The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-08-05
How 1t Would Work.

criticise Tillman and the crowd howl
ed him down.
How 1t Would Work.
Many people are asking question
about the effect of the action of the
Populists convention in nominating
Bryan and Watson. In the minds Of
most people it introduces confusing
factor into the race instead of promis.
ing help to the Democratic nominee.
The general impression is that it will
necessitate two sets of electors, and
will split up the silver vote instead OF
concentrating it. The Augusta Chron,
| icle says it does not understand this to
be the idea of the Populists. They
mean in good faith to vote for Bryan,
and to contribute all their strength TO-
ward his election, but they wanted to
fix it in some way that would insure
their aid being properly recognized and
requitted. They contend that having
Populist Vice President to vote for,
will hold their party together as q
partizan organization, while voting for
the Democratic ticket. straightout,
would have resulted in Populist disin-
tegration. They are willing to help
elect Bryan, but are not willing to
sacrifice the Populist party in doing so.
Just what plan will be agreed upon in
voting for electors, we do not know,
but here is one that "Coin" Harvey
telegraphs to the New York Journal,
as considered satisfactory to the Pop
ulist:
In the booth Populist would put a
cross at the head of the Populist ticket,
and would then put cross at each OF
the names of the electors on the Demo
cratic ticket. In this way he would
be voting straight Populist ticket,
but, at the same time, would be voting
for the nineteen Democratic electors,
three Populist eletors, and one Prohi.
bition elector. The Peoples party
ballot would have no names of elect
ors on it, and would be blank in this
respect, but next following the blank
place for electors would come the
Peoples party State ticket. The same
would be true of the Prohibition tick
ct. In case of success. by the election
of majority in the Electoral College,
brought about by this method. there
would be, to illustrate it, say $50 Dem
ocratice electors, seventy-fve Populist
electors, and ten Prohibition electors
1t being known that this result had
been obtained, these electors through
out the United States would be expect.
ed to vote for Bryan for President and
for the Populist candidate for Vice
President. Illustrating the plan with
Ohio, the speaker said they would
agree probably in that State on nine.
teen Democratic electors, three Popu-
list electors and one Prohibition elect
or, and these twenty.three names
would be put ON the Democratic ticket
on the Australian ballot. On the OBJ
lection being urged, that the Demo,
cratic electors could not consistently y
vote for any one but Sewall for Vice
President, he met the objection by
saying: IF the Democrats have
enough electors in the Electoral Col
lege OF their own appointment, with
out the assistance of their allies, they
would be expected 10 elect SeWail; Dut
if they did not, then they would have
to call for assistance from the Popu'
lists to elect Bryan. ahd in return for
that assistance the Populists would re-
quire the election of a Populist Vice
President. On my inquiring of him
how this would assist the Democrats,
or give them any additional strength,
as to Sewall, they did not already
have, he illustrated it again with
Ohio. He said: 1.-The Democrats
and Populists together can carry Ohio,
while the Democrats alone cannot do
so. By the fusion the Democrats
would secure nineteen electors of,their
| own vote for Sewall in case of the
Democrats having majority ip the
Electoral College, WHEREAS, without
the fusion, they would get no ELECTORS
| in 0hio