People's party paper. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1891-1898, 1896-10-09


leaned forward until 1 could see the
creases and burrows in his lean weather.
beaten neck, a neck that was made for
white stock. His eyes seemed to change
color. He stretched his arm out before
him and let his hand fall loosely on the
table
The Fusion Racket.
Even IL Mr. Sewall should persist m
threatening Mr.. Bryan's candidacy by re-
naming on the ticket, would consent to
fusion in some of the states if 1t were
offered on basis that was not absolutely
insulting to the Populist cause. InKansas
the Populists have no representation
whatever on the presidential ticket. They
have given all the electors to the Demo-
Gratis in exchange for the state ticket.
In view Of the fact that the Populists OF
Kansas have four times as many votes
as the Democrats, they ought to have
seven electors out of the ten. I would
not be satisfied with less. In Colorado
the Populists should have three out Of
four. In North Carolina the Democrats
have as many electors as the Populists--
think of it-and one eector IS given to a
thing called free silver. 1 don't want to
say what the real basis of fusion ought
to be In North Carolina, because that is
Senator Buffers state, but 1t ought to be
something more consistent with the
power and dignity of the majority party
there. The whole Populist campaign has
been rnismanaged. 1t is outrageous
Georgia and Texas refused fusion. We
pointed the way. but North Carolina,
Kansas and Colorado failed to take adj
vantage of the situation. If they, too,
had put Bryan and Watson tickets in
the field. Mr.. Sewall would have had to
get out. The situation would have been
irresistible. 1t Is not too late even now
TO carry it out. 1 cannot understand why
Mr.. Bryan went to Maine the second
time. 1t was mistake, a serious mis-
take. The more Mr.. Sewall is forced up-
on the Populists the more the danger will
grow, and there is great enough danger,
already. My idea of the campaign was
to be perfectly honest and make the IS
sue sectional one 1t is a sectional is
sue We could have appealed to the pride
and material interests of the south and
west and have united them solidly against
the east. Then we could have said to the
east, You believe in the gold standard,
and we don't. Now, vote for your con-
Victions and we will vote for ours 1t
would nave been an open, square fight.
l would have confined the heavy work of
the campaign to the real lighting ground
In the border states Maryland, Indiana,
West Virginia. Kentucky and Illinois,
We would have had a chance with such
q campaign as That.
Just here I had an illustration of Mr..
Watsons scorn for money. There was
knock at the door and a young man en-
tered bearing from a silver mine owner,
who has newspaper in New York an
offer of $1,000 for the very statement
which Mr. Watson was giving to me off
hand. The Populist reader read the note,
smiled ana said to the messenger There
is no answer" The young man faltered
OF Io t,,lrI t.,
sons face were instantly in action. He
shook his head. There is no answer
whatever" he repeated.
'Mr. Watson" I said, "all the signs
point to Mr.. Bryan's defeat In that
event what will happen to the Democrat
ic party?"
In tho Event ct Brynn's Tefeat.
''Why, the Democrats will split in two.
One half will go to the sound money
Democrats, who will be in the position of
the Charles OConnor Democrats In the
Greeley campaign. The rest will unite
with the Populist party. The Populists
can make no surrender of principle neith-
er now nor in the future. Unless We
stand for something that is opposed to
the ideas of the two old parties we are
malicious meddlers, cantankerous busy
bodies. There Is hope for the country in
an honest, unpurchasable third party.
There must be sword of Damocles
hanging over the heads OF parties wlrr}!1
lie on couches of ease jefferson led, q
sfIi7i party Jackson led Il third parly
and Lincoln led third party. But there
is danger that the Populist managers in
some of the states will fuse all their
strength away. Look at what has hap
pened in Alabama. Reuben Kolb fused
the Populists with Republican until he
has practically killed his party there, and
now he has Joined the Democrats him
self. And If the Populists of North Car
DINA, Kansas and Colorado give them
selves up to the Democrats they will kill
their party also. The free silver Demo-
cratic leaders seem to think that they
have the game in their own hands and
that they can offer any insult to US with
impunitvi They are mistaken. 1t was
hard enough for me to get my Populist
friends to consent even to the Bryan and
Watson fusion But told them that Mr..
Bryan stood substantially for the ideas
1 represented and that they could vote
the ticket with confidence. But it is hard
to work with the Democratic managersI 1t
is hard to labor cordially with people
who are kicking and abusing you all the
time. 1t is hard to support a partner
ship when the partnership IS all on one
side"
Mr., watson clasped his hands over one
knee ard rocked himself gently in his
chair. His Voi2e was cold and hard
Talks ef His Record.
st abandoned 4 Jaw practice of $4,000
year to enter pubGa life. l was Dem
ocrat. 1 gave up a seat in congress to
work for the Peoples Party. I did not
ask for this nomination. When
was nominated l was at home
and in bed. Yet have
been Inundated by the very men who
ought to have been my best friends and
most cordial supporters. After my nomi-
nation Senator Butler. the national chair
man of the party. urged me to go to
Alabama and begin the campaign there.
l answered that there was no reason why
1 should go to Alabama but that desired
TO so to the western states and stop the
populist fusion on the Bryan and Sewals
ticket Senator Butler replied that there
was no need for me to so west because
the fusions there would soon die out. I
did not see 1t in that way and wrote
to him frankly that there was no likeli-
hood of the fusions dying out after they
had been firmly mortised into their places.
When 1 went to Kansas to speak l was
met by the popullst state chairman, Mr..
Breidenthal who told me that the party
had already arranged fusion and begged
me not to make any trouble. l told him
that 1 would speak at the mass meeting
which had been called. Then he asked me
il L would let him see my speech. l did
a thing which l had never done before
and have never done since, l read my
notes. When 1 came to the part of my
speech in which l denounced SeWall as an
enemy of our cause and our principles.
Mr. Breluenthal pleaded with me to omit
1t. OF course 1 refused to do it. Am
/ not the nominee of the Marty