Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-09-02
HARMONIOUS FUSION.
The Remnrkabie Way Michigan Sill
yer Wen CO-Opcratcd.

Wen CO-Opcratfd.
Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich.
August -, 1896.
The democrats. free silver republicans
and populists. in convention in Bay City
last week. accomplished the expected
fusion but the union of forces is loose
jc;nted. The elements composing it are
in many respects Incompatible, and the
different party committees and managers
viii not have any superdbundance CT hdr-
nCny 20 carry them through the cam
paign- The democrats had about GO dele
gates at the convention. while the number
I'll titled to seats was over 500 the popu-
list delegates present numbered about 800,
ard the free silvers. 40. The various
conventions met III different halls and en-
DE- &vUrei to arrange the terms of the COM
bine through conference committees, but
when this did not work the free silvers
and pOpulists joined the democrats in joint
convention and the unit rule was adopted.
each element having one vote and two to
u eide The democrats named Justin r.
" FITTING their candidate for governor
and the free siivers favored Charles r.
Sigh The contention to which ele-
m-nt should have the head of the ticket
lasted all day and far into the night, and
then when the populists became noisy and
threatened to bolt the two candidates
tired 20 an ante room to confer 1t is
said they drew cuts to which should
have the nomination, but the truth of this
has not been substantiated. When they
Came out of conference that lasted about
five minutes Whiting withdrew his name
and Sigh was nominated for governor by
reclamation, ard Whiting was named for
lieutenant governor. The populsts named
thr candidates for auditor general and
land commissioners. the two really desira-
BILE places on the ticket. and also three
a candidates for electors. and the democrats
took the rest. The; office of secretary of
~ left ne sill
rrOh;bi.oHists. who held their state conven-
ton last July and nominated a full ticket
Will be asked to name the candidate if they
will pull off the rest of their ticket and
come into the fold. making it four cor
rered affair instead of three.
The Candidate for Governor
Mr.. Sigh. the combine candidate for gov
ernor. was until two months ago a stanch
republican and always had been. He ba-
came an apostle of free silver about year
ago. and when the st. Louis convention
was held jumped his party traces.
The name adopted for the combine Is
The democratic peoples union silver par
ty." giving the three elements a representa-
tlCn in the title. but emitting the prohi-
titionists if they should decide to come in
The name is unwieliy in it's length and will
lead to further complications in the print
ing of the official ballots. Under the state
law the party receiving the largest vote in
the preceding election is entitled to first
place on the official ballot. and the other
parties follow in their order The combina-
ton ticket Will come last in the row this
year. The republicans will come first. and
then the sound money democrats the pro-
hhitionists and, finally, the democratic,
peoples. etc.
Tho sound money democratic convention
vas held at Lansing, nominated q full state
ticket. with Rufus F. Sprague of GreenyilIe
as the nominee; nominated electors elected
delegates to the Indianapolis convention
chose w r. Shelly of this city chairman
of the state central committee and a fun
committee The ticket will be known as the
% mocratic ticket. and the old democratic
visnette will be used. 1t lacks the element
OF regularity viewed by party usage
but il Will he the only democratic ticket in
the field, and the election commission made
up of the state board of auditors which
las charge of the printing of the ballots
VIII so rule. The combine may appeal to
the supreme court; but against the appeal
It Will he claimed that the combine is an
entirely new force in state politics The
preservation of the old party name by the
sound money democrats will help their
ticket amazingly. but they do not expect
TO elect anybody. The sound money move
ment Is intended more than anything else
as refuge for democrats who do not ap-
prove the course taken by the party and,