The morning times., 1896-08-18
WILL STAND BY WATSON
P0puIiSt Executive Committee
Loyal to the Candidate.
BIG MEN ASSEMBLE TODAY
Place of National Headquarters to Be
Selected-ChancesT That Chicago w Ill
BE Chosen, but Washington Has
Frtends-COmmittee Disc ussthe
Political Outlook.

The executive committee of the POpulist
party will meet today at noon at the Shore
ham. The Committee is composed OF nine
+ members who were appointed at the st.
Louis Convention and stands in the re-
latiOn to the party OF u campaign com
mittee.
Senator Marion Butler of North Carolina
is the chairman OF this committee. and was
expected in tie city last night. but up to
a late hour had not reported AT the tenn
porary headquarters OF the committee,
the ShOrehan Hotel.
There are Two OBJ ects which have brought
the connrttec to Washington. One IS the
selection Of u city for national headquarters
and the other is TO take sOne action with
reference 10 the tangIe arising out of the
fact OF there being two Vice Presidential
candidates. None of the committeeman
admit, however. that tire latter is u ma
terial point at issue.
As 10 the selection of a place it can al
most he predicted to a certainty that
Washington will not be chosen. notwith-
standing the fact that soILe OF tic Eastern
ana soIne of the Southern delegates are in
favor OF this city, and especially after the
choice made by Mr.. Bryan, that Chicago
is the proper point from which 10 direct
the proselyting of the Republicans of Hi
nois. Indiana. and Michigan to the free
silver doctrine.
ARE IGNORING WATSON
One of the Committee said Yesterday that
il would not do Tor the Populst executive
committee to bc anywhere else than where
the Democratic committee had its head
quarters. 1t is Il well understood fact.
he said, tnat at Chicago the whole force
OF the party which apparently follows
Chairman Jones is working solely in the
interest OF Scwail and are ignoring Mr.
Watson. Mr.. Jones. he said. mus; refncrn-
Der that Watson is the Nominee OF tie
Popniist party and the Pupulists are III
honor bound to support him.
Mr.. j. A. Edgerton, or Lincoln, Neb.. is
the secretary or the fopgiist executive
committee and he is disposed To regard
WatsoI's candidacy without regard to
SewllI's, but ne is decidedly OF the opin-
ion that Mr. Bryan viii De elected wher-
ever the committee makes its headquar-
ters. or whether there are two Vice Presi-
DENTAL nominees or not.
Mr.. Edgerton and Others Of the commit
tee would not talk on the subject OF the
choice between Watson and SewaIl other
than to 81 y that Watson was their nominee.
or rather the nominee 0t the st. Louis con-
ventiou The Impression IctS by what they
have to say is that it is not likely that any
kind OF suggestion would induce Mr.. Wat
son to withdraw.
THE fact having been published that Sem
ator Tilln:aD. who has been in New York
coBferring with the leaders Of the Bryan
Sewall combination. has visited Watson it
was inquired il this might rot be for the
purpose OF proposing certain terms to
Watson so as to clear the field for sewall
The members OF the committee would not
discuss this as they had 70 informant ton as
to what took place at the conference or
whether Tillman had any mission from.the
National Democratic Committee.
ITS POWERS LIMITED.
The committee alleges that it had no
power. even if it SO desired, TO take Mr..
Watson off the Populist ticket and adopt
Mr. Sewall as If tie were the choicr Of
the st. Louis convention. This function
belongs TO the National Fopulist ommitte,,
butt is admitted that whatever conclusions
the executive committee arrives at will
have great weight. iDasmuch as it is the
campaign committee.
1t has BOT been so stated, but il is te-
hcvcd that the executive committee came
here in order to have a talk over matters
with the National Democratic Committee.
which UP TO "a few days ago was slated
for headquarters at this place. One OF the
POpulIss committee has been in Washing
ton for several days and was here before
the announcement that the National Demo-
cratic Committee would take itself off TO
Chicago.
Ii there have been any conferences they
have beeD kept very quiet. At Democratic
Headquarters last night they said that the
Populist members now in town had not
called there. Mr.. EdgertoD was asked last
Dight if the committee would call at these
headquarters He said that If they did
so it would be only topay n call of courtesy
WILL REPLY TO JONES.
Mr Reed of the committee is supposed TO
represent Mr.. Watson's ideas. Mr.. Reed
regards the Populists strong enough in
Georgia TO play lone hand, as they have
always done, with their ninety-six thou
sand solid votes. The question of fusion
is not troubling them much as yet, the
chances now being for a straight Out fight
OF the Populists against the field. Mr..
Reed intimates reply to Chairman Jones,
who is credited with classifying the Pops
with the colored people by noting the fact
that the colored people have consistently
voted with the Democrats OF Chairman
Jones' stripe in all the elections in Georgia,
as the Republicans have not been running
straight tickets since the issue made up
between the Populists and the old line Dem
Ocrats, Tom Watson having stood with the
former and Senator Jones and his party
with the latter.
This apparently gives black eye to
Chairman Jones inuendo, the end Of which
is not yet. The committeeman in town
last night were Messrs Edgerton, Reed and
washburn OF Massachusetts.
1t was rumored that the campaign com
mittee woult(issue an address before 1T ad
journs in w1ch it will take coGnizance of
the alleged Statemenr of Chairman Jones
as to the chronological status of the Popu-
liotc of IN Snuth