The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1896-07-24
SENATOR MARION BUTLER,

SENATOR MARION BUTLER
age of silver at Is 10 will be adopted,
Bryan and Sewau will be endorsed and
the convention viii adjourn.
There are three factions in the Popu-
list convention: The middle-of the
road element, headed by Cyclone"
Davis of Texas, which will stand out
against all compromise prior to the
convention and to the election, the
faction favorable to the endorsement or
nomination of Bryan and Sewall, and
the compromise men, headed by Sena
tor Butler of North Carolina, who favor
the endorsement of Bryan, but who
contend for the right to name south
ern Populist in place of Mr.. Sewall for
the position # vice president.
The Bryan people are still holding
out very stiffiy against any and all com
promises, and some of them go so far as
TO say that If they are not successful in
their contention they Will leave the con
vention. Senator Butler Is strong in
the position that Mr. Bryan should be-
endorsed upon a Populist platform. but
says the southern people would never
accept Mr.. Sewall. not only because his
affiliations are not with them, hut be
cause. above all, If they surrendered
both offices it would mean the destruc
tiOn of the Peoples party. He claims
TO have almost the solid south behind
him and strong following in the north
ern states. Mr.. Davis combats this po
sitiOn, claiming majority in the con
vention of over 300 in favor of travel
ing in the middle of the road" by
which he means that no compromise is
possible in the convention
Mr.. Davis contends that in taking
this position he is not only conserving
-
is pointing To the sure road for the sue
cess of the free coinage of silver and
for other Populist reforms. He would
have PopuliSt candidates for president
and vice president named by the con
vention on POpulist platform, coupled
with a resolution binding the POpulist
TO fusion Of electors. In advocating
this plan. he says, there would be no
conflict in the northwest, but admits
there would be i'll the south. He as
serts, however, that in all sections the
Democrats would poll their full strength,
and that even III the south the defec
tiOns to the Populist ticket would come
entirely from the Republican party.
His plan Is TO divide the electors i'll
the various states according TO the ratio
of the Democratic and POpulist vote IN
those states In our state for in
stance he says. "the Populists would
have six members of the electoral col
lege and the Democrats nine This. he
says, would give Bryan the electoral
vote of that state, and If IL should be
come apparent that he had majority
of the college he would receive the
votes of the Populist electors as we'll as
those of the Democratic electors. He
thinks, however. that in that case and
III return the Democrats would concede
the POpuhsts the vice presidency
The more conservative of the mpn-
bers of the two extreme factions are be
ginning to regard the situation as
grave one. and there have been many
informal meetings looking toward get.
ting together on some plan like that of
fered by Senator Butler. They fear
that If this cannot be done a bolt is in
evitable, whatever the action of the
convention, and this they are exceed
ingly anxious 10 avoid. They express
confidence that they will be able 20
reach this result. The two extreme
factions each assert, however, that they
will never yield, and the situation is
admittedly critical
The friends of Mr.. Bryan assert that
he would never accept a nomination
by the Populist convention which did
not carry with II a like nomination for
MIR. Sewall, and they quote Mr.. Bryan
as taken this position in discourSing
upon the matter with delegates who
have been TO visit him. He Is represent
ed as considering II dishonorable and
impOlitic TO have himself named with
out a like honor being conferred upon
his Democratic running mate. 1t is also
stated as coming from Mr.. Bryan that
he is opposed TO all the propositions of
fusion as tending 10 the weakening of
his campaign and the confusion of the
voters. The staunchest of his follow
ers declare they will not depart from
this position, whatever the result. They
declare that they would prefer TO bolt
At a meeting of the middle the
roads" some one raised the cry that a
man named Silas Ross of Buffalo was
here in the interest of the Republican
managers to prevent the endorsement
of Bryan, and fight was only ayerted
by the discovery that the man at whom
the assault was leyeled was some one
else.
The National Reform Press associa-
tion is backing the middle of the-road
delegates with all the power il pos
sesses.
The ''outand- cutters, if they should
control, are at sea as to candidate
Paul Nandervoort of Nebraska and
Eugene V. Debs are about the only
names canvassed since Congressman
Towne of Minnesota arrived and an
nounced himself for Bryan.
The Democratic managers refuse to
listen to any proposition involving the
withdrawal of Sewall. The latter saw
they are firmly convinced that three
quarters of the Popuhsts of the north
and west and many in the south will
vote the Chicago ticket on the issue
presented, no matter what this conven-
tion does. This does not mean there is
any indifference. Chairman Jones is
using all his energies to secure the nom-
lnatlOn 1ndOrSananf nf he
cratic ticket
He says to all who approach him that
the silver forces should get together on
the issue and let bygones be bygones
they should, he urges, fraterniZe the
same cause. He refuses 10 make pledges
IN Bryan's name, and Governor Hol-
comb. who came direct from a visit to
Lincoln, said that the Democratic can.