The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1896-07-29
THE AGONY OYER.
BRYAN NOMINATED BY THE roPU-
LISTS

BRYAN NOMINATED BY THE roPU-
LISTS.
The St. Louis Peoples Party con-
yention has concluded its work and
dispersed to the four corners OF the
nation.
+. It nominated the Democratic nomi-
nee. William j. Bryan, OF Nebraska,
for president, and the Populist orator
and editor Thomas e. Watson, OF
Georgia, for Vice President. We be-
lieye they both will be elected and we
shall do all in our power to secure
that result.
It is the first time in the history OF
our country that great party has
adopted the candidate Of another par
ty for the proficiency. When the
Democrats in 1872 nominated Horace
Greeley he was the represe ntative OF
sentiment rather than a party, and
the results were most disastrous to
Democracy.-a bolt followed; Mr..
Greeley was defeated in almost every
state in the Union, and ended the
brief remainder OF his life in a mad
house.
We foresaw all the complications
that were likely to arise from SINH
lar course in the present instance.
We would have preferred to have seen
the Peoples Party nominate it's own
candidates on its own platform; and
then combine on the same electoral
ticket with the Democrats in each
state, and give the entire electoral
vote iu the electoral college to the
candidate representing the greatest
number of votes. This would prob
ably have resulted ia the choice of Mr..
Bryan for presidnt, and we should
have no regrets ii it did. But in the
meantime we should have held all our
votes together-no man could have
had an excuse for DESERVING the Peo-
pies Party. On the other hand the
Democrats would have held all their
men together also: the cry of "Popu-
ism" would not have driven ANY of
them over to Mckinley. The longest
way round would have been the short
est way home" But there were so
many men in our conven tion who
were candidates for Office, or who ex-
pected to be, and who hoped for
Democratic endorsements in their re-
Spectlve states, congressional dis tricts
or counties, that they swept US on to
the nomination of Mr.. Bryan.
We f0resaw the difficulties of the
position in which Mr.. Bryan would
find himself, trying to ride two horses,
going in opposite directions.
The Democracy has advanced re-
luctantly to the doctrine Of the free
coinage of silver land large part of its
membership has fallen away from it
as it advanced, and is now forming
new party; and even the free-silver
Democrats still retain q large share
of the conservatism which has mark
ed the party during all stages of its
history. On the other hand the
Populists represent the radical, pro-
gressive element in American politics.
II it ceases to represent that element
another party will rise up to take its
place.
When however the Minnesota dele
CATION, yielding to an irrational and
uniformed public clamor, were large
ly in favor Of the direct nomination
Of Mr.. Bryan we yielded to the i'm
petus which we could not Withstand,
and voted for Mr.. Bryan. We did not
desire to become a bolter or a mar
plot. But our doubts were not dis
PEELED and are not to this hour.
Forseeing the dangers of the situa.
ton we urged upon the convention,
when seconding, on behalf of Mime
sofa, the nomination of Mr.. Bryan,
that we should not ask Mr.. Bryan to
accept our nomination or endorse our
platform. We saw that he could not
repudiate his running mate, Mr.. Sc
wall; or accept the Peoples Party can
didate for the vice-presidency, Mr..
Watson. We argued that we were not
merging with the Democracy and
that identify of belief was not neces-
sary. We had simply agreed to vote
for the Democatic candidate on the
strength of our admiration for him as
a man, and the overwhelming neces-
sity which existed to unite in some
way all the elements Of reform, to
save the nation from the continued
domination of the money-power.
But Mr.. Bryan is talking too much.
He is standing over powder maya
zine. We find in Monday mornings
papers the following:
Chicago, July 26.-Among those re-
turning from St. Louis today was a
gentleman who saw and read the sup
pressed dispatch from Mr.. Bryan 10
senator Jones, chairman of the ma
tional Democratic committee. He
possesses fairly good memory and
gives the following as the substance
Of the document about which there
was So much talk and excitement DUR
ing the last day of the Populist con.
vention. What is subjoined NAV be
relied upon as being substantially cor
rect:
considering all the circumstances
and conditions" wired Mr.. Bryan, II
have concluded that the Populist con-
vention should not consider my name
for the presidency; but If it deter
mines to nominate me notwithstand-
ing this declaration, that there may
be no misunderstanding, desire in
advance to say that shall not during
| the campaign discuss any other issues
than those outlined in the Chicago
platform. desire above everything
+ Atcn ~ a inst a ~