Mexico weekly ledger., 1896-07-30
MIR. BRYAN STANDS FIRM.
The Democratic Presidential Nominee
Reiterates His Determination Not
to Accept the Populist Nomi-
nation Without SeWall.
From the st. Louis Republic.

TO Accept u MULTI
nation Without SeWall.
From the st. Louis Republic.
''Mr. Bryan will not run on the Pop
ulist ticket, without Mr.. SewaIl, even
If the convention dominates him."
This was the announcement that
Governor Stone of Missouri made to
Chairman Alien of the Peoples party
convention at the Auditorium during
the call of States while the votes for
the Presidential nominee was being
taken.
The Missouri Governor then called
Chairman Allen, Colonel Tom Patter-
son of Colorado and one OF two others
out of the convention hall, and to-
getber they held a conference in one
of the rooms under the north tier OF
seats that lasted probably a quarter OF
an hour. Senator Allen turned the
convention over to General Weaver
of Iowa, who presided in his absence.
When Senator Allen returned he
was visibly agitated. He said some
thing to General Weaver, presumably
as to the subject of the interview he
had had with Governor Stone, and inn
patiently resumed his seat as chair
man of the convention.
General Weaver was then called out
of the hall for a conference with Gov
| ernor Stone and others who had heard
what was going on. He remained in
conference with the Missouri Execu-
tive for nearly half In hour, and when
he returned it was evident that he had
heard something that was not to his
liking. He held a whispered confer
ence with the Nebraska Senator, dur
ing which both shook their heads neg
atlvely.
A CONVERSATION BY WIRE.
1t developed that Senator Jones oil
Arkansas, Chairman of. the Demo
cratic National Committee, had held q
conversation with Mr.. Bryan over
leased wire, and that the latter had
declined to u on the Populist ticket
| since the convention had failed &c
nominate Mr.. Sewall for Vice-Presi-
dent. The Geographic conversation
between st. Louis and Lincoln was OF
over an hours duration and consisted
of information as to what had been
done by the Populist convention as
| Chairman Jones had it, and questions
and answers by Mr.. Bryan.
Excerpts we're made from the con-
versation, giving the substance Of
what Mr.. Bryan said. These were
then handed by Chairman Jones to
Governor Stone, who hurried to the
| convention hall to inform Chairman
Allen and the leading members OF the
Populist party of Mr.. Bryan's decis-
ion, SO hal the convention could ACT
intelligently in the matter of the nom
nation of a presidential candidate,
That was evidently the motive thai
prompted the Missouri Governor tC
| go to the Auditorium, but it was evil
dent that Chairman Allen and the
Bryan men in the convention did moi
so construe it. The information an
gered them and they were mad al
| over.
AS soon as the motion could be de-
Gently put Chairman Allen suggested
that it would be a part of the duty Of
the convention to pass a resolution
| giving the National Committee of the
Peoples party plenary power to act
| after the convention adjourned i n or
der that the business of the party
could be carried on between nov ant
| election day. The chairman said he
would entertain a motion to that eff
feet, and some delegate put it at once
The delegates did not have the
slightest idea of what was going on
They had nc way of knowing that in
formation had reached the hall thai
Mr.. Bryan had positively declined tt
run without Sewall, and the motion
was carried without a dissenting vote
That placed the matter just where
Chairman Allen wanted it; it put the
National Committee in position tC
name a candidate in the event thai
Mr.. Bryan absolutely refused to run
on the Populist ticket when formally
notified by the regular Committee OF
Notification.
A minute after the motion to give
the National Committee plenary pow
or was carried General Weaver re-
turned from his conference with Gov
ernor Stone. lie was followed by two
or three messengers, who evidently
came from the conference Dol anG
scattered to every part of the hall
They were in quest of several mem
bers of the Populist party whose
presence was wanted in the room be
low. The friends of Bryan among the
Populists were fighting to keep the
information that he had again de-
clined to make the race without Sew
all from leaking out among the dele
gates.
THE NEWS SPREAD RAPIDLY.
But the messengers who had beer
sent to summon others to the confer
ence mad done the work. Some o
them talked too loud, and were over
heard by the delegates sitting neal
those who were wanted in the room
on the north side of the hall. Th'
news at once began to travel through
the convention, and in ten minuteI
stump Ashby had mounted a chail
away over in the Texas reservation
on the east side of the hall, and wa
demandingto know if a telegram from
Mr.. Bryan announcing that he woul'
not make the race was not on thu
chairman's table.
"There is not" impatiently an
swered Chairman Allen.
"Weil, has there been one there a
any time this afternoon" yelled bacl
the imperturable Ashby, bent OIL
knowing the truth, as he was there t.
defeat the nomination of Bryan If pos
sible.
Chairman Allen turned more i'm
patiently than ever, and answered:
"Nor has there been at any tim,