The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1896-07-23
A CLASH SEEMS INEVITABLE IN
THE POPULIST NATIONAL
CONVENTION.
DECIDED DIFFERENCE Of OPINION.
There is Not So Much Opposition to Bry-
an as There is Sewall-A Fight Will
Be Made for the Omaha
Platform

st. Louis, July 0.-lt becomes more
evident each day as the date of the meet
ing of the national convention draws near
that the Populist party will clash over
the Endorsement of Bryan for presi-
dent. Letters from all parts of the
country are pouring III to the national
committee headquarters, some advocat-
ing and some denouncing the indorse-
ment of the Democratic ticket, and
everything indicates that there is Il de-
cided differcnct of opinion as TO the best
action to be taken. 1t is the opinion of
some of the leaders here that the Popu-
list party is near Il danger line i'll the
split over the question. They request
that some plan of action be decided upon
at the meeting of the national executive
committee to be held here. Many lead
ers are awaiting the coming of the free
silver Republicans who bolted at St.
Louis. If the Republicans come out
openly for Bryan and the Chicago plat
form the opposition may not make much
of fight.
The Populist headquarters are begin
ming TO show signs of the coming con-
vention. The national committee will
soon meet Chairman Taubeneck, and his
assistants are busy completing the pre-
liminaries and are preparing for the rush
of POpulists expected Saturday.
Mr.. Taubeneck still declines to discuss
the movement in favor of Bryan and
Sewall. His invariable statement is:
Il have nothing for publication"
Ex-Governor Waite of Colorado, who
will head the delegation from that state,
is out for indorsing the Bryan and Sew
all ticket and will begin work for it as
soon as he reaches st. Louis. He is
backed by the delegation from Colorado.
The advance guard of the Tennessee del
egation, which is here, is Il full-hedged
vice presidential boom for w. Ii. Mimms
of that state.
Ex-Governor Buchanan, who mas
charge of the Mimms boom. does not
like Sewall, but is not strongly opposed
to Bryan. If it could be so arranged
that the Democratic presidential nomi-
nee could be given first place and Mimms
second the Tcnnesseeans would be salts
fed. it is said.
The next big question is that of the
platform. a strong wing of the party,
headed by Chairman Taubeneck, Ser.
geant-at-arms Mcdowell, Chairman Log
zell of the Missouri state committee and
other members of the national commit.
tee propose to make fight for the adop-
ton of the Omaha platform instead of IN
Endorsement of the Chicago declaration
Hon. III. =. Sweeny, general organizer
of the national silver headquarters in
New York, is here.
There has been for MONTHS" said
Mr.. Sweeny, "a bitter fight between
the representatives of plutocracy on one
side and the middle classes and daily
wage earners on the other. and it is going
to be tercer from now on until the elcc-
ton. 1t has been my privilege TO labor
among the last mentioned classes and nv
candid opinion is they will win.
"Nothern and western New York agri.
culturists are for free silver, irrespectivo
of party, just as surely as the same
clrsses are in the west and south
Mckinley and Hobart can not come
down to the Harlem river with $4,000
majority. 1t did not take me long in
mixing with the labor organizations tC
find they were as much if not more bit
terly opposed to Wall street than the
farmers of Kansas. They were ready &c
rally to any standard that would give
them Il glimpse of freedom and prom.
Use of better times.
There is not Il state in the east in
which Bryan has not good fighting
chance. and there must be no hestancy
III waging the war there. He will be met
by volunteers all along the line"