The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1896-07-23
A CLASH OF THE FACTIONS.
A Meeting Looking to Il Compromise Re
sultad in Wider Separation.

st. Louis, July 20.-The chance for
compromise has disappeared. 1t met its
fate in the Bryan camp, where it was
smothered beyond resurrection, apparent
y. The compromise proposition looking
to the retention of Mr.. Bryan at the head
of the ticket and substituting Populist
for Mr.. Sewall for vice president was
sprung in the still hours of the morning
in promiscuous gathering of party lead
ers. 1t was afterwards adopted by lead
ers of the national executive committee
and exploited by them as means of unit
ing all factions The southern delegates
accepted the scheme with avidity on the
theory that it would aid them in maintain
ing the entirety of the party, for which
they have held out so vigorously.
The Bryan people did not adopt the
suggestion. They had no sooner heard
of it than n Bryan meeting was called
which, in the forcible language of one
who attended it, proceeded to immediate
ly jump on it with both feet" This brief
meeting and the one which followed be-
tween representatives Of the Bryan ele-
ment and the executive committee consti-
tuted the important events of the day.
The results of these meetings is u prob
able split in the party, and the likelihood
of endorsing Bryan and nominating an
other candidate than Sewall for vice pres
luenl VIII nave W Dc louSut ouI III thc
convention.
While the meeting was in progress a
telegram was received from the execu-
tive committee asking that representatives,
of that meeting meet the executive officers
for conference on the compromise prop
osition. This request was acceded to,
and Messrs. Weaver, Patterson and Stew
art were dispatched for that purpose. The
joint meeting was a most spirited one, re-
sulting in Il short clash between the two
factions. 1t was the first time the is
sues had been joined and there was no
mncing of words on either side.
Messrs. Davis of Texas and Donnelly
of Minnesota stood out stiflly for the COM
promise, and declared that if the Bryan
people could not be satisfied with this
proposition it would be necessary to take
the contest into the convention, which,
they claimed, would present a spectacle
us humiliating to the Popuist party as it
would be cdifying to its enemies. They
asserted it would be impossible to secure
the assent of the rank and file to an I'M
qualified endorsement of the entire Demo-
cratic ticket, and that complete surren-
der would inevitably result in the dislnte-
grafton and ACKNOWLEDGMENT of the party.
This they declared they would never per-
nit without struggle to the bitter end.
| On the other side Messrs. Weaver, Pat
tcrson and Stewart spoke, and they met
the assertions of their antagonists with the
statement that the party could only be
maintained by falling in line with another
party which had already so many OF the
Populist principles and nominated candi-
dates SO friendly to those principles. They
maintained that the opportunity was one
| which probably would never be again
presented to secure the success OF Popu-
| list principles They contended it was a
| patriotic duty to accept the Democratic
| nominees; that wise party policy demand
ed this course. and that If the opportunity
| was lost and Bryan defeated and the
country continued upon the gold standard
platform the irrec0nciiablcs alone would
| be to blame. Furthermore, they declared
| that the. responsibility should be placed
where it belonged, and that the country
should know the facts regardless OF indi-
vidua sensibilities. They asserted that
whatever course the Populist convention
might pursue the voters of the party,
| who were looking more to the relief for
distress than for the advancement OF the
personal ambitions of any man would sup
port Bryan and Sewall They announce
Mr.. Sewall as an acceptable candidate,
and declared that to attempt to dispute
him would lead to irreconciliable compli-
cations, prove impracticable, and place
both parties in a ridiculous attitude.