The San Francisco call., 1896-07-20

except one OF their own number. They 90
not object to Bryan on personal grounds.
They say he is ''good enough Populist for
us, but we have equally acceptable men in
our ranks" Perhaps when Senator Jones
of Arkansas arrives he may be sufficiently
influential with the leaders to bring them
into line. but it is doubtful
General Weaver of Iowa believes the
nomination of Bryan the eminertly
proper course for the convention to follow.
He believes it would unite the party to
give the voters something to work for, be-
cause Ills nomination by both parties
would make his election a certainty. He
would also include Sewall in the nomina-
tion. He says there would be no incon-
sistency in Popullst support of Sewall,
who has been greenback Democrat
always. 1t is his belief that the Populists
will vote for Bryan, whether they nom-
mate him or not. In his opinion Bryan
will not only be elected, but he will carry
Iowa by handsome plurality.
The contention of Mr.. Taubeneck, chair
man of the National Committee, that
Bryan should not be nominated, is in
dorsed by some of the ablest men in the
party, who feel that such a course would
be suicidal. These say that the nomina-
tion OF Bryan is dictated largely by selfish
considerations; by men who hope to Sc
cure local preferment through the success
of the National ticket. General" ). S.
Coxey, OF Commonwealth fame. is another
OF the conspicuous Populists who canRot
be convinced that BTyan's nomination by
the party would be for the best interest
Coxey has no candidate, but he does not
want Bryan to secure the nomination.
1t is a curious fact that some of the
Southern Populists have been converted
from free traders to extreme protectionists
through their affiliations of late years with
the Republicans. While some of these
men place silver above the tariff as a Ma
tional issue. there are others who are un-
willing to give their support to a tariff
reformer, but say that as between the two
they would prefer Mckinley. Generally
speaking, however, the delegates care
nothing for the tariff. With them the all
absorbing question is more money-more
silver money. To secure this they will
make any sacrifice and go to any extreme
to defeat Mckinley and his hated "gold-
bug friends.
The Sabbath brought in but few arrivals
OF delegates to the convention, and fewer
of any note. Principal among them were
Reuben F. KoIb, the Populist candidate
for Governor of Alabama; j. s. Coxey of
Massillon, Ohio, famous for his "army"
that marched to Washington il 1894.
Senator Jones OF Arkansas, chairman of
the National Democratic Committee, was
expected to spend the day here, en- route
from Washington, and confer with Gov
ernor Stone, but he will not arrive until
tomorrow.
The published call for meeting at the
Lindell this afternoon in behalf of the
middle of the road" policy drew quite q
crowd of people, but Chairman Taube-
neck, by whose authority the announce
ment was supposed to have been made,
stated thatit had never been the intention
TO hold such meeting, so far as be knew.
At the middle OF the road'' headquarters
in the Laclede, however, a continuous
meeting went on all day and far into the
night Here was afforded an opportunity
for many who wanted TO talk TO express
their views on the questions for which the
Populist party stands. 1t was an open
game. apG the speakers were often COM
PEELED to answer or 'fence" questions
more or less disconcerting. The topics
discussed were the money question, direct
Government ownership of the
railroads, teIegraphs and telephones; re-
striction of the National banking methods
and the advocacy of the direct issue of
money to the people.
There are contests from but two
States to engage the attention OF
the Populist National Committee and
Convention Illinois and Colorado.
That from the tirst-named State involves
the seats of twenty-seven delegates from
Cook County-Chicago. The leaders are
DR.. Howard Taylor and Seymour S. Stead
man, and the contest between them is
said to be very bitter. The Taylor delega-
ton claims to be indorsed by the State
committee. One of the delegates is f.
B. Cantwell, leader in the Commonweal
Army. starting from Tacoma. Wash. AT
one time, it is said, Cantwell had 5000
men in his party. In making the trans
continental tour they captured fourteen
trains and several times were under ar
rest. The Steadman faction has prepared
series of Questions, among which is one
asking by whose authority the National
committeeman has said the convention
would indorse Mr.. Bryan or any other
man.
The Colorado contest promises to de-
velop into something interesting on the
floor of the convention. R. A. South
worth, chairman OF what is known as the
Waite delegation, says of the contest:
81 come from a very large State and the
railway fares range from cents to cents,
with maximum of 10 cents in the noun
tain districts. The only paper in Colo
RADIO claiming to be a Populist publlca-
tion is the Rocky Mountain News and it
was in this that the call for our State
Convention made its appearance. signed
by the chairman of the StaIe Central Com
mittee. Many of our people did not see
the notice and many were too poor to pay
the exorbitant railway fares charged.
Those who did come to the packed con-
vention came on passes. Governor Waite
announced that an appeal would be taken
from the decision to the st. Louis Conven-
ton. He further said that mass-meet-
ing of delegates would at once be held in
Plumbers Hall. Seventeen counties fol-
lowed Mr.. Waite from the hall and a mass
convention was held and delegates were