The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1896-08-05
TOM WATSON'S VIEWS.
HE ASKS SEWALL TO WITH
DRAW.
Rival Nominee Thinks the Maine
Man Should Step Aside

Atlanta, Ca, July 30.-Thomas e. Wat
sons paper, which was-issued today, has
several editorials written by the Popu-
list candidate for vice-president, some
signed with his full name and some with
his initials. Speaking of the nomina-
tion in little note addressed to his
friends, Mr.. Watson says:
God knows he did not seek this nomi-
nation nor desire 1t. His motive in with
drawing his statement that he would not
accept and thus leaving the convention at
liberty to use his name, was to save the
party from the crisis which the Demo-
cratic fusion program had brought upon
it.
In another editorial headed care We
Tricked?" he recites the fact that Senator
Allen has been appointed chairman OF a
committee to notify Bryan, and says any
attempt to neglect this duty would be
dishonorable and would not be tolerated
by the party. A resort to trickery, he
says, would hurt Mr.. Bryan. It contin-
ueS:
1t is by no means certain that the Geor-
gia Populist convention, which meets
Aug. 6, will indorse what the St. Louis
convention did. There are murmurs of
discomfort along the line, and if Mr..
Sevall declines to withdraw for harmo-
ny's sake the rank and file of our party
may break away from the leaders and
refuse to vote for Mr.. Bryan at all.
Therefore, my own opinion is that we
had. better go slow until the atmosphere
clears itself little.
II the alleged free silver Democrats
insist upon running Mr.. Sewall against
Mr.. Watson they will thereby prove that
the real purpose they had in view when
they adopted a populist platform at Chi
cago was to destroy the Peoples party.
If they are honest in their clamor for free
silver they will retire the millionaire
candidate from the East and accept the
Populist nominee from the South, and
thus unite the silver forces without de-
stroying either the Democratic OF the
Populist party.
----- In his leading editoriaa, signed by him-
self, Mr. Watson says: -e-s-@ks- y.
There will be disappointment through
out the ranks of the Peoples party at
the failure Of our national convention to
nominate middle-of-the-road ticket.
The position of this party upon that
question has not changed. We thought
O0lOI0 Tue convention met, anu we LQIu X
now, that the welfare of our party and
, the principles it represents, demanded
that we nominate our own ticket and put
upon that ticket two Populists, tried and
true. The vice presidential nominee
having been chosen Mr.. Bryan was then
named for president by an overwhelming
majority, and this itself shows what ex-
treme peril our party is in. Had Bryan's
nomination come first his victory would
probably have carried Sewall through
also. 1t was exceedingly shrewd in the
Populist managers to force the vice pre-
sidential vote first. To that act the Peo-
ple's party owes it's life today. In going
outside their own party to name presi-
Dental candidate the Populists have
given the highest proof of fine and
patriotic desire to unite the silver forces
Their conduct has been generous to the
extent without precedent. If now the
Democratic managers should refuse to
make any concessions at all, it would
show that our efforts toward unity have
been thrown away.