Evening star., 1896-08-24
FUSION IN MICHIGAN.
And 1t is to Be a Poor Mans Cam
pafEn.

Special Correspondence Of The Evening Star.
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich, August 21, 1885,
The democratic state convention In Bay
City will be like the national convention
in Chicago. in that it will be made up al
most entirely of men who have never be-
fore been seen In the councils of the party.
The old-line democrats have been turned
down all along the line. and in their places
have been elected men who have never
been prominent in guiding the destinies Of
the democracy or liberal in contributing to
Its support. The convention will be largely
made up Of that wing of the democracy
which came from the old greenback party.
1t will be a free silver convention from
start to finish. and 1t will indorse the Chi
cago platform and the Chicago ticket with
out qualification.
The populist and free silver republicans
and prohibitiontsts will meet In conven-
tion at the same time also In Bay City.
The three conventions will be held in sep
arate halls, but there will be thorough
understanding among them and It is hoped
and expected that the action taken will
be in the line Of a harmonious combination
in the cause of free silver. The free silver
men will be easy to manage in arranging
the details of the combine. They have
never had a chance to show their strength
and are an unknown quantity in politics.
and not in position to make heavy de-
mands, even if so disposed. Anything that
may seem reasonable will be accepted
by them without question.
Popuiists Demand Fair Play.
But with the popuists it will be different
The populists have been in the field sew
eral years. and two years ago polied sc, 600
votes. They demand an equal show with
the democracy in the division of the spoils
of office or they will not play. They have
no candidate for governor of their own, but
1t Is their purpose to dictate the nOnina-
ton. Justin R. Whiting has been promi-
nently mentioned as the choice of the de-
mocracy, but this choice is not entirely sat-
isfactory to the populists and Charles r.
Slight of this city, leader in the silver
cause Is suggested. The other places on
the ticket will be divided and the popu-
things as any other element in the political
syndicate gets. The presidential electors
will probably be divided equally between
the populists and democrats. The populists
demand half Of them, that they may vote
for Watson for Vice President.
A name for the combine will be one of
the bones of contention. The populists will
not consent to a total obliteration as an
organization and II the democrats want
their party name at the head, of the ticket.
the populists will insist upon having their
name also inserted in some way. 1t has
been proposed to make 1t the Union Silver
Ticket" This might harmonic the differ
ent elements, but Is open to the objection
that it would leave the field open for an in
dependent ticket which would adopt the
name of democratic, and appeal to the old
time farmer democrats for support.
Lack of Money.
There Is no certainty that the union Of
forces will go through the campaign with
any degree Of harmony. The leaders Of
the various parties are suspicious Of one
another The democrats are intimatins
that the populists are susceptible to the in
fuence of republican money, and the popu-
lists aver that the democrats are inspired
by purely selfish purposes. The democrats
have very little money to cpend, as most
of their moneyed men have bolted the Chi
cago ticket. The populists never did have
any money, and the free silver men cannot
raise much. 1t will be poor mans cam
means at their command. and the sound
money democrats will act with the repub-
lcans.
The sound money democrats will meet in
mass convention in Lansing Wednesday
and nominate an electoral ticket, elect del
egates to the Indianapolis convention and
adopt platform which will declare their
financial views beyond question. II the
Bay City ticket Is not respectable" from
the sound money point of view, q state
ticket will be named as WELL The SOUND
money men do not hope to elect anything.
but their purpose is to afford an ESCAPE for
the sound money democrats on election
day.
The silver sentiment in the state ia st,n
strong. but 1t Is perceptibly waning in some
quarters, and reports from other Sections
are TO the effect that it has passed high
water mark and is going down. The finan-
clal question Is the only topic discussed at
.,, IaIners plcn1cs, which are now ripe, and
VIII pc tne leading topic at the county and
district fairs. eAAAA