Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1896-07-31
WASHINGTON LETTER.
(From our Regular Correspondent

vas con luered 80 certain before
he convention met that 1t has
,ausrd comparatively little com.
merit in Washington, bat the ac-
ton of that convention in nGmina.
ing Tom Watson, OF g ri, for Vice
President has set tie politicians
10 guessingas to what object is
behind that action. Was it as
many populsts say merely done to
keep up the pOpulist party organi.
cation or does it Indicate a desire
to capture the Vice Presidency, it
the dem OcIats aud pUpuliSts com.
bined have a majority of the elec.
toral collegei SJme guess that the
electors will he divided with the
IN the states which the
pOpulis.s have no chance or believe
they can carry 10y themselves, ali
the electors viii he pOpuists, aud
that should they orrry enough OF
those states to give the democrats
aud populists combined majority
of the electoral college, the ppm
list electors will demaud that the
democrats shall vote for Vice
President, aud unless the demand
Is aceeded TO, they will refuse To
vote tor Bryan for President.
Whether this guess or any OF the
others which are being made Is
right Ouly time can tell unless
some of the pOpulists leaders do.
There is 10 denying that the pOpL-
lists do not like Sewail eYen
little bit, aud that is why so many
people are Inclined to believe that
they will put Tom Watson in if
there is any way to do it, yet there
Is danger in the attempt, as the
Ofthe democratic cleo
tors might make a big row should
they vote for Watson instead of
Sewall. Taken altogether, the
pUpulIst convention did not clear
the political atmosphere to any
marked extent.
Col. Jere Baxter, of Nashville,
Tenn, is one Of the democrats who
DOESN'T exactly know "where he Is
,t." He said, after mentioning
IIs doubt about his political stand
ny at present: "It must take a
nan with an elastic conscience
and a powerful constitution TO re-
main in the democratic party, and
confess that the frequent switch
ng is very trying to the nerves.
But | am free to maintain also,
hat Tennessee Is Tanpantly in-
lined to silver and that there is
10 question of Bryau's popularity
Town there. IL is a clnch that he
will carry the state by a rouslng
Republicans are inclined TO re
gard the suggestion OF the god
democrats that the tariff be side
racked, so that all the gold men,
rec traders and prOtectiOnists
alike can work together, as moth
ng more nor. less than a bluff,
made TO open The way for the
of IA gold democratic
ticket. Whatever 1t was Intended
or, the men who made IT must
nave known that no attention
would be paid TO it. The republl-
can party is nothing If not a pro
.ective tariff organization. It
leaders would as soon Omuend
that its name be dropped, as thai
the party should quit, even fIr Que
campaign advocating protective
tariff. That circumstances should
have made finance take the lead OF
the tariff as an issue this year does
not count. 1t was not the wish
Of the republicans tn 1t those cir
should arise; on The
contrary, it Was IN spite of their
to keep the tariff there thai
silver has come to the front as the
leading issue. If 1t had been pos
sible, and the gold democrats had
been sincere the republicans might
have profted By the suggestion
without delaying tariff leglsld ion
a single day. 1t is a fact that no
matter how much tariff may be
talked IN this Campaign that no
tariff legislation will De possible
until after NJ irch 4th, 1899, and
very doubtful whether there Will
be any dunIg the term of the
President to be elected next Nov
no matter which party wins, unless
II he accompanied by some sort OF
financial amendment which will
be accepted by the silver senators
who are bound to have majority
in the Senate until N lrch 4 b, 1899
Three members Of the admins
tratiO0 only have declared theiI
political positi 'ns mp to date, and
il ia said that President Cleveland