, 1896-07-17
ENDORSEMENT NOT SURE
THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD Eel
LOWS ARE MAKING STRONG
ARGUMENTS.
They Fear if They Endorse Bryan They
Will Lose Their Identity as a Ma
tional Party and That They viii
Get Il Net Result of Absolutely
Nothing.

Get Il Net Result of Absolutely
Nothing.
ST. Louis, July l6.-According to in
terviews had by a representative of the
Associated Press tonight with a num-
Der of prominent populists and silver
men from differcn; parts of The country.
the consensus Of opinion seemed to be
that the onventions which meet here
on the 22d will not work in unison. as
had been expected. They will not be
able to agree as to the selection of a
presidential candidate. Silver men
seem to be unanimous for the nominee
of the Chicago convention, while the
populists o here want a distinctly
early to predict what the conventions
will do, for only a few of the number
of delegates expected are here.
The middle of the road" populists
are making a strong fight against eth
er the indorsement of Bryan and the
Chicago platform or the nomination of
the Nebraskan on a pOpulist platform.
They are much encouraged over the
acton of the Arkansas populist con-
vention which yesterday refused to in
dorse Bryan, and they popose to crys-
talize the anti-Bryan sentiment by a
public meeting of the middle of the
road" follows Sunday afternoon, when
the campaign against him will be OPP
ened. All delegates and populists who
want a separate ticket and an indie
pendent populist organization are ex-
pected to be present. Chairman Tau
beneck of the peoples party national
committee heads the middle of the
road" section of the party, and with
him are associated those who signed
the manifesto issued after the republic
can convention declaring for Teller for
president.
Sergeant-at-Arms Mcdowell, who
went to Little Rock to present an argu-
ment against the Endorsement of Bry-
an, returned today and reported his
success. The position presented by
Mr.. Mcdowell to the convention was in
the form of an address reviewing the
two sides of the question of indorse-
ment of the democratic ticket.
1t is stated hat in order to restore
silver to its lawful place and make
combination with the democrats the
populists must do one of two things.
First-Indorse the democratic ticket
nominated at Chicago and merge into
the democratic party; or. second. nomi.
nate a ticket of their own and enter in
to an agreement with the democrats on
one set of electors. The address then
says: IF the first policy is pursued
the peoples party will lose it's identity
and become an annex to the democratic
party.
whenever one party indorses the
national ticket of another it has no
further excuse to exist.
"All the state. congressional, legis-
lative and county candidates in the
ptoIlIt . party Will I!it tctDJ Oh Il
few western states will have to resign.
because it would be impossible for the
populist candidates to make a fight
for their local tickets, when the party
nationally indorsese the Chicago nomi-
nees.
THE popnlist and silver parties will
lose their organization. and they will
go to pieces after the November cleo
ton and become a part of the demo-
cratic machine.
"The populist press. which is a pow
erful factor with an organization be-
hind it, would disappear, and be dis
placed by a democratic press and the
populist editors turned down.
SHOULD the populist party indorse
the democratic nominees and the ticket
is successful at the polls next Novem-
Der. the populists would not be in a DO
sition to demand anything except what
a democratic administration may dole
out to them.
IF the ~populist and silver parties
merge into the democratic party, the
democratic administration will carry
out the democratic platform as regards
paper money redeemable in coin, and
no more. while other reforms demand
ed by the populists will have to wait
until another new party forces an old
n to make them, as the populist party
has now forced the democratic party
to take up the money question.
IF the poulist convention indorses
Bryan it cannot deliver more than &C
per cent Of the peoples party voters to
the democratic candidate. The disaf-
lection cause by such a curse will keep