The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-07-22
AND TORN
PoPULIsT PARTY ALMOST ON THE
VERGE OF DISRUPTION.
No Matter which Faction Is Success
full at st. Louis, n Bolt Cannot
BE Prevented.
CONVENTION TO OPEN TO-DAY
SENATOR MARION BUTLER NAMED
FOR TEMPORARY CHAIRMAN.
Newlands and ST. John to Preside
over the SILVER Bryan Meeting,
Which Also Convenes To-Day.
CLAIMS OF THE FACTIONS
MUCH NOISE MADE BY THE MIDDLE-
OF-THE-ROAD MEN,
Who Still Wildly and Loudly Assert
They Have Big Majority
of the Delegates.
BRYANITES WELL ORGANIZED
AND CONFIDENT OF EASILY DE-
FEATING THEIR OPPONENTS.
Endorsement of the "Boy Orator"
Probable, but sewaH Mny Be Left
Out i'm the Cold.
Who Still Wildly and Loudly Assert
They Have Big Majority
of the Delegates.
BRYANITES WELL ORGANIZED
AND CONFIDENT OF EASILY DE-
FEATING THEIR OPPONENTS.
Endorsement of the "Boy Orator.
Probable, but Sewnn May Be Left
Out I'm the Cold.

LOC1S, july 2l.-Ine POpullSL ana
silver conventions convene tomorrow. the
former in the hall in which the Republic
an national convention was held live weeks
ago and the latter in Music Hall. where
Grover Cleveland was renominated in 1855.
Interest in the silver convention has been
completely eclipsed by the bitter struggle
among the Populists over nominati ting or
indorsing Bryan.
The programme of the silver convention
is cut and dried. There is no division of
sentiment Congressman Francis New
lands. of Nevada, will be temporary chair
man and William p. ST. John, the New
York banker, permanent chairman. They
will deliver their speeches, platform of
a single plank in favor of the free coin
age of silver at IS to / will be adopted
Bryan and Sewdll will be indorsed and the
convention will adjourn.
The Populists, on the other hand. are
rent and torn by internal dissensions and
the contending factions will plunge imme-
diatey into a fierce and determined fight
which may be prolonged for four or five
days, and which. from present indications,
will probably result in a bolt no matter
which faction prevails. The heterogeneous
composition of the convention. comprising
as it does many whose opinions all
questions seem TO be diametrically opposed
and who hold and advocate those opinions
with a bulldog tenacity that neither argu-
ment nor suason seems able to shake, the
conflicting interests and the conditions that
hedge the situation about would stagger
the oldest political prophet were he TO at
tempt to forecast the result with anything
like detail.
The Bryan men still appear to be in con-
troll and the leaders are very confident
that they are in the majority. Practically
all the trained and experienced generals
are aligned with them, they have the adj
vice and counsel of Senator Jones and the
shrewd Democratic managers who are dill
gently waiting every point in the battle.
and able allies in the silver boilers and the
delegates TO the silver convention. They
have a very thorough organization for sys-
tematic and effective work. To-day they
were reinforced by the arrival of 200 Bryan
Populist shouters from Nebraska, headed
by Governor IIocomb. $50 energetic Popu-
list workers from Kansas and many from
other parts of the West. They are press
ing on the mfdde-of-the-road delegates
the view that the situation presents the
single issue Mckinley Bryan; that the
Western Populists insist on grasping the
opportunity. TO vote on the silver issue
where their votes will count, and failure
to nominate Bryan will split the party
wide open and cause dissensions that will
never heal. They confront the Southern
delegates and scattering squads from other
sections. who want to keep In the middle
of the road and have mo truck" as some
of them express it, with either of the par
ties. especially the Democratic party, with
which they have been at war.
A DISORGANIZED CROWD.
While strong of conviction and vocferous
i'm their determination that they will never
surrender the mddle-of-the-road delegates
are practically a disorganiZed crowd. They
keep up great deal of enthusiasm at their
meetings and loudly claim as high as six
hundred majority in the convention. The
hotel corridors ring with their oratory and
the applause of their followers, but their
claims of victory cannot be argued out on
paper unless in the final contest those who
insist on compromise should side with
them. u certain quarters. however they
appear to have unquestionably gained
strength. In Washington State, for in
stance, out of seventeen Bryan men who
came in the delegation they claim to have
captured all but two. They argue that
they have disrupted both the old political
party rule they will be able to sweep the
country.
Their meetings are the feature OF the con-
vention thus far AT the meeting to-day
some one raised the cry that a man named
Silas Ross. of Buffalo. was here in the
interest of the Republican managers to
prevent the Endorsement of Bryan and a
fight was only averted by the discovery
that the man at whom the assault was lev,
eled was some one else. The National Re-
form Press Association is backing the
middle of-the-road delegates with all the
power IL possesses. Altogether. they are
making deafening noise. which, as Sena-
tor Allen said, creates impression of
numbers and strength. IA few frogs in a
pond" said he. can make the night weary
with their bellowing.' =
Despite the wild claims OF the shouters
ii was apparent to-day that some of their
leaders were weakening. They were talk
ing in more temperate strain and were
suggesting compromises as the best way
out OF the tangls. Cyclone" Davis. for In