The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1898-04-13
Political situation in st. Paul.

~OAAAAN~
ment
Political situation in st. Paul.
We have had several letters addressed
vention occurred in st. Paul on April 4,
asking such questions as the following:
What effect has the nomination Of w.
W. Erwin on our party? Is w. w. Err
win a mid-road Populist? Is not Mr. Err
win a Republican? Why did the Pop
ulists fuse? Was it the mid-road dele
gates who bolted? Was it hit for or
against fusion? etc.
AS usual the daily papers published
misleading and confused reports Of the
convention which were subject to be
construed in almost any way that the
reader felt inclined to favor. l therefore
desire to state the case just as it hap
pened without any coloring.
There is in St. Paul an aggregation OF
Populists known as the Central Pop
ulist Club Of St. Paul" 1t is composed
of all shades of opinions from the most
ardent fusionist to the most radical anti
fusionist The club has been about
evenly divided in sentiment. At a recent
meeting the club decided by vote of II
to IA to appoint a committee Of 20 to
confer with other committees of citizen
Democrats, Silver Republicans, Demo-
Gratis, and Citizen party men, which were
more or less designated as reform par
ties The citizens Democratic conven-
ton was held on March 31st, and was
considered move evidently in favor
with the fusionists of the Peoples party.
At several meetings Of the Populist club
resolutions were passed instructing the
city committee of the Peoples party to
call an "early convention"
The Populist city committee finally
did call a convention for April 4. I'M
mediately upon calling this convention
the Democratic citizens city committee
named March 31st for theirs. (The
Democratic citizens party in this city Is
considered the Democratic party and
they style themselves the better element
of the Democratic party. They were the
boilers of their party convention two
years ago. This Populist club appointed
a committee Of 20 to go before the
Democrat citizens convention and make
demands for the Peoples party on fu-
sion DEAL They presented their plat
form and requested one judgship. two
assemblymen, two aldermen. and one
justice Of the peace out OF some 30 Of
fees. The Democrat citizens granted
every request asked by the Populist COM
mittee, and at the time that those nego-
tiations were going on. The Populists
had a candidate for mayor in the per-
son Of Louis Nash, and his supporters
who were quite numerous and enthusiast
tic, denounced the action Of the Populist
committee in not asking the Democrat
citizen convention also to give the Of
flee of mayor to the Populists, as it was
firmly believed that the convention hay
ing no candidate for mayor and at sea
on the matter would have given that also
to the Populists. On top of this Mr..
Nash pulled out of the mayoralty con-
test and left the Populists without a
candidate The Democrat citizens NOM
mated what the daily papers called a
gold-bug for mayor. A couple of days
later the Populists held their convention
and the only candidates that were in the
field were Mr.. Schiffman, the gold-bug
candidate of the Democrat citizens for
mayor, and w. w. Erwin, who was a
Silver Republican and who was spoken of
as the candidate of the Democrats.
(Who were designated as the worst Gle
ment of the Democratic party in this
city, but who held the name and machin-
cry of the party in the bitter fight of
two years ago when the other element
boltod)
Mr.. Erwin has been an ardent and
faithful defender OF the rights Of the
poor and down-trodden of humanity,
and has fought on those lines in several
of the different political parties, and has
had many and enthusiastic friends in the
Peoples party among mid-roaders, as
we'll as the conservatives. The propo-
sition to endorse the action of the COM
mittee Of conference of the Peoples
party by endorsing the Democratic citi-
zens platform and nominees was re-
ceived with such hostile demonstrations
of disapproval. The speaker, Mr.. M. ].
Costello, was treated with such scant
courtesy that it seemed for time that
a riot was imminent. The temper of the
convention would not permit any fusion