The record-union., 1896-07-20
But There Are Many Who Do Not
Favor Him.
It is Felt That His Endorsement VIII
be the Obliteration of the Party,
and That the Men Who Have So
Long Struggled to Build 1t Up to
Its Present Proportions Will be
Swallowed Up and Pass Off the
Political Stage.

ST. LOUIS, July ia strong i'm
petus was given to the Bryan boom to-
night at meeting held at the Lindell
Hotel. Upwards of sixty delegates were
present. Great enthusiasm prevailed.
The purpose of the meeting was to con-
solidate the Bryan men in the different
delegations. The various speakers
showed that the sentiment for Bryan
among their colleagues was generally
favorable, while the delegates from
Kansas, Oklahoma, Maryland, Pennsyl-
vania, Nevada and the District of Co
lunIbia assert that their delegations
would vote as a unit for the Democratic
candidate. Another meeting will be
held at 8 o'clock tomorrow morning, at
which a definite programme will be
agreed upon.
To-night's meeting was presided over
by General Weaver of Iowa. H. w.
Yonge of Kansas was Secretary and the
Assistant Secretaries We're Messrs F. l..
Bailey of Oklahoma and Benton Maret
of Nebraska. Senator PETER and ex
Governor Lewelling of Kansas were
among those present.
Mr.. Bailey who is an ardent Bryan
man, informed a United Press reporter
subsequently that the reports made this
evening indicated Bryan's nomination
by the convention beyond a preadven-
ture
SURFACE INDICATIONS.
T.LOUIS, July 19-The situation to-
night is Bryan and anti-Bryan. More
strictly speaking it is Bryan as against
some members of the Populist party yet
to be named.
At the present writing not more than
800 of the 1 300 delegates to the Populist
Convention have arrived, and these are
individual members who constitute the
advance guard of a number of delega-
tions from the South and West. 1t is yet
too early to predict with reasonable
certainty what decision the convention
may reach, bat from the surface indi-
cations to-day it would appear that the
sentiment for Bryan will be very strong
if. indeed. his friends be not in a major
ity when the roll is called.
The leaders so far as they have ar
rived, are divided in their preference.
Some are enthusiastic in his support.
Among those are General J. B. Weaver
ot Iowa, who made the race for the
Presidency on the Populist ticket four
are Mr. Taubeneck, the Chairman of the
National ommittee-impatiently repu-
date the suggestion Of Bryan's name,
and assert that his nomination would
fall like wet blanket upon the party.
Between these two extremes stand the
delegates less known-earnest. thought
full men, who are not ambitious of lead
ership desirous only of the good Of the
-bn No h1Jt a Ya
willing to accept the conventions wish
es be they what they may.
There was talk to-day of bolt If
Bryan be nominated Bolting, or what
is tantamount to boiling, has become
the fashion in this campaign, and the
Populist leaders who oppose Bryan dis
cuss its probability with more indiffer-
ence, perhaps for the object lesson pre-
sented to them by the Republican and
Democratic conventions. Whom they
would select in these circumstances they
do not say They have not gone so far
as to consider the question, nor Will
they until one or the other horn of the
dilemma is presented to them. They
90 not hesitate TO say, however, that a
bolt would lose to the silverites the cleo
toral votes of Kentucky, Tennessee, Ala
D2fna ana EIoTlUd. ant Gel
in the election of Mckinley.
This is the threat that may be held
over the heads of their party brethren,
but with what success can only be con-
lectured. There is but one thing the
anti-Bryan men fear-that is possi-
hility that some one may make ring
ing speech full of apt illusions to the
boy orator of the Platte and his long
devotion to silver, that may sweep the
convention off it's feet and bring about
his nomination in a whirlwind OF en-
thusiasm even as Bryan himself sue
ceeded in doing at Chicago less than
fortnight ago. In such an event the list
of malcontents may be so reduced as to
make a bolt impossible, but this is not
e1pected 1t is thought that II Bryan
Is nominated or indorsed 1t VIII be by
sheer force of numbers ana not through
any adventitious aids
The opposition to Bryan springs from
two causes. The first cause-and this Is
the one most generally advanced-is the
complete obliteraTion of the party which
would follow his nomifa ton, ana the
second is distrust in some quarters thal
the Democrats would not act falrly
with them in division of the electoral
VOTE nose VINO eIiAt@I TAIN SAit7 teA~SSA
view are Southern Populists who claim
to have been counted out by their
Democratic opponents when they have
carried State and Congressional cleo
tions. and who fear that a repetition OF
such methods would be practiced again
this year if Mckinley fails 70 secure a
majority Of the Electoral College votes.
But these are in the minority and are
limited to the Southern delegates. The
Northern and Western men entertain no
such fear. Those from that part of the
country who oppose Bryan do so be-
cause they believe that the party that
they have done so much to organize and
develop would be swallowed up in the
greater prestige and prominence Of the
Democratic party and that they and
the principles they hold would pass
off the political stage.
Then there is another objection. They
do not like the impression to go out that
they have no men within their own
ranks OF sufficient ability to carry their