The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1896-07-23
INTO THREE FACTIONS
National Populist Convention
Divided on the Best Pol
icy to Adopt.
Faction Favoring Endorsement
of Bryan Now Claiming
a Majority.
Refuse Offers to Compromise
and Threaten a Bolt if
Defeated.

ST.. LOUIS, July 22.-The national
Populst convention is divided into
three factions--the middle of the
road element, which Will stand out
against all compromises prior to the
convention aud to the election the fac
ton favorable TO the endorsement or
nomination Of Mcssrs. Bry.,.. &LG CIV.
all, and the compromise men, who
favor the endorsement of Bryan, but
who contend for the right to name
Southern Populist in place Of Mr.. Sew
all for the position of vice president.
The Bryan people are still holding
ont very stitfiy against any and all COM
promises, and some of them 90 so far as
to say that if they are not successful in
their contention
They viii Leave the Conventions
Senator Butler is strong III the position
that Mr.. Bryan should be endorsed
upon Populist platform, but says the
Southern people would never accept Mr..
Sewall, not only because his affiliations
are not with them, but because, above
all, If they surrender both offices it
would mean the destruction of the Peo.
pies party. He claims to have almost
the solid South behind him and A strong
following III the Northern states. Davis
Of Texas combats this position, claiming
a majority i'll the convention of over 300
in favor of travelling III the middle of
the road" by which he means that no
compromise is possible in the conven-
ton. Mr.. Davis would have Populist
candidates for president and vice presi-
dent named by the convention OH a
Populist platform with resolution
binding the Populists
To Fusion Of Electors.
His plan is to divide the electors i'll the
various states according to the ratio, of
the Democratic and Populist vote III the
states. I'm our state, for instance" he
says, 1.-The Populists would have six
members of the electoral college and the
Democrats nine" This, he says. would
give Bryan the electoral vote of that
state, and, if it should become apparent
that he had a majority of the college,
he would receive the votes of the Popu-
list electors as we'll as those of the
Democratic electors.
The more conservative of the mem
bers Of the two extreme factions are be-
ginning to regard the situation as
grave one, and there have been many
informal conferences during the day
looking towards getting together on
some plan like that suggested by Sena-
tor Butler. They fear that if this can
not be done
A Bolt Is Inevitable,
whatever the action of the convention,
and this they are exceedingly anxious
to avert. They express confidence that
they will be able to reach this result.
The two extreme factions each assert,
however, that they will never yield and
the situation is admittedly critical.
The friends of Mr.. Bryan assert that he
would never accept nomination by the
Popuhst convention which did not carry
with it like nomination for Mr.. Sew
all, and they quote Mr.. Bryan as hav.
ing taken this position in discoursing
upon the matter with delegates who
have been to visit him. He is repre-
sented as considering it dishonorable
and impolitic to have himself named
without like honor being conferred