The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-10-27
FAILURE OF STATE FUSION
REED ISSUES 4 STATEMENT ROAST
ING THE DEMOCRATS.

The Atlanta Constitution Accused
of Treating the POpuIists Unfafrl'
in Its Editorial Column s-Mr. Rect
Claims That the POpulist PROPOSE
ton was Not Considered Unfair
when National Chairman Jonc-
sent Clark Howell to Atlanta in
the Interest of Fusion.
Atlanta. Ga, Oct 26-Carrying out his
declara ton made to the Morning News
correspondent Saturday night upon his
arrival here from Nashville in company
with Hon. Tom Watson, II. W. Reed
populist national committeeman for Geor-
gia. to-day made statement placing the
responsibility for the failure of the late
attempts to bring about a fusion between
the democrats and populists on the cleo
toral ticket in this state. 1t is as fol-
lows:
Atlanta. Ca, oct %, 1S96.-To the Peo-
ple of Georgia: on Oct % I sent letter
to Mr.. Clark Howell. which reads as fol-
lows:
"NIr. Clark Howell, Managing Editor
Constitution, City.
Dear Sir The leading editorial in this
mornings Constitution, in its effort 10
place the responsibility for failure or the
electoral fusion in Georgia on the popu-
list state committee and the leaders Of
the populist party is so manifestly unjust,
and as YOU and your father both know,
so al variance with the facts, that l can
not think either you or he could have
written or inspired it. | hope, therefore,
that you will correct it at once, other
10, avrxrf f M h
lsh the full facts as you and he both
know them. Very very respectfully,
III w Reed,
Member Populist National Executive
Committee
/ have received no reply to that letter,
and shall proceed to give a plain state
ment of the facts. Mr. Howell is a mem>
Der of the democratic national executive
committee as well as managing editor or
the Constitution. Mr.. Howell was sent
to Georgia to effect fusion after the popu-
list state committee had made its propo
siton to the democratic state committee,
after Senator Jones had seen and aP-
proved the proposition and after a party
of distinguished democrats had visited
Mr.. Watson and consulted with him re-
garding it. All of this time no democrat
had discovered that the proposition was
either Offensive" or without an element
of fusion" If the proposition of the pop
ullStS was so unIdU ana SO OFFENSIVE
why did the chairman of the democratic
committee call his committee together TO
consider it? Why did three distinguished
democrats visit Mr. Watson? Why did
Chairman Jones request them to do so?
Why did they urge Chairman Jones to
meet the populist vice presidential cand!-
date in Atlanta? Why did Chairman Jones
delegate Clark Howell to come to
Atlanta? And if it was not to arrange
fusion why did Mr.. Howell come? Why
did he meet the members of the populist
national executive committee? Why did
he make a speech favoring fusion before
his state committee? Mr.. Howell knows
that 1t will take every populist vote in
several doubtful states to insure the cleo
ton of Mr.. Bryan. He knows that there
is disaffection in the populist ranks be-
cause the populsts have not been treated
to an honorable union, but are expected
TO surrender Internationally. He knows
that it is a difficult matter to convince
some populists that the same men and
party who killed free silver before will
not do it again. He knows that such pop
ulists demand from the democrats an
earnest of good faith in the shape of hon
orable terms of agreement. He knows
that Mr.. Washburne and 1 came to Geor-
gia to see Mr.. Watson and arrange
such an agreement as would be
approved by Mr.. Watson and Sem
6lOr Jones. he knows tnat when
we met him in Atlanta we had the out
lines Of such an agreement and that Mr.
Washburne was hurrying on to Chicago
TO consult Senator Jones. He knows that
] requested him to urge his state COM
mittee to await the determination of
the entire matter by Senator Jones and
Mr.. Washburne. He knows that I agreed
to carry out the same programme with
the populist committee. He knows that
] did my part and then he did not do his
He knows that his state committee re-
Jected overtures of fusion in a resolution
offered by himself and then adjourned
without replying to the populist commit
tee. He Knows that Chairman Jones con-
tinued TO urge that some fusion arrange
ment be made. He knows that he as
sured Senator Jones that Georgia was
safe for Bryan without fusion and that
Georgia leaders would not consider fu-
sion He knows that the failure of fusion
rests entirely with the democrats. AS a
member of the populist national executive
committee l repudiate the evasive and
unfair methods of the Constitution in
undertaking to throw the response
bility of failure of fusion upon
the populists, whose committee wait
ed for three whole days, at
my earnest solicitation, for the purpose of
reaching an agreement. And no one knows