The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-08-24
PLEADS FOR
TOM WATSON.
Chairman Butler Urges That
He Be Supported.
Says the Sentiment For Him Is
Gaining.
AS TO NOTIFICATION.
Says the POpulists Never Have
Notified Nominees.
Again Declares That Watson
Won't Come Off.
As TO NOTIFICATION.

Washington, Aug. 24.-Speaking last
night of Mr.. Watson, the Populist nom
inee for vice president, Senator Butler,
! the chairman of the Populist executive
| committee, said that he noticed a de-
| ctded change in sentiment towards Mr..
Watson, not only among the Populists
in the west who favored Mr.. Sewan,
but among the silver Democrats of the
south.
'I think" he said, "this is the begin
ming of a change that will continue IN
til the day of election. Probably at no
place in the south is this going on more
rapidly than in Georgia, Mr.. Watson's s
own state. The outlook now is that he
will carry Georgia, even if the Demo-
Gratis elect their state ticket. This
change is also very marked in my own
state of North Carolina, and the outlook
is that Watson will get the electoral
vote of that state.
Every fair-minded man honestly
for silver, and who puts silver above
party, but who is satisfied with the Chi
cagO platform and ticket, realized as
soon as our convention adjourned that
we had improved on the Chicago ticket.
The action of our convention showed
was patriotic and put the cause of fin
anciaI reform even above party advan-
tage itself. If the Peoples Party had
nominated a straight ticket and had
offered to the Democrats in order to
make victory certain, to take down our
presidential candidate if they would
take down their vice presidential can
didate so as to form a cooperative
ticket, the Democrats would have
i1Irora6 at the T1TOn0SitiOr1 and ava1~xv-
one would have said it was fair, unself-
ish and patriotic.
''The fact that we did not take such
action for trading purposes but at once
took the high and patriotic position
that Bryan was as good a silver man
as we could nominate and therefore
we would nominate him, but failed to
nominate Mr.. Sewa1, for the reason
only that he does not represent what
Mr.. Bryan represents, has commended
the Peoples Party to every fair mind
ed voter of America, opposed to the sin
gle gold standard. This puts it in
position where with every mistake of
the old parties it will gain two re-
cruits where it would have gained one
before. In short it puts it in a posi-
tion where the least failure of the
Democrats to carry out their pledges
if they should go into power, would
make the Peoples Party a great oppo-
SitiOn organization to the gold stand
ard in 1900 and practically wipe the
Democratic party out of existence"
The attention of Chairman Butler
was called to the published statements
that L. c. Bateman of Maine, the sec
retary of the Populist notification COM
mittee was in correspondence with the
mem bers of that committee with a
view of fixing a day for the notifica-
ton of Messrs Bryan and Watson of
their nomination by the POpuIist
party. Mr.. Butler, not having the
official records of the convention show
ing just what had been done in the
matter of the appointment of a nOtif-
cation committee, expressed a disin-
clination to talk about the meeting for
publication.
He again called attention to the fact
that it has not been the practice of the
POpulist party to notify its nominees.
Generals Weaver and Fields were not
notified in 1892. He said that Senator
Allen, the chairman of the convention,
was the chairman of the notification
committee, if there was one. He again
expressed the opinion as he did a week
ago, that Bryan and Watson would
continue to be candidates of the Popus
list party until the campaign was at an
end.