The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-10-20
Unless His Throat and Voice
Give Out in Tennessee.
TO CHANGE KANSAS FUSION
Long Conference Held in Thorn
son With Mr.. Watson.
NOT NARY WORD FROM NOBODY
Democratic and PopuIist Committees
Meet To-Day to Confer as to Geor-
gia Fusion, on Basis of
Dems. and 8 Pops.

Atlanta, Ca, Oct. 19.-Messrs. Wash
burn and Reed, the members OF the
Populist National committee, who
were dispatched to Thomson to con-
fer with Hon. Thomas Il. Watson,
reached Atlanta at noon to-day, alter
having spent Sunday with the Vice
Presidential candidate. An hour later
they were in conference with Col y.
Robertson, Democratic elector-at-large
and a member of the Georgia State
Executive committee, the National
Democratic committeeman from
Georgia and several other prominent
Democrats. The Georgia member OF
the National committee arrived from
Chicago this morning having come
as the representative of Chairman
Jones to meet Washburn and Reed,
representing Mr.. Watson. When ask
ed concerning the conference, he said:
Senator Jones could not come and
asked me to represent him. No pro-
position has been made by either side
and none viii be made before to-mor-
row. Hon. Steve Clay, chairman OF
the State committee will arrive at
nine o'clock tomorrow and the State
committee will meet at noon"
The Democratic State committee
and the Populist State committee will
both be in session here tomorrow. The
Populist committee last week made
a formal offer to the Democrats for
a fusion in this State on basis of
seven Democratic and six Populists.
The Democrats were given until to-
morrow night to accept or decline the
proposition. Tt is unde rstood that
the conference now in progress and
the meeting of the State committee
tomorrow is, too, for the purpose of
bringing about this fusion.
All the parties to the conference
decline to say anything as to its prob
able outcome. Mr. Washburn was
more communicative, however, on the
subject of his trip to Thomson and
recent action of the Populist National
committee, concerning which he said:
"The address issued to the public by
our executive committee at Chicago
has been purposely misconstrued by
a hostile press as an act unfriendly
to our candidate. This Interpretation
is wrong and does Mr.. Watson great
injustice.
'"The only way now to elect Bryan
is for the silver forces in different
States to vote for fusion electors rep
resenting both parties. The situation
is unchanged Mr.. Watson's throat is
now all right and he will resume his
campaign speaking at once. He will
speak in Birmingham Wednesday and
proceed to Tennessee for active work,
after which / understand he plans to
go to North Carolina and Kansas
"Our conference at Thomson was for
the purpose of reporting to Mr.. Wat
son just what had been accomplished
in different States and to report the
work of the National committee as
we'll as to confer with him regarding
the campaign. The report that ! had
Mr.. Watson's letter of acceptance with
me is mistake.
arrangements"
eyes, believe there viii be a change
of some kind in Kansas"
NAME OFF KANSAS TICKET.
Topeka, Kans., Oct. 19.-Thos. Wat
sons affidavit declining to permit the
use of his name ON the official ballot as
a part Of the abilene ticket, was re
.ceiyed Through the mail by the Sec
rotary of State to-day. Acting upon
this authority the Secretary Of State
decided that the name of Watson
should not go upon the official ballot
as part of the Abilene ticket. How-
ever, he has agreed with Populist
Chairman Breidenthal not to mail the
certificates of official ballot to the
county clerks until the Populist COM
mfttee should take tine matter before
the Supreme Court.