The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1896-07-23
Populist and Silver Conven-
i tionsin Separate Session
~ -. sAA..0SsSs = sssui,
Programme Of Silverites Cut
and Dried but Populista I,
- Are atWar. !.
May Be Prolonged ! -Four o.
Five Days and Result
In q Split. !

Z n =
silver conventions are In session, the
former In the hall in which the Repub.
iican national convention was held Eve
weeks ago. and the latter in Music hall,
whore Grover Cleveland was renomt-
mated In 1883. Interest In the silver
convention has been completely collapsed
By the bitter struggle among the Popu.
lists over the question Of nominating OF
endorsing Bryan. The programme Of
the silver convention Is cut and dried.
There is no division Of sentiment. Con.
gresham Francis Howlands Of Nevada
will be temporary chairman, and Will.
lam p. ST.. John, the New York banker,
permanent. chairman. They will de-
liver their speeches, q platform of
single plank in favor Of the free coinage
of silver at IL to will be adopted.
Bryan and Sewall will be endorsed and
the convention will adjourn.
Populists Badly Split.
The Populists. on the other hand, are
rent and torn by internal dissensions,
and the contending factions will plunge
Immediately into fierce and deter.
mined fight which may be prolonged
four or FIVE days, and which, from pres.
ent indications, will probably result in
q bolt, no matter which faction pre-
walls. The Heterogeneous composition
of the convention, comprising as it does
many whose opinions on all questions
seem to be Numerically opposed and
who hold and advocate these opinions
with bull dog tenacity that neither
argument nor suasion seems able to
shake, the conflicting interests and the
conditions that hedge the situation
about would stagger the oldest political
prophet were he to attempt to forecast
the result with anything like detail.
The Bryan men
Still Appear to BE in Control
and the leaders are very confident they
are in the majority. Practically all the
trained and experienced generals are
aligned with them They have the
advice and counsel Of Senator Jones
and the shrewd Democratic managers,
who are vigi1antly watching every
point in the battle, and able allies in
the Republican silver boilers and the
delegates to the silver convention.
They have very thorough organiza-
ton for systematic work. They are
pressing upon the middle of the road"
delegates the view that the situation
presents the single issue, Mckinley or
Bryan. While strong Of conviction and
vociferous in their declarations that
they will never surrender, the middle
Of the road" delegates are practically q
disorganized crowd. They keep upa
Crest Deal Of Enthusiasm
at their meetings and loudly claim 40
high as 400 majority in the convention.
The hotel corridors ring with their ora
tory and, the applause of their follow
ers, but their claims Of victory cannot
be figured ont ON paper unless in the
final contest those who insist upon COM
promise should side with them.
The National Reform Press assooia-
ton IL backing the middle Of the
road. delegates with all the power it
possesses. Altogether they are making
q deafening noise, which. as Senator
Allen said, creates an impression Of
numbers and strength. IA. few frogs
in pond" said he. lean make the
night veal with their Believing"
other Candidates Discussed.
Paul Vandervort of Nebraska and
Eugene v. Debs are about the only
names icanvassed since Congressman
Towne of Minnesota arrived and an
nounced himself for Bryan. Although
the Bryan managers seem confident of
success, they are by no means ont Of the
woods. The compromise propositions
pressed upon them are the principal
source Of their anxiety.
Senator NJ .rion Butler Of North Caro-
lima favors compromise. All his ener.
gies are bent In that direction. He be-
Neves that both factions could be har.
monized and the integrity Of the Popu.
listic organization preserved BY the
sdoption Of Populist platform. .
division of electors in certain states and
the nomination Of Bryan for president
and Southern Populist for vice presi.
dent. He argues that this IL the only
way of uniting the silver forces.