The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-10-24

republicans. The populist blood is up
because of the failure of the fusion
scheme, and they want revenge on the
democrats.
The resolution Withdrawing the elect
ors, reads as follows
Whereas, The democratic party of this
state have persistently rejected all Of
fers of an honorable fusion with the peo-
pies party upon the electoral ticket,
therefore
Resolved, That the electoral ticket of
the peoples party of the state of Geor-
gia is hereby withdrawn, Oct 49, 1896
John D. Cunningham,
James l.. Sibley,
William L. Peek,
l.. L. Clement,
William +. Garter,
Special Committee.
Mr.. Watson knew what the committee
was going to do and it is presumed that
he approves of it's action He has not, at
least, opposed it. He was shown a copy
Of the resolution as it was passed in Nash
Vile this morning by Committeeman Reed,
who went there to see him last night. Be-
fore the committee took action telegram
was received from Mr.. Reed, which was
the signal for action.
After Withdrawing the electors the pop
ulist committee, which had been left in
charge Of the situation by the regular
state executive committee last Tuesday,
with plenary powers to conclude negotia-
tions for fusion, adjourned sine die and
the members all returned to their homes
tonight.
member of the committee however
stated tonight, before leaving, that the
executive committee of the populist party
might be gotten together again and put
back six electors if the democrats should
yet come to terms on the fusion PROPOSE
tion proposed This would indicate that
the popusts have not yet completely lost
hope and their action to-day might be
construed as the last resort to bring the
democrats to the fusion programme.
There is every indication, however, that
fusion between the democrats and popu-
lists is still without the range of proba
bilities so far as the democratic commit
tee is concerned. The democratic com
mittee has not only never had any au-
thority to consummate any such transac-
tion, but it has in addition been over
whemingly against the policy since II was
first suggested.
The populists claim that their action
puts Georgia on the list of doubtful
states, with the chances in favor of Nc
Kinley carrying it. They have a strength,
they claim, of 1000 votes, as shown by the
recent state election, Wright, their candi-
date, receiving, S6000 There are, accord
ing to their figures, over 10000 negroes reg
istered in the state, and with the populist
vote added to these for Mckinley they cal
culate that they will get at least 10000
out of a total registration that will not
exceed 100000. From these calcula tions,
it will, therefore, be seen that the popu-
lists calculate that Mckinley, by their
aid, will carry Georgia by 10000 votes.
There is another side to the story, how
~ IT, II H@a he
forces They believe that a majority Of
the Georgia populists will vote for the
democratic electoral ticket instead of ally
ing themselves with the republicans, and
thus swell the democratic majority. The
populist leaders say that while they might
have secured plurality for the Bryan
and Watson ticket in the state, under
our peculiar law, which would throw the
election into the legislature in the event
that no ticket received a majority, they
hand no chance. Therefore, they pre-
ferred to have no ticket in the field at all
rather than that Watson should be de-
feated. They believe that their action
will have a decided effect
upon the action of other states, and that
the total result will be the defeat of
Bryan.
one of the committeeman speaking Of the
action otter the meeting this afternoon,
said: IF the democrats had agreed to
give Mr.. Watson the vote of his home
state we would have been satisfied. When
Messrs Howell, Hunt and Robertson went
down to Thomson tc see Mr.. Watson last
week, our understanding was that this
had been agreed to by them as the repre-
sentatives of their party. Committeeman
Reed and Washburne came from Chicago
to see Mr. Watson on the same subject,
and IL was agreed that Mr. Washburne
should return to Chicago to present these
propositions to Chairman Jones Of the ma
tional democratic committee. These prop
oeitions referred to a division of the con-
qressrnen IN Georgia, Tennessee and Kan
sas We wanted three congressman in this
state and two in Tennessee, and similar
concessions in Kansas. Chairman Jones
had already brought influence to bear to
bring down thirty democratic congressman
in the west and we felt that he could do
this II he wanted to. We would have been
willing to surrender the congressman.
however IN a pinch II we
could have secured the electors of Geor-
gia for Mr.. Watson as a compliment to
him from his own state. Mr.. Washburne
telegraphed our committee on Tuesday
that Chairman Jones had agreed to this
part Of the proposition and was favora-
bly, considering the others. He asks that
we take no action until further notice
Mr.. Watson was also requested not to
publish his letter to Chairman Butler.
This was agreed to and we were led to
believe that everything was going through
smoothly.
Yesterday Chairman Jones tolegraphed
to Committeeman Clark Howell. who was
him here, that the demo-
tion we had made. Mr. Howell replied
that we did not pronose fusion iiit a attr