New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-07-22
THE DILEMMA AT ST. LOUIS.

The POpuliSts are in pickle either way.
According 70 their different leaders. they can
neither nominate Bryan nor oppose him without
destruction; they will be damned If they do
and damned If they don't" Taubeneck solemn
~ warns them that they Will only divide the
party and drive its voters out Of 1t II they take
the Democratic candidate, while PETER tells
them that they will have no voters left, because
all will 60 over to Bryan, If they do not make
him their candidate. Truly, II Is hard time
for party which. even at its best and big
gest, has scarcely enough voters to split.
A forma, nomination or even their indorse-
ment of Bryan as the Porulist candidate would
evidently have some consequences which neither
faction OF Populist leaders takes into consld-
Grafton That step would greatly weaken the
hold Of the Democratic nomination upon Demo-
cratic voters as the regular candidate OF their
party. 1t would go far to strengthen the claim
that the Chicago Convention was not actually
Democratic at ALL but was, in fact captured
by Populiste and Anarchists. and turned
against the party with deliberate intent to
break 1t down. Bryan himself had been bolt
or to POpullsm, and when he went to the Chi
cago Convention was not able to offer even
decent pretence of regularity. but as contest
ant was admitted on the ground that most or
the former Democrats in Nebraska had sup
ported the Populist ticket last year. The reg
ular or administration Democrats ran a sepa-
rate ticket, supporting 1t with much bitterness
OF feeling toward Bryan and the Popullsts ana
cast over $1,000 votes 70: 1t.
II cannot be doubted that all Democrats OF
the West who are not entirely swept of Their
feet by the Anarchistic and revolutionary ten
denotes which Altgeld represents regard with
peculiar dislike and fear the P0pulist crowd
which inflicted Waite on Colorado, and Lew
ellinc upon Kansao. and Altgeld upon Illinois;
and Democrats Of substance and character Will
be quite ger c,l!y Influenced to refuse their
support to the candidate whom the POpulists
md Anarchists nominate. But there Is already
eydrcce that n candidate so nominated will
also fai. to get the support of many Of the sil-
ycr Republicans, who expected to support Sem
ator Teller and to see him taken up as candi-
date by the Democrats Instead OF q Repub-
lican oe large experience and high standing,
and In the estimation Of silver men OF marked
ability. whose sacrifice in withdrawing from
the Republican party with n considerable body
Of friends wee expected to meet consideration,
the Democrats preferred young man of no ex-
perience. and no capacity except as careful
manufacturer Of striking phrases, which he re-
peats again and again in speeches which pur-
port to be unprepared. The recent talks OF the
Boy Orator have pricked the bubble of his
reputation and the rush Of Populisis to sup
port him as practically one Of their own num-
Der has much intensified the feeling which was
shown among Democrats against the choice Of
one who had not been faithful to their party.
But the nomination Of such a man By the Dem.
IN hn
thing Of al, others calculated to drive off the
Republicans who would have followed Mr..
Teller.
Thus it turns out that three OF the Senators
who were expected to be participants in the
silver bolt do not now appear as signers or the
Teller manifesto, and 1t Is stated that Senators
Cannon and Mitchell will support Mckinley,
while the silence of Senator Carter gives some
occasion for similar report. Another Sen
ator, Pettigrew. has gone over wholly to the
Populists. and his bad faith toward the people
who trusted his pledge and sent him to the Con-
vention does not incline them to follow In his
footsteps. In truth 1t would not be in the least
surprising if the nomination of Bryan by the
Populists should cut off fully half the support
which the silver boilers might nave command
ed. and at rhe same time should materially in
crease the number Of Democrats who Will Doll
their ticket outright, or fail to arrive ut the
polls to vote for it. Whether the Popullst In
dorsement can help the candidate more than
II will hurt him In these respects Is not SO clear
as some Of the fanatics at ST. Louis imagine.
Their principal trouble now Is with the South
ern States, in which there has been Intense
bitterness for years between the Democrats
and the Populists, and there 1t is admitted that
the fusion must cost some votes on both sincs
But 1t IS at the West that the fusion must gain
some strong Republican States If it is 10 win at
ALL and the managers ut ST Louis do not seem
to be calculating very accurately in regard to
their cha: CO. Of gaining Western votes.
V1NEZUELI'S OWN CASE