The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1898-07-13
THE SILVER REPUBLICANS.
They Meet and Decide ON the Allot-
ment of Offices.

ment of Offices.
There was not a large gathering at the
meeting of the silver Republicans at the
New York Life building yesterday but
there was argument enough in the men,
bers to show plenty of steam when it found
expression. 1t never found expression until
the name Of L. J. Cation was mentioned, and
then when they had gone too far to re-
treat. some OF the members remembered
that there were newspaper men present,
and that an executive session was the
proper thing. They nad gone too far, how
ever, and the executive session idea did
not prevail.
All was very quiet at the outset. Many of
those present We're prospective candidates,
and when it was suggested that none OF
the conference committee be taken from
among these, the chairman remarked that
1t would be difficult to follow out that idea
Byron Sutherland had gone over to the
Democrats, and his resignation was ac-
cepted. p. H. Harris was added to the COM
mite of s.. The chairman appointed c. H.
Petit, e. S. Corser ]. E. Nash, T. J. Gray,
H. D. Stocker, Jr., John McAllister L. B.
Elwood, H. M. Parker and z. H. Harris as
a committee. 1t was hintel by motion that
this committee have full power to act on
the county ticket, but that the congress
sional should not be touched. This started
the trouble
An amendment was offered that the COM
mittee use its discretion on both county and
congressional tickets. There was also an
expression to the effect that the committee
should te left no discretion on the congress
sional matter. T. ]. Cation had been sprung
on the party by the mid-roaders, but 1t was
Republican plan, engineered by Donnelly
to force Cation on the Democratic and Sill
yer Republican minds, they claimed, and If
they would not take him, fusion would be
killed. The best way was not to indorse
Cation, but to rebuke the Populists by say
ing nothing about him at ALL although they
might vote for him individually.
Still another contingent wanted the COM
mittee instructed to indorse Cation. True
he had been forced upon them, but the
committee might indorse him and say to
the Populists that they must not take snap
judgment again, dire would be the re-
suit. The chairman had been worked up to
speak. He knew it was not his place to
take part in the discussion, but he felt he
must 1t was no Republican scheme, but
straight Populist plan to cram Cation down
the throats OF the Silver Republicans, and
he proposed that the Populists be rebuked
for their action. AS the discussion pro-
gressed it was shown that there was strong
opposition to Caton and the climax came
when Mr.. Harris took the floor and showed
that the committee should have it's own
way In the matter. Perhaps the Democrats
would not fall into the trap, and would re-
sist Cation, too. The committee could be
trusted to do Its work properly.
lie COAHltl6o undlly went u01QStruC1oQ.
Dr. Gray and H d. Stocker, Jr., were ap-
pointed committee to let the Democrats
know thai a committee conference was
appointed, and Messrs. Parker and Meal
lister were to perform the same good offices
to the Populists. Both parties were invited
to meet the silver men at room 226, New
York Life building, in the afternoon, and
the meeting adjourned.
THE CONFERENCE BEGINS
AT o'clock the committees from the
Democratic and Peoples parties appeared
at headquarters prepared to get down to
business. They went into executive
session at once, but there was some
friction over the congressional matter, and
the three committees withdrew to separate
rooms to make up their states and talk mat
terS over.
The Democratic committee had the whip
hand at first, and prepared an offer that it
thought was extra liberal. They would give
the Silver Republicans the judge of pro-
bate, a senator and representative in the
torty-first district, a representative in the
Fortythird, and in the Forty-fourth
To the Populists they allowed the county
attorney, coroner and superintendent of
schools, two representatives in the Thirty
ninth district, a senator and representative
in the Fortieth district, and a senator in
the Fortysecond. The Democrats withdrew
while the two other committees voted on
the proposition.
AS the conference between representa-
tives of the three parties progressed, it be-
came more apparent that agreement
could be reached. The Populists would not
bulge an inch in the matter of concessions
and insisted the Democrats ndorsing
Cation fer congress This the Democrats
refused to do.
AS result, the Democrats and Silver Re-
publicans withdrew, leaving the Populists
by themselves. The Democrats then practi-
cally decided to go ahead with the Silver
Republicans and ignore the Populists, which
they did, as shown in the detailed proceed