The San Francisco call., 1896-05-11
Wilkins of San Jose Leads the
Fight Against a Coalition
With SilveriteS.
GATHERING AT SACRAMENTO.
Scattering Delegations Put In an
Early Appearance-Views of
the Leaders.

SACRAMENTO, CAL, May 10.-With
one single exception the proceedings of the
Populist State Convention promise to be
harmonious and quiet. But this one issue,
at this early stage of the State gathering
of the peoples party representatives,
promises to evolve oratory, debate, diyis-
ions and heartburnings that would make
glad even those who saw to fit to criticize
the splendid work OF the recent Republi.
can Convention.
This momentous question is whether to
fuse or not to fuse with the silver party,
who meet in National Convention at st.
Louis by invitation of the executive COM
mittee of the Populist party on July %.
the same day on which the convention OF
the latter is to be called to order.
On this issue the lines will be sharply
drawn, and the most determined and vig-
orous campaigning and wire-puIling will
be done within these lines until the thirty
nine National Convention delegates are
officially instructed in reference to the
matter. The situation is a peculiar one,
though one easy of prehension, even
by one not a politician or even a political
economist.
The opposition to the fusion movement
by NJ. w. Wilkins of San Jose, editor of q
paper in that city called the New Charter.
Ever since the movement was launched
he has welded pen and tongue against it
on every occasion and at every oppor-
tunity. He declares that with men like
! Senator Stewart of Nevada at the head of
the silver party it is certain to be domi-
mated by monopolists, corporations and
/ FXnlsn IL
| Populists are most strenuously seeking to
eliminate from the economic system of
! the country.
Then he points to the fact that Stephen
Gage was very prominent in the first call
for the formation of a silver party in Cali
fornia and that George w. Baker, the
chairman of the Silver party of California
is railroad attorney, as he is employed to
look after the Oakland railroad franchises.
From these facts, he argues 10 his own
satisfactory conclusion. and to that, it is
claimed, of many others that the silver
party of California will be controlled by
the monopoly element; and, reasoning
further, ne declares that if this is the case
in California. with its known antagonism
to everything monopolistic, it is likely to
hold gooo of the National Silver Conyen-
ton as whole.
Holding these views, which he has made
not the slightest attempt to conceal Edi-
tor Wilkins proposes to oppose union of
the silver and Populist forces at st. Louis
under any and all conditions. His idea is
that the ally or allies of his party must be-
as devoid of suspicion as was declared to
be the wife of Caesar. As Mr.. Wilkins
tersely expresses it, he is afraid that an
alliance with the silver men will give the
Populists the platform and The white
metallists the nominee, and he cites past
instances to prove his assertion that fusion
has always proven disastrous to the Popu-
lists and advantageous only to the ally.
En- passant it may be remarked, that
owing to the generally unfortunate results
of these coalitions, the word fusion" is
stricken from the lexicon of the Populist.
He prefers union, consolidation, alliance,
federation, or any other synonym. The
mere use of the term "fusion" in connec-
ton with any proposition is sufficient to
defeat 1t.
Wilkins, who is evidently destined to be
known as the great anti-fusionist, has al
ready achieved considerable prominence
in his efforts to establish what is known as