LOUIS, July l6.-It becomes more
more evident each day as the time of the
meeting Of the Populist national conven-
ton draws near that the members of that
party will clash over the Endorsement of
Bryan for president. Letters from all
parts Of the country are pouring into the
national committee headquarters, some
demanding and some denouncing the in
dofsement of the Democratic ticket, and
everything indicates that there is decided
difference of opinion as to the best action
to be taken. The Populist leaders are
awaiting the coming of the free silver
senator's who bolted the Republican con-
vcntion. Upon the course they take
will depend in a measure the action of the
anti Bryan wing. If the silver Republic
ans come out openly for Bryan and the
Chicago platform decomposition may not
make much of fight.
Fight Probable Over the Platform.
The biggest fight next to that an indoors
ing the candidates will be that over the
platform. A very strong wing of the
party, headed by Taubeneck, Scrgeant-at-
Arms Mcdowell, Cha irman RoZzell (of
the Missouri state comnittee) and many
Of the members of the national committee,
proposesto make u fghS for the adoption
of the Omaha platform instead of an in.
dorsement of the Chicago declaration. In
discussing the probable action of the
| Populist convention in the matter of in
dorsing Bryan for president J. Il. Flynn,
who is a delegate-at-large to the American
Bmetallic convention from California,
and also editor of The Populist, of San
Francisco, said:
Opinion OF Californian.
''There may be some doubt about what
the convention will do hut there is mono
about what the Populists themselves will
do. They will vote for Bryan almost to a
man. The fact that Bryan stands upon n
Democratic platform-and especially such
Il platform as was constructed at Chicago
is no disqualification. There is Very
| little difference between the Omaha plat
form and the Chicago platform. That
difference is not great enough to divide
the masses at this time, when the very
life of the nation is in the balance. No,
there will be no third party in the field, a.
least so far as the presidential electors arc
| commemorative vote of silver will be cast
| as unit"
View of the New York Situation.
George p Keeney, general organizer OF
the national silver party, with headquar
tepS in New York, is here to attend his
party convention. He said: Il have
made careful canvass of the whole state,
but put in most of the time in New Yori
city and Brooklyn. Northern and west
ern New York agriculturists and vitical-
turists are for free silver, irrespective o.
party. just as surely as the same classc:
are in the west and south. 1t did not tax,
me long in mixing with the labor organ
izations to find they We're as much, if mo-
more bitterly opposed to Wall street thar
the farmers of Kansas. From them
went to the smaller mercantile class.
found them of the same mind, but afraif
to say so, because the moment the,
showed their hand they knew their store:
would be closed up by the autocrats from
whom they obtained credit"
Bryan's Chance in the East.
He said that even in the organization
, known as the Young Democracy Their,
We're plenty of free silver men, and added
There is not state in the east in whicl
Bryan has pot good fighting chance, ant
there must be no hesitancy in waging TIL
war there. He will be met by volunteer
, all along the line
Ex-Attorney General W. II. Standish
: of Grand Forks, n. d., chairman of tn
? silver party of his state, said: Il an
quite sure that Bryan will carry Nortl
Dakota whether he is Endorsed by the ST
Louis convention or not"
REPUDIATES THE CHICAGO TICKET