Evening star., 1896-08-05
TO SHELVE WATSON
Little Likelihood Of Agreement Be-
tween Him and the Democrats.
WORKING FOR FUSION IN TEE WEST
Bryan Could Not Stand on the
Ticket With the Georgian.
POPULISTS WILL DIVIDE

The readiness with which Watson Of
Georgia accepted as authentic the interview
which represented Senator Jones as speak
ing contemptuously of southern populists
is regarded as indicating very clearly that
Watson Is eager to find a cause of COM
plant. The belief that Mr. Jones spoke
harshly of southern populists seems to be
more acceptable to Watson than is Jones'
denial. The fact is that there is very little
possibility Of an amicable understanding
being reached between Mr.. Watson and the
democrats. Nor has there been at any time
a prospect of agreement. Mr.. Watson has
from the first opposed all propositions Of
fusion, and all his influence at the populist
convention, exercised through his friends,
was in aItagonism to fusion.
Why He Took the Nomination.
1t is well understood that his acceptance
Of the vice presidential nomination was
inspired by nc other motive than that Of
preventing the nomination of some other
man who might afterward be induced to
retire In the interests Of the straight demo-
cratic ticket. 1t is thoroughly understood
that Mr.. Watson means war on Bryan,
and that whatever Is done toward bringing
the populists and democrats together in
the south must be done in the face of this
in Georgia is great, and how far his in
1uence extends through the south general
ly is problematical. 1t becomes more ap-
parent every day to those who are in touch
with the situation that a faction OF the
populists intend to run an Independent pop
ulist candidate for President. Apparently
the only idea the democrats have in connec-
ton with fusion Is to gather in all the
populSt support they can by state fuSionS
while the Watson wing of the populsts are
held in suspense. the hope being that by
the time Mr.. Watson's friends formally
decide to put presidential candidate In
the field the populists in those sections
where their vote Is most desired would
be thoroughly committed to the Bryan
ticket, the fusion of local tickets and the
electors in each state having been formally
decided upon.
The Plan Now.
The belief is that no possible arrange
ment could be made which would induce
Watson to support the democratic ticket,
and the only thing left is for them to un-
dermine the young Georgian's position as
far as possible before he is given an excuse
for the active opposition to Bryan which he
coptemplates. The indications are that the
fusion will be accomplished in most of the
western populist strongholds and in some
of the southern states before any direct
effort is made to force an acceptance of
the populist nomination upon Bryan. When
ever Mr. Bryan is directly confronted with
this question, II he ever is, no doubt is en-
tertained that his answer will be practical
ly a repetition of the dispatch which he
sent to ST. Louis. No one familiar with the
inside situation has the least idea that Mr..
Bryan will take any position which would
amount to the abandonment of nor in the
least ways embarass Mr.. Sewall.
Bryan Could Not Run With Watson.
There is no possibility of his running on
ticket with Watson without compromls-
ing Sewall. and, therefore, the ordinary
ethics of the case render it impossible for
him to accept the nomination with Watson.
1t is believed, moreover, that wherever
there there Is division of electors between
the populists and the democrats it will be
the full understanding that the populist
electors, as we'll as the democrats, will vote
for the straight democratic silver ticket 1t
Is believed that by the time the campaign
Is well on Mr.. Watson will have placed
himself IN such relationship toward Bryan
as to make 1t an absurdity to even think of
their running on the same ticket. The an
tagonism between the Watson faction and
the democrats will probably be SO well de-
fined before plan for notification could be
decided on that Bryan will never be for
mally notified Of his nomination on a ticket
with Watson, but that the populists will
divide by general consent under the pres
sure Of circumstances into two distinct fac
tions-one for Watson and one for Bryan.