New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-07-22
EVE OF THE BATTLE AT ST. LOUIS.

vention Of the Populist party Is TO be called to
order at noon tomorrow In the great hall which
Witnessed five weeks ago the nomination OF Will
lam Mckinley as the Republican candidate for
the Presidency. Though scarcely dozen hours
remain befor, the delegates assemble. the dficul-
ties which co afront them as a National organiza
ton, and have split their party into two bitterly
hostile and. apparently trreconcilabe factions.
seem as far from settlement ever. The dis
sensions precipitated BY the effort OF the Demo-
cratic National Committee and Its allies within
the Populist camp to ctampede the Convention
irto ndorsing the Tillman-Altgeld ticket, put in
nomination at Chicago continue to bame the
skill and pa .ience Of the party managers. and
to defy all schemes OF accommodation and ad
,ustment So violent Is the breach in the party
ranks and so intense the hostility OF one fac
ton toward the other, that bolt OF one element
from the Convention seems now the inevitable re-
suit Of the unconditional triumph OF the other.
The extremists from the West and Northwest,
who are willing to stake the fortunes OF IN
party a blind and unquestioning acceptance
Of the Chicago ticket and PLATFORM can nnd
no common ground to stand on with the uncom-
promising Mddle-of- the Road partisans from the
South. who seek at al costs to preserve the In
tegrity and autonomy OF the party, whether their
programme means the triumph Of the Tillman-
Altged ticket and platform or no.
STRENGTH OF THE FACTIONS.
In spite. therefore. OF the appeals Of the more
moderate element in the party which seeks to
compromise the demands OF the two warning
factions and the vaguely diplomatic assurances
held out by the representatives Of the Democratic
candidates real appi oach has been made so
far to a union Of forces. whcn shall insure either
order or harmony in the work OF tc-morrow's
unwieldy gathering Up TO to-nighs, with prob
ably 900 or 500 OF the 13S0 delegates to the Con-
vention in town, 1. looks as though neither Bryan
nor the Middle-of-the- faction had clear
majority in hand. and tine balance Of power lay
in the elements OF compromise. led by Senator
Butler. OF North Carolina; General Coxey OF
Ohio. and others. who. though favoring the nomi'
nation Of Bryan for the Presidency. insist that
Sewall shall be discarded as vice-Presidential
candidate, and fusion accomplished on electors.
with subsequent division in case the Electoral
College is captured. CT political spoils
1t is extremely difficult. Of course, to estimate
the strength Of the three groups which are ma
noeuvring for the control Of the Convention.
The out-and-out Bryan leaders, who put the in
dorsement OF the Chicago ticket beyond every
other political consideration. have undoubtedly
the support of most OF the Western and North
western States-Oregon. Idaho, Nevada. WASH
ingtOn, North Dakota, SOutn DAKOTA. Iowa, Ne
braska Utah and Kansa3-with Oklahoma and
the Indian Territory. and the South. Alabama
and. perhaps, Virginia. Colorado seEds two
delegations one for and one against the indorse-
ment OF Bryan. and Montana's vote is said to
be divided. The Missouri delegation contains
a majority of Bryan men, and the Boy Orator"
also has undoubted strength in Indiana, West
Virginia, Minnesota and several Of the Eastern
States The Bryan leaders think themselves
justified therefore, in claiming a strength o.
from four hundred to five hundred votes.
THE EMIDDLE-OF-THE-RoAD COLUMN
The Middle-of-the- Road faction drews its sups
port chiefly from Texas. Arkansas. Florida Mis-
sssppi, Tennessee. Kentucky. Georgia. Illinois,
Ohio. Maryland and the New England States.
and with to-days accessions. the straightout
leaders are asserting that they will have vote
OF from six hundred TO seven hundred In the
Convention.
Senator Butler, with the delegations from
North Carolina, South Carolina and scattering
support In the East. South and West. seems to
have from two hundred TO three hundred votes
behind him. and his voice win evidently be .
potent one in shaping the policy OF the Conven-
ton The tardy concession offered to-day by
Chairman Jones Of the Democratic National
Committee, to the Populist leaders, as the price
OF an Endorsement Of the Democratic nominee
the selection namely. OF four or five Populists az
members Of the Democratic Executive Commit,
for the campaign-has met with scant con.
sideration the part Of Senator Butler and hif
following and steps taken this afternoon
by the North Carolina leader TO organize a senti
ment in the Convention which will demand al
the quid pro quo Of Bryans nomination. the
displacement Of sewall from the joint ticket. ane
uhsyit ~
candidate for the Vice Presidency
BUTLER MARsHALS THE FUsIoNIsrs
Senator Butler succeeded in getting together
at the Lindell Hotel some prominent representa-
tives OF the party in each Of the Southern dele
cations and his fusion project finally in
dorsed as the only feasible alternative to th
nomination Of an out-and-out ticket. On the ad.
jour- ment Of the meeting Mr. Butler and hi
associates announced that they felt certain ak
ready OF the support OF 5SS delegates for thei.
fusion utimatum. and hoped to secure the addi.
tional votes necessary to make q majority with1
the next twenty-four hours.
Mr. Butler does not think there will be
split In the Convention. He said to-day:
ITO the outsiders there appear to be two dis
tnct sets of ideas here need not elaborat,
on them as they are we'll known. Some seem %
think that there Is danger OF split but tners
will be none The different elements VIII pu.
their heads together and agree on plan o:
action That plan Will be this. man who VIII
most surely help the cause of financial reform
,r this country and not directly or indirectly
help the gold men and monopolies. and who
will at the same time preserve intact the Peo'
ple.s party organization. will head the ticket
and be the choice OF all factions What waa
done at Chicago vas due TO the existence ana
rapid growth of our party. and were that party
disrupted Mr. Bryan would have no chance Of
election"
Other Populst authorities are satisfied that