The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-08-11
CONVENTION DAY AHEAD OF TINT
Ohio Populists Feared . Democratic Fusion
Trap and Organized straiEhtMay.

Ohio PopuIists Feared q Democratic Fusion
Trap and Organized strniEhtwaJ.
COLUMBUS, O.. Aug. 10.-Political conventions
arc usually late in assembling, but the Populist
State Convention was one day ahead Of schedule
time. The printed programme did not provide
for any session to-day further than that the dis
trict meetings should be held.
National Chairman Towne of the Silver Re-
publican party was billed for a speech hero
tonight and the Populist brethren were invited
to attend, but it was regarded by the Populists
ms a part of a scheme to entrap them. and they ar
ranged to hold q rival meeting. The two meet
inRs were held, the Towne meeting at the Au-
ditorium. and the Populist open-air meeting was
held in the State yard, being addressed by w. S.
Morgan of Arkansas, Secretary of the Nashville
Reorganization of the Populists, and
Jacob S. Coxey.
When the Middle-of-the-Road Populists ar
rived here to-day and found there was to be no
dignant, and insisted, that the preliminary SEES
sion be held and the business expedited. SO that
The pressure brought to bear upon Chairman
Fitzsimmons was so great that he caused the
for 2 O'clock this Afternoon.
The middle-ot-the.road people said that they
were in the majority and they. did not intend to
allow the time for the Fusionists and Demo-
cratic leaders who were working for such a re-
suit, to do any missionary work;
Az IL DltGlllk u IN StttC III oulLl
tee the anti.fusionists captured the temporary
organization. John Seitz of Tifin being selected
as temporary Chairman. In his speech Mr..
Seitz said the question. for the convention
to determine was whether the convention
would endorse the Democratic State ticket or
place q ticket of its own in nomination. He adj
vised the latter course, and the delegates re-
sponded in q chorus which shook the building
that there would be no fusion this year.
The convention then adjourned to allow the
various committees to meet and perform their
work. All sorts of sensational charges were
made during the day, but they were general in
their nature and not specific.
The anti-fusionists charged that the Demo-
Gratis were spending money to bring akout fu-
sion, and to meet this charge the story was
started that a prominent northern Ohio Popu-
list had a letter in his possession from ono
of Senator Hanna's managers in which he had
offered $50 and his expenses to come to Column
bus and work against fusion with the Demo-
Gratis. the amount to BIO increased if the plan
was successful. The report had 1t that Major
Dick had made this offer, but no one could be
found who would thus implicate Major Dick.
Tho convention will meet tomorrow morning
at 8 o'clock. The middle-of-the.road element Is
in absolute control and a full State ticket will
be placed in the field.
Fusion would have been more likely to have
carried had John r. Mclean not been a candi-
date for the United States Senator. Coxey and
Chairman SeitZ are both mentioned in connec-
ton with the gubernatorial nomination. CoXey
Is here loaded down with all sorts of literature
relating to his schemes.