Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-09-01
HOW BATEMAN WON.
Persevered in His Plan to Have Bryan
Notified.

Notified.
Special Dispatch to The Evening Star.
LEWISTON, Maine, September 1.-The
populist leaders, like Senator Allen,
who have been opposed to notifying Mr..
Bryan of his nomination by the populist
national convention are denying that ]. NJ.
Bowler of Minnesota is the chairman of
the notification committee appointed by the
st. Louis convention. The Star has al
ready given the story of l.. c. Bateman,
telling of the meeting of the committee at
the L,ndell House and that Mr.. Bowler was
elected chairman and he lBateman) secre-
tary. The minutes of that meeting Mr..
Bateman now has in his possession. After
Mr.. Bateman returned from the ST. Louis
convention he became fully convinced that
Senator Allen end the populist leaders VINO
are favorable to the plan of electins Bryan
even II Watson is sacrificed never intended
to notify Bryan. Mr.. Bateman says that
before leaving ST. Louis he and other pop
ulists were satisfied that Senator Allen had
this in view and was traitor to the real
interests of the populist party.
About the 9Th of August Mr.. Bateman
wrote to Mr.. Bowler of his belief that Sen
ator Allen and his followers never intend
ed to notify Mr.. Bryan and proposed that
they, as chairman and secretary Of the
committee. should proceed to notify Mr..
Bryan, and that it should be done by mail.
AT the same time Mr.. Bateman inclosed a
notice informing Mr.. Bryan of his nominal
tloH lOI tIle presidency by pOpuHSt
tional convention, and asking Mr.. Bowler
to sign 1t as chairman of the notification
committee. This Mr.. Bowler did, and at
the same time wrote the letter which fol-
lows:
The existence of this letter The Star cor
respondent has known about for several
days, but 1T was not until now that Mr.
Bateman would consent to have it pub
lished. The letter follows:
BIRD ISLAND, Mimi. August Is, 1896
T. of All,
My Dear Sir: Yours of the 18th instant al
hand and read with much interest The
prepared notice inclosed by you l have
signed, as requested, and return the same
Bryan should be duly notified of his nomi-
nation by the populist party national con-
ventfon, and thus offered an opportunity
to accept or decline. 1t is the right and
privilege OF the peoples party to know
from his own lips just where he stands In
relation to that party, and its proffered
nomination. But unless you first obtain the
sanction OF majority of the committee
1t would be exceeding our authority to
notify him. If you have not the names and
post Office addresses of all the committee
you might obtain them by writing to the
chairman or secretary Of our national COM
mittee. Perhaps it would be better to write
to both Of them. l want to see Bryan and
Watson elected. 1t is our only refuge from
grave national peril. We must not, how
ever permit the peoples party to be made
shotgun. Misunderstanding, false-counting
democrats. We propose to do our duty
periodically. Let them do theirs, and all
will be well. Very truly yours,
(sisneO j. N. BOWLER.
Mr. Bateman was seen by The Star cor
respondent and he reiterated what he had
previously told him, that he had the names
and addresses of all the notification COM
mittee in his possession, and that at once
upon hearing from Mr.. Bowler he wrote
to all of them, including Senator Allen.
and that a majority of the committee had
consented to the notification as proposed.
1t was the plan of Mr.. Bateman to send
the paper which had been signed by Chair
man Bowler and himself informing Mr.,
Bryan Of his nomination to Lincoln. Neb..
so as to be there on his arrival from his
eastern trip on the 9Th of September Sub
sequent events changed that plan, as Sen
atcr Allen in letter, already printed in
The Star, promised Mr.. Bateman that he
Senator Allen) would notify Mr.. Bryan at
once en- his return from the east.
Mr.. Bateman says if this is done all well
and good, but that Mr.. Bryan must be mott
fled, and that if he expects the votes of the
two million populists he must accept the
nomination, and in a manner satisfactory
to them. His acceptance must be in good
faith; no half-hearted acceptance will do.