The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-08-04
A HOUSE OF CARDS.
Waves of Discord That Beat
PoPuLIsT PRIMARIES HELD
They Elect Delegates to Their County
Convention, to Be Held Next
Thursday.

The Pcpulisfs held primaries in this city
last evening between and 10 and elected
ss7 delegates 10 the county convention.
which meets in this city on THURSDAY.
Augus, S for the purpose Of selecting sn1r-
lynne delegates and la1Fty-nsns alter
mates TO represent King county In the
convention Of the Peoples party 81 the
state OF Washington at EsiSEs5arg on
August L. Considerable interest was
manifested In the primaries. but the re-
turns came in TOO late 10 give the names
OF those elected.
The vote cast last night was about twice
as large a. usual and nGcn more interest
was displayed There were virtually no
contests, although here and there a few
scattering votes were cast for lndlvlcu-
ais The indications az midnight were
that the delegates sent 10 the county con-
yenticn VII select delegates 10 the state
convention who Will favor Po2u..st can
didate for governor.
The Popalisgs seem 10 De badly divided
as TO the course they viii pursue in real
Jon 70 fusion with the Democrats and sill
Yer Republicans. One plan proposal - to
give the Democrats all the Federal pat
ronage, provided Bryan Is elected; TO give
the silver Republicans. or Goa-s. tie
United States senator, provided q fusion
legislature can be elected. and TO let the
Po2ullsts have the naming OF the state
ticket. They may. perhaps, allow a DEM
ocrauc name or two on il. This plan also
provides that the ticket shall be called the
Popalist ticket This latter plan Is strong
iy objected 10 by the Democrats.
majority OF the Popuilsts declare that
no matter who is nominated for presiden-
tial electors they must be pledged for Bry-
an and Watson. and not for Bryan and
Sewau- They say. too, that even If two
Popullsts. one Goat and one silver Demo-
crat are put up on the fusion Democratic
Popuaist-Goat ticket, each and every one
Of the four must be pledged 10 Bryan and
Watson or they VIII not receive the Pop-
ulisr vote.
The point Is also brought up that the
state law which provides that no eandi-
dates name shall appear on more than
one ticket Is imperative, so Tar as the
presidential electors and congressman are
concerned, for the reason that they are
United States officers and, therefore, not
subject 10 the laws Of the state which
govern elections. Therefore. il Is con-
tended, the names OF candidates for cleo
, tors and congressman can appear on more
than one ticket II IL is deemed expedient.
The single tax wing of the Populist par
~ generally favors fusion with the DEM
ocrats and Goats. Some OF the single tax
ers think that the nomination for govern
or should be given TO Democrat, and
that the Populists should nominate the
two congressman and some OF the more
important of the state officers. They wish
10 make the single tax idea an issue or
the Campaign.
Eugene Way. who was delegate to the
st. Louis Populist convention. and who
is prominent single tax advocate, does
not quite agree with some of the other
single tax men. He said: II favor a good
Peoples party man for governor. IN the
first place the Peoples party convention
Endorsed the head OF the national DEM
ocratic ticket and the distribution OF the
national patronage has thus been placed
in the hands OF a Delelocrat. il he is elect
ed and therefore / shall not further the
nomination OF any man who does not Ia
vor placing the patronage OF the state in
the hands of Peoples party man. The
Peoples party cast more votes tnan the
silver Republicans and silver Democrats
combined. which alone would entiue II
TO the head OF the ticket. As to the bal
ance OF the ticket / will abide by the de-
cision OF the Peoples party convention
and support their nominees. i am not In
favor OF any movement that viii sacrifice
any one OF the principles Of the Peoples
party"
who did not desire TO have his name men
toned said AS matter OF fact tie
Democrats and silver Republicans have
agreed upon James Hamilton Lewis for
governor They failed TO consult the Pop
ulists, and as far as ! know the latter
will probably put up ticket themselves
in opposition 10 the silver KepubIcans
and democrats. The rank and file of the
Populist party. however, are for fusion.
This combination between the silver men
and the Democrats may be knocked in the
head when the Democratic and Populisr
state conventions meet"
The rnfddle-of-the-road bombaZine whis-
kered Popullsss are almost trreconcila-
rr.fnxr favor an out-a usi-nut P0ratifzf
candfdate for governor. They would sup
port W. J. Caldwell, OF King: J. d. Me-
Lean OF Spokane. Farmer Todd. OF
Mason county; c. w. Young. of What
com. or Mayor Horace Belt, OF Spokane,
but are opposed TO James Hamilton Lewis.
OF King, or Thomas Carroll. OF Pierce. be-
cause they do not wish 10 have a Demo
crat at the head OF their ticket, nor do
they wish TO surrender the autonomy or
principles OF their party.
1t IS claimed by the niddle-of-the-road
Populists that a slate was put up a few
weeks ago by Eugene Way, Richard Win
sOr and John Hart which favored Far
mer'' Todd for governor While Way was
at the national convention in st. Louis a
new deal was fixed UP so as TO name
John Wiley for congressman. John Hart
for attorney general and Lewis for gcv-
ernor IL Is claimed that the INK and
nle Of the Popuiist party in this region
are opposed TO a deal OF this character,
and Will In many instances support the
Republican ticket or refuse altogether 10
vote. They say Hart Is all right. because
he has long been Populist.
From the above IL will be seen that the
combination OF Goats. silver Democrats
and Populists is Ike a house OF cards.
which a light breeze may topple over
There are so many 6iseordant elements
and so many interests 20 be conserved
that il viii be next 10 Impossible TO sat-
isfy al. and those who are beaten in the
primaries and conventions viii be sure 10
set their revenge at the polls