The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-09-02
|DAHO'S FALL CAMPAIGN
Democratic-Silver Republican
Fusion Will Sweep the State.
STEUNENBERG AT THE TOP
II by Any Chance q Single Goldbug Is
Elected the Calamity vii Be Due
to the Popuiists-Gold Re-
publicans Are Quiet.

Special Correspondence Of the Standard.
Boise, Idaho, Aug. 31.-The greatest
political contest in the history of Idaho
is over. Four conventions, each repre-
senting the cause OF silver, have met
here, n after a prolonged struggle,
a contest lasting seven days and nights,
two of them named the ticket hat will
be elected in this state on Nov. s. 1t
is the ticket nominated by the demo-
Gratis and silver republicans, with Hon.
Frank Steunenberg, the stalwart demo-
crat who has occupied the executive
chair for the past two years. at it's
head. The populists, who have, ever
since the party was given birth in
Idaho, howled loudest for silver. gave
evidence of their lukewarmness and the
other parties were forced to proceed
without them. 1t was feared by some
that the action of the populists woui
jeopardiZe the success of the fusion
ticket, but the best informed men dc
not doubt that every man on that
ticket will be elected by majorities
ranging from 5000 to 10, 900. The popu-
lists were controlled by a fiat money
element that has for months been
~zealously engaged in an effort to steer
the populistic craft of Idaho into the
middle of the stream. That element
has at last been successful. and il by
any chance eve one goldbug is elected
in this state, the responsibility for
such a calamity will rest with the pop
ulist party.
For four days the democratic leaders
labored Zealously in an effort to re-
unite the two populist factions so that
a harmonious fusion of the three silver
parties might ensue. but while both the
populist wings pretended to be anx-
ious for such an outcome, each took
action on various occasions that rem
dered it impossible. Each faction has
nominated a full ticket and their true
intentions will nave been thoroughly
exposed when the committees get to-
gether for the purpose of drawing down
certain nominees and forming one pop
ulist ticket.
The silver republicans are not wholly
without blame for the failure of the
populists to unite. There was a strong
element In that party, headed by w
e. Borah and Edgar Wilson, the flu
sion candidate for congress-, who OPP
posed fusion with the %populists to the
bitter end, and their actions lent great
support to the middle-of-the-road ele-
ment. Mr.. Borah had announced pub
licly his unalterable opposition to the
populists, while Mr.. Wilson worked
hand in glove with him, and both were
openly charged with having announced
prior to the conventions that they
would "do up the pops" However
that may be, the fact remains that the
populists stood out stubbornly to the
end, and they cannot now. with very
good grace, plead opposition on the
part of certain silver republican lead
ers as their xcu The democratic
convention was the great factor of the
proposed fusion, and II would have
taken care OF the silver republicans
had the populists exhibited any spirit
Of the right sort, any disposition 70
unite In the interests Of the whit
metal in order that assurance Of vic
tory for silver might be made doublS
sure and that there might be no pos
slbility of the goldbugs of the Las
ever pointing out that the people %
Idaho had repudiated that great prin
ciple.
Everyone expects there will be a red
hot campaign in Idaho this year.
will make the prediction that Ii viii
be a very tame old thing-it is TOT
much o~ne-sided. There is so little room
for argument that but little will b
said. M democratic n silver re
publican state central committees vii
meet here on the 10th Of September
at which time the general lines of tn
campaign will be laid. II Is not tn
intention. however, to go into the cam
paign with the elaborateness tina
would characterize a close contest
The two committees will select som
good speakers, however, and these, II
conjunction with the fusion candidates
will stump the state. The goldbu.
have kept very quiet sine
their convention, although II is sal
some of them had a hand in the popu
list Jackpot and hat the innuenc
exerted by them had a great deal I
i. do with the failure Of the general fu
sion programme. But this idea doe
not generally obtain. Even those VIII
q. have the more severely ~belabored tn
~populists since the conventions hav
hesitated TO charge them with consort
ing with the goldbugs.