The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-04-25

the People VIII Make the Nominations,
and Declines to Talk on the Subject
Knives and StIIettos Drawn by the Poll
ticians-Friends of Both Candidates Say
that the Politicians Want Promises.
From the most reliable source an
Eagle reporter ascertained the fact
yesterday that Ex-Governor Lewelling
will positively decline the nomination
for congressman from the Seventh dis
tlict if rendered him by the Populist
party. From the same source il was
learned that Or. Lewelllng will decline
any nomination rendered him except
that of the state convention for COVER
nor.
Immediately upon receiving this in
formation a reporter for the Eagle
sought a personal opinion from Gov
ernor Lewelling whom he met at the
nostoffice. The governor said: Il
cannot give you any information on the
subject You know l am an old time
Populist and ! do not assume 10 be a
candidate The principles Of our party
are such that The people make the can
didates. The politicians in the party
believe that they are going to make the
nominations but 1 predict right here
that the people will do il. With that
belief I do not want to venture any
suggestion to you about my intentions.
I am not a candidate for any office in
the sense that 1 am seeking it,, am
with the man whom the people ncmi-
nate because 1 believe in the wisdom
OF the people 10 make the proper choice
The Eagle reporter also learned that
Jerry Simpson will decline a nomination
for any Office but that Of congressman
from the Seventh district. He will
positively refuse the nomination Tor
ongressman-at-large. Both gentle
men believe that IL the people call up
on them that they ought TO ask them
to run only for the places they were de-
feated for in 1894.
There is a merry war brewing in the
Populist ranks and dissensions have
arisen that cannot be possibly healed
There are 100 knives drawn for Jerry
Simpson in the Seventh district and
Mr. Lewelling will run against masked
stillettos all over the state.
Brown of Kingman, Brown of Pratt
and Campbell of Stafford are said TO
be openly on the war path against
Simpson and are in a humor TO bolt
the party convention if he is nominated
They have great grievances against
him, but Simpsons friends tell what
these grievances are and if they are
true or any ways near true there is a
hotbed Cf political rottenness in the
Populist party the like of which has
never beel heard OF il the politics of
Kansas. There is not only political
rottenness but in one or two instances
there is a disgraceful moral rottenness.
dwellings friends claim that the op-
position to his candidacy for governor
arises from the alleged fact that he viii
not make certain promises TO the poll
ticians They say that if Mr.. LEVEL
ing would consent to tell one man that
he would make him railroad commits
sioner, another man insurance com
missioner, another coal oil inspector and
so on, that he would be able to get the
gubernatorial nomination by acclama-
ton, but that he will not do IL.
There is dynamite bomb under the
PUpulist camp and it is liable to explode
when the campaign gets hot enough
to touch 1t off.
While the friends of LewelIing and
Simpson have apparently a common
cause yet they, too, are badly divided.
1t is an open secret that Jerry Simpson
is for Harris for Governor and does not
care a straw whether Lewelling gets
any place. A few are now beginning
TO fear that in the fight Lewelling,
Simpson and Harris may all be shelved.
This is not unlikely although Simpsons
friends claim his nomination on the
first ballot if not by reclamation.