The morning times., 1896-07-19

ties, the Fariners' A Alliauoe elected two mem
bers OF the United Sta ties Senate, and four
teen members OF the House of Representa-
tiyes. These were Senator PETER, Of Kan
sas, and Senator Kyle, OF South Dakota. and
Representatives Moses. Livingston and Ev-
erett, of Georgia Clover, Otis, Baker, Davis
and Simpson, Of Kansas: Halvcrsen, OF Min
ncsota; Kyle and Beeman, Of Mississippi;
HcKeighan and KEN, OF Nebraska, and
Shell, OF South Carolina.
This representa- lion in the National Legis-
lature gave the Farmers Alliance more
strength and greater influence. 1t was
recognized from that time as serious fac
tor in the Political situation in Kansas and
Nebraska and Throughout the South. AS a
matter OF fact, 1t has lost some of its fol-
lowing in the West, but it has gained
strength in the South, and Il has obtained
a hold in every State in the Union.
A mere alliance of farmers, though, prom
ised nothing outside agricultural COM
munites. So a convention was called at
Cincinnati May 10, 1891, anv there the
representatives of all the smaller organiza-
tions composed of mechanics and laborers
got together and united with the alliance
To form the Peoples party. The meeting
indorscd tile Ocaia platform and appointed
ii national committee with representatives
in each State to take up the work of or
ganzng and preparing for the camraign
for the Presidency in 1892.
The first national convention of the
Peoples party for the purpose of ncmnat-
ing candidate for the = residency was held
at Omaha July 2. 1892. II had been called
10 meet on that day, So that the candidates
could be named IN the 4th of July. There
WAS much more interest in the action OF the
convention than there had been in the
work Of any other third party convention
since the telegraph made communicates
easy.
OvERTURES MADE TO GRESHAM.
There was grave fear that the Popusts
would name some candidate among the
disarfected members of the other parties,
and that the vote its candidates would re-
ceive would throw the election of Fresi-
dent into the House of Representatives.
In fact, oycrtures were made to Gen.
Walter q. Gresham, then classed a Repub-
lican. afterward a member or President
Cleveland's Cabinet until his death. Gen.
Gresham was known to feel very bitter
aOodu the noIninntion of President IIar-
risun, who was his personal enemy, and
he had expressed on many occasions SYM
pathy with some of the principles of the
PupIiists. But Gen. Gresham refused to
become the Populist standard bearer, and
so an original Farmers Alliance man and
onc-time Greenbacker OF prominence,
Gen. j. b. Weaver of Iowa, was named.
Mr.. Weaver received 995 votes in the con-
vcntion on the first ballot to 265 cast for
Senator Kyle OF South Dakota. for Mann
Paige of Virginia, l for Senator Stanford
of California and 1 for Il Mr.. Norton.
For the Vice Presidency James Il. Field
of Virginia received 7:s3 votes ana Benja-
min s. Terrell Of TeXa-s 554. So Weaver
and Field were put in the fight as the
representatives Of the new party.
In the election Mr.. Cleveland received a
popular vote numbering 5.55l lab; Mr.
vote was BITS. .6SI; Mr. Wea-
vers was ,025, 1ST; Mr.. Bdweli, the Pro
liibition candidate. received 271 $50 votes
Weaver and Field had 23 votes in the cleo
toral college, not enough TO throw the cleo
tion into the house.
In this election Colorado went Populst
by 1926. the Democrats having fused
With the Populists.
THEY DID NOT FUSE.
In Idaho ard Kansas the Democrats did
not fuse with the Populsts, but they
voted for the Populist electors, giving the
Popuiist ticket 1885 majority in KANSAS
and 1871 in Idaho. In Nevada against
lhe candidates OF both Republican and
Democratic parties, the Popu.iSt ticket
won by $3.50 votes. In Louisiana there
were HARRISON and Weaver electors
on the ticket, and the Weaver men ran
ahead OF Their associates, but the Demo-
Gratis won.
New York in this contest gave Weaver
only 16,429 votes against ,264 ,2lS for
Harrison and Cleveland. In New Jersey
the Populist vote was only 969: in Yer
mont il was AZ, and in Delaware, IS. But
in no States in the Union Were the Popu-
lists without support. and they had made
a showing which gave them encourage
ment to persist in the work of organ
ization and enrolment. The result OF
this work is seen in the result OF the eIec-
tions in the States and Territories given |
below, which. with the exception OF the
Iowa and Virginia elections held in 1898, |