The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1896-07-20
BRYAN AND THE POpULISTS
s sTRoNG FEELING 4G41ysy ,y-
DUTsSSSttNG DUTsSttN THE ENEBRAsKAN.

a --rT-
If the Convention Mpminates Him. n
Split in the Party is Utmost Certain
Should This Result, Kentucky, Tennes-
see, Alabama and Florida VIII Certainly
Vote For McKinley-Popullst Delegates
Slow in Arriving.
st. Louis, July 19.-The situation to-
night is Bryan and anti Bryan, or more
strictly speaking, Bryan against some
member of the populist party yet to be
named. Not more than 800 of the /, 800
delegates to the populist convention
have arrived and these are individual
members who constitute the advance
guard of number of delegations from
the south and west. 1t is yet too early
to predict with reasonable certainty
what decision the convention may
reach, but from the surface indications
to-day 1T would appear that the senti-
ment for Bryan will be very strong, if,
indeed, his friends be not in majori-
ty 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 these are J. B. Weaver of Iowa,
who made the race for the presidency
four years ago. Others-among these
are Mr.. Taubeneck, the chairman of
the national committee-impatien
repudiate the suggestion Of Mr.. Bryan S
names and assert that his nomination
would fall like wet blanket upon the
party.
There was talk to-day of bolt if
Bryan was nominated. Whom the anti
Bryan leaders would select in these cir
cumstances they do not say. They
have not gone so far as to consider the
question. They do not hesitate to say,
however, that a bolt would lose to the
silverites the votes Of Kentucky, Ten
nessee, Alabama and Florida and GER
tainly result in the election Of McKin-
ley There is but one thing the anti
Bryan men fear-that is a possibility
that some one may make a ringing
speech, full of apt illusions to the boy
Orator Of the Platte" and his long de-
votion to silver, that may sweep the
convention off it's feet and bring about
his nomination.
In such an event the list of malcon-
tents might be reduced to make a bolt
impossible, but this is not expected
The opposition to Bryan springs from
two causes. The first is the complete
obliteration of the party, which would
follow his nomination, and the second
is a distrust in some quarters that the
democrats would not act fairly in the
matter Of the division Of the electoral
vote.
The northern and western men enter
tain no such fear Those from that
part of the country who oppose Bryan
do so because they believe that the
party would be swallowed up in the
greater prestige and prominence of the
democratic party. They do not like
the impression to go out that they have
no men within their ranks of sufficient
ability to carry their standard to vic
tory. Perhaps when Senator Jones of
Arkansas arrives he may be sufficient
ly influential with the leaders to bring
them into line, but it is doubtful.
General Weaver of Iowa thinks the
nomination of Bryan the eminently
proper course for the convention to fol-
low. He would also include Sewall.
He says there would be no inconsistent
cy in populist support of Sewall, who
has been a greenback democrat al
ways. In his opinion Bryan will not
only be elected, but he will also carry
Iowa by a handsome plurality.
The contention of Mr.. Taubeneck,
chairman of the national committee,
that Bryan should not be nominated is
endorsed by some of the ablest men in
the party, who feel that such course
would be suicidal These say that the
nomination of Bryan is dictated largely
by selfish considerations, by men who
hope to secure local preferment
through the success of the national
ticket.
Gen" ]. S. Coxey of Common Veal
army fame is another of the conspicu-
Gus populists who cannot be convinced
that Bryan's nomination would be to
its best interest. 1t is curious fact
that some of the southern populists
have been converted from free traders
to extreme protectionists through their
affiliations with the republicans. While
some place silver above the tariff, there
are others who are unwilling to give
their support to tariff reformer, but
say as between the two they would
prefer Mckinley. Generally speaking,
however, the QeleSdtSS CdlC iioIhiiiS ANi
the 4ariff With them the all-absorb-
ing question is more money-more sill
yer money. To secure this they will
make any sacrifice and go to any ex-
treme.
The Sabbath brought in but few ar
rivals of delegates to the convention of
anv note Principal among them were
Reuben Kolb, the populist candidate
for governor of Alabama, and j. 5.
Coxey of Massillon, o. The published
call for a meeting at the Lindell this
afternoon in behalf of the 'middle-of-
the-road" policy drew quite crowd.
The topics discussed were the money
question, direct legislation, government
ownership of railroads, telegraph and
telephone systems, restriction of the
national banking methods and the ad-
yocacy of the direct issue of money to
the people. There are contests from
but two states to engage the attentlon
of the populist national committee.
The late trains tonight brought in
quite a number of delegates and party
leaders. Prominent among them were
Senator Butler of South Carolina lgna-
thus Donnelly of Minnesota, members of
the executive committee, and c. ]. Hill
1iar of washington. q member of the