The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1896-08-13
BAD CLIMATE FOR DAGOES
THE CONVENTION AFTERMATH.
THE POPULIST CONVENTION AT
GALVESTON Is NOW
ENDED.
THE FUS|ON|STS WERE SUCCESSFUL
By Skillful Management They Won Out
And Made All Their Plans Crys-
talize for a Successful
Fusion.

Galveston, Tex, Aug 9.-(Special.)-
The last remnants of the populist party
took their departure this morning and
the city has once more assumed its nat
ural appearance and believing that the
country is saved, the people have resumed
their usual occupations. The convention
that has just adjourned was a remarka-
bic one in many respects. 1t was re-
markable for the many individual views
expressed and the determination of those
with IDEAS to express them, regardless
of the flight of time and the WEAKNESS of
the crowd. Now that the convention is
over with, the fusion people are as happy
as the days are long. While the con-
venti0n was in session there was some
danger of the plans of the leaders being
upset, but with adjournment came the
knowledge that all was over and every
thing O. X. The convention had not
been adjourned for an hour when Col.
Barney Gibbs, the leader of the fusion
people, packed w and left for home.
The other leaders remained over until
this morning and then lit out as well.
Talking with some of these leaders last
night down at the Beach hotel | learned
from them that the fusion plan was all
right and that the populists would de-
liver to any combination fusioning with
them 100000 votes in November
asked the leaders if they thought that
to fusion party. Their reply was that
they thought they could, but they would
guarantee a vote of 100000. The lead
er that L was talking to also made the
statement that while there was some dis
senters in the crowd, like Recdy. for in
stance but that the majority of the rank
and file was favorable to fusion. That
if they were not, the convention floor
managers could never have gotten that
state campaign committee scheme worked
through. Said the leader in question.
You newspaper men try and make out
like we are doing something great in get
ting this committee business through.
tell you, you don't know anything you
are talking about. The majority of the
men who have been in this convention
the past four days are welded to the sue
cess of their state ticket and will fusion
with any one who can win it for them.
They understand fully this campaign
committee question and have agreed to
let it go at that. depending on future de-
velopments to show them as to whether
they have acted wisely. | am in a po-
Sllloh " Slutc DDSlllNtlN tHul tHt l'bDu-
lists of Texas are going to elect their
state ticket by any means that they con-
clude will be best and if the campaign
committee sees fit to plan fusion, | am
responsible at the proper time for the
statement that the populists will not be
slow in carrying out their part of the
proposition l asked him if the COM
mittee to have charge of the campaign
would pull down Mr.. McMinn, who had
been placed up for the judiciary. His
reply was that not only would McAIinn
in all probability he pulled down. but that
some one of the railroad commissioner
nominees would also be pulled down. He
gave no reason for this statement but it
is generally presumed that McNlinn will
be pulled down, because Ashby and one
or two others believe that he will lose
the populist ticket 10000 votes, so I'M
popular is he in certain districts. In
conversation with some of the steering
committee yesterday | learned from them
that they would take up their labors in
earnest soon and will possibly await the
action of the Fort Worth convention and
the Waco meeting before doing anything
definite. The ticket as selected is con-
sideIed in the main to be Il very fine one
and the populists believe that they can
win with it. During the week, i'll at
tempting TO get this ticket, something
like 800 speeches have been made and
judging from the amount of oratory III
duged in, the pops are able and willing
to hold their own in the matter OF max
ing n lively campaign on the stump. That
their whole heart is in their work is evil
denced by the fact that during the four
days that they were III session they
worked an average of thirteen hours out
of the twenty-four regardless of the heat
and their physical exhaustion. While
the delegates were busy at work i'll the
convention hall, sweltering and losing
much needed rest, the leaders were sit
ting out at the Beach hotel formulating
plans where the breeze struck them
just right and the mint julep was near
at hand. There was always Il manager
present to watch the convention, however,
and they We're never left alone any great
length of time Reedy, the man who
wanted to get the middle-of-the-road res
oluton swung into the convention and
got it swung into the hands of the com
mittee instead, fought pretty hard among
the members for a couple of days in or
der to get some backing. He lost ground
from the jump, however. If the reso-
luton had been introduced to the con-
vention Wednesday it would have gone
whooping through, but the longer it was
side tracked the more strength it lost |
until finally last afternoon Reedy, seeing |
that he was done up. arose and with |
drew from the convention at J O'Clock |
and went home, after telling his friends |
that possibly he was mistaken after all
in his views. The convention is now |
thing of the past, but it will long live in
the memory of the man that experienced |
it. From now on the state campaign |
committee will have charge of all matters |
of moment and to them are entrusted the |
issues and men so vital to the life of the !
populist party. A fusion will win the |
pOpulists what they want and that fusion |
will no mo 10