The Sauk Centre herald., 1896-07-23
National Populist Convention
Divided on the. Best Pol
10y to Adopt.
Faction Favoring Endorsement
OF Bryan Now Claiming
q Majority.
Refuse Offers to Compromise
and Threaten q Boltn
/, Defeated.

@ 81. Lou1s, July sS.-Ths nationa,
Populist convention d divided into
three. factions-the "middls Of the
road" clemens, which win stand ous
against all compromises prior TO the
convention and to the election the fac.
tion favorable TO the endorsements OF
nomination Of MessrA Bryan and Sew.
all. and the compromise men. who
favor the endorsements Of Bryan, but
who contend for the right to name q
Southern Populist in place Of Mr.. Sew.
all for the position of vice president. u
The Bryan people are still holding
out very stifly against any and all com.
promises, and some Of them 60 so far as
to say that If they are not successful in
their contention
They Will Leave the Convention.
Senator Butler is strong in the position
that Mr.. Bryan should be endorsed
upon Populist platform. but says the
Southern people would never accept Mr..
Sewall. not only because his affiliations
are not with them but because, above
all, if they surrender both offices 1t
would mean the destruction of the Peo-
ple's party. He claims to have almost
the solid South behind him and strong
following in the Northern states. Davis
of Texas combats this position, claiming
a majority in the convention of over 300
in favor Of travelling In the middle Of
the road" by which he means that no
compromise is possible in the conven-
tion. Mr.. Davis would have Populist
candidates for president and vice presi-
dent named by the convention on a
Populist platform with resolution
binding the Populists
To Fusion of Electors.
His plan is to divide the electors In the
various states according to the ratio of
the Democratic and Populist vote in the
states I'm our state. for instance" he
says. "the populists would have six
members Of the electoral college and the
Democrats nine" This, he says, would
give Bryan the electoral vote of that
state, and. if 1t should become apparent
that he had majority Of the college.
he would receive the votes Of the Popu.
list electors as we'll as those of the
Democratic electors.
The more conservative Of the mem.
bers of the two extreme factions are be.
ginning to regard the situation as !,
grave one, and there have been many
informal conferences during the day
looking towards getting together on
some plan like that suggested by Sena
tor Butler. They fear that il this can.
not be done
A Bolt 10 Inevitable,
whatever the action OF the convention,
and this they are exceedingly anxious
tc avert. They express confidence that
they will be able TO reach this result
The two extremes factions each assert.
however. that they win never yield and
the situation is admittedly critical.
The friends Of Mr.. Bryan assert that he
would never accept nomination by th.
Populisf convention which did not carr,
with it q like nomination tor Mr. Sew
AL and they quote MY. Bryan sasrhav,
ing taken this position - discoursing
upon The matter. with delegates who
have been to visit ghinA He i repre-
sented as considering ~ dishonorable
and impolitic to have himself named
without like honor being conferred
upon his Democratic running mate.