Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-06-28
EDITION.
THE POPS
How They Talked About Fusion in Their State
Conyention-The Bargain Four Years
Ago to Be Repeated.

The State Herald has had access to a
full stenographic report of everything
said in the populite convention at Mont
gomery on April % last, and gives ex-
tracts very interesting to democrats and
populists. These extracts are the very
words uttered:
Mr. Hobson of Tuslxaloosa-"I feel it is
my bounden" duty in view of the suspic-
ion that exists occasioned by
the fact that there was a deal made in
1892 at LakevieW, unknown to the mass
of the party, by which the entire cleo
toral delegation of Alabama was to go
to the goldbug Harrison.
Mr.. Hobson-The democrats of Ala
bama have adopted our platform in toto.
Shall we let them crowd us out? Sup
pose the republican convention adopts
a gold or straddle platform, as it will,
vention declares for free silver?
Gentlemen. where will that leave
us? We will be tied (by fusion) to
a goldbug party. They (the democrats)
have also declared for fair elections.
They can demoralize and disintegrate
our forces If we put a republican on our
ticket. They claim to be in favor of fair
elections. What right have we to say
they are not sincere? We thank the re-
publicans for what they have done for
us. We voted for their congressman, we
helped to elect their electoral ticket, and
our debt of our gratitude has been paid.
We have 1000 white men in Tuscaloosa.
Put one republican on our ticket and we
lose 1000 of them. don't want to lose
populist vote, and l know we would lose
votes in Tuscaloosa county, and they
would vote for Joseph E. Johnston for
governor.
Sam Adams-No goldbug John Sher-
man republican is coming into this party
to drive me out, and 1 want to say as
certain as republicans are put on the
populist ticket the very next demand is
going to be to divide the electoral ticket,
and If the republican convention adopts
a goldbug platform at least half the pop
ulist ticket will be bound to stand by the
nominee of that convention. There is
more behind this than the mere question
of the election in August.
Mr.. Spear of st. Clair-I have register
ed an oath in my heart never to vote for
any man that belongs to a goldbug par
ty.
Mr. Hobson-We have had fusion in
hundreds of instances. In every case 1t
has proven disastrous. 1t has
left a train of dissatisfaction in its wake
1t has been as bloody as the battles of
the Huns; 1T has disrupted the popul.st
party in almost every instance. Nearly
every populite paper in the United States
opposes fusion.
! Mr. Adams-I think we had better re-
organize the peoples party in Alabama.
1t is about as good time as we will
ever get.
i Mr.. NJ. w. Whatley. Clay county-Mr.
Grmmett says he is republican and
that he cannot afford to say he will not
support the nominee of his party for
president no matter what the platform
may be on silver.
Mr. Yearly of Tuskaloosa-Mr. Grim
NETT said that the republican party was
the party of his youth and old age and
/ he expected to vote for the nominees for
president and vice president II nominated
on gold platform.
II Mr.. Eongshore of Shelby-He Grim
met) stood by our ticket, but it is an ut
ter impossibility in Alabama to elect a
! snan on that ticket who says openly that
l,he will vote for goldbug. The people
where I live have declared they would
mot vote for any man who would vote fon
a goldbug. Mr.. Grimmett has said he
liwould support a candidate on gold
platform. 1t will lose him enough votes
in north Alabama to defeat him, and 1t
would be useless to put him on the ticket
DR.. Crowe-In 1892 when Chris MCGEE
came to Alabama and persuaded the peo-
pies party to join with the republicans
it made me sick at heart.
Mr.. Oliver--I asked him (Smith) IL he
was for free coinage of silver and he said
he was, but was not stickler for itA
Mr.. Longshore-And he said once posi-
lively that he would not indorse our plat
form.
Mr.. J. H. Parsons of Jefferson-The
populsts aided in electing two republic
ans to congress. Didn't we know when
we entered into the alliance with them
four years ago what their views were.
Mr.. Hobson--It is better to lose the
entire state and keep our organization
Intact better to lose the 100000 tempa-
rary votes we will get in August than
Ito drive off 1000 populites.
Delegate from Etowah-We had a
county convention on Friday and nomi-
mated a republican for tax collector We
called him before the convention and
asked him: "Mr. Stevens, are you re-
publican?" He said he was. Then 200
of our men jumped up and said they
would not support him, and Furthermore,
they said IL that is to be the consequence
we will vote for Joseph f. Johnston and
today If this convention puts men on the
ticket who will vote for Mckinley Etc.
wah county will be lost to us, and many
other white counties up our way. l say
today If we make the mistake of fusing
with republicans we will lose more good
populite votes than we will gain republic
cans
Mr.. Longshore-Were there any men in
that convention who would support Capt.
Joseph +. Johnston?
Delegate-Yes, sir. They understand
Johnstons situation exactly, but they
have been democrats all their lives up
to two or four years ago, and they say
rather than support John Sherman re-
publican they will vote for Johnston.
IINOSAy,S