Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1896-07-25
THE OUTLOOK.
Every Probability of Bolt Among
the PopuhStS-
THE GOSSIP ABOUT THE CONVENTION
No Platform Yet Decided Upon-Au Oner
to Senator Peffer-Nissouri Delegation
Against Pryan-Breidenthai's yicto-
ry-Direct Legislative League.

was held five weeks ago, and the lat
ter in Music hall, where Grover Cleve-
land was renominated in 1855 Inter
est in the silver ton has been
-eclipsed by the bitter struggle among
the populists over the question of
nominating or indorsing- Bryan The
programme of the silve convention is
cut and dried. There is no division of
sen timent. Congressman Francis New
lands, of Nevada. will be temporary
chairman and William P. st. John, the
New York banker. permanent chair
man. They will deliver their speeches,
a platform of single plank in favor
of the free coinage of silver at sixteen
to one will be adopted, Bryan and
Sewall will be Endorsed and the con-
vention will adjourn.
The populists, on the other hand. are
rent and torn by internal dissensions,
and the contending factions will
plunge Immediately into a fierce and
determined fight, which may be pro-
longed for four or five days, and which,
from present indications, will proba-
bly, result in bolt, no matter which
faction prevails. The Bryan men still
appear to be in control, and the lead
ers are very confident that they are in
the majority. Practically all The
trained and experienced generals are
vice and counsel of Senator Jones and
the shrewd democratic managers who
are vigilantly watching every point in
the battle, and able allies in the re-
publican silver boilers and the dele
gates to the silver convention. They
have very thorough organi cation for
systematic and effective work. Yes
terday they were rein forced by the ar
rival of Bryan populist shouters from
Il
$50 energetic populist workers from
Kansas, and many other parts of the
west.
The National Reform Press associa-
ton is backing the middle-of-the-road
delegates with all the power it pos
sesses. Cyclone" Davis has prepared
a resolution, which he said he would
offer, declaring that in order to defeat
Mckinley and the gold standard the
populists should agree upon common
electors Paul Vandervoort, of Ne
braska, and Eugene V. Debs are about
the only names canvassed since Con-
gresham Towne. of Minnesota, arrived
and announced himself for Bryan. AL
though Bryan managers seem conf
dent of success. they are by no means
out of the woods. The compromise
propositions pressed upon them are the
principal source of their anxiety.
Senator Marion Butler, of North
Carolina, is essaying the role of COM
promiser All his energies are bent in
that direction. He believes that both
factions could be harmonized and the
integrity of the populistic organiza-
ton preserved by the adoption of a
populist platform, division of electors
in certain states and the nomination
of Bryan for president and a southern
populist for vice president He claims
that at a meeting of represen tatives
of all the southern states yesterday
there was unanimous agreement upon
this compromise and that it will have
behind it ASS votes from the south.
The Bryan men assert that this is
utterly impracticable and the demo-
cratic managers refuse to listen to any
proposition involving the withdrawal
of Sewall- The latter say they are
firmly convinced that three-quarters of
the populists of the north and west
and many in the south will vote the
Chicago ticket on the issue presented,
no matter what this convention does.
Altogether, sizing the situation up, it
seems reasonably certain that Bryan
will be Endorsed. Beyond that moth
ing can be safely predicted
A resolution will be introduced in
the convention to make the field daisy
the mblem of the populist party.
The meeting of the national commit
tee yesterday selected Senator Butler,
of North Carolina, for temporary
chairman. He was put forward
compromise and will be accepted by
the Bryan people. but there is vague
talk that he will be opposed by the
smiddle-of-the-roadd delegates
NO PLATFORM AS YET.
ST. LOUIS. July 22.-While there are
many platforms floating around there
appears to be comparatively little crys-
utilization of ideas 1t is generally
conceded, however, that the lines of
the Omaha platform will be closely
followed; that the money, transporta-
ton and bond questions will receive
their chief attention. The convention
will demand that the government shall
control railroads, that silver shall be
coined free and in quantities limited
only by the supply, that the govern
ment shall issue sufficient supply of
paper money to supply the demands of
business, and that the national banks
shall be abolished 1t is believed that
the sub-treasury scheme will be
dropped
AN OFFER TO SENATOR PETER
ST. LOUIS, July 2a-Texas attempt
yesterday by proposing to make United
States Senator William A PETER the
populist nominee for president A
dozen or more of the Texas delegation
made friendly call upon the senator
and tried to persuade him to join the
-anti-Bryan movement, and an in