The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1898-09-09
FUSION GOES.
Democratic Congressional Com
mittee Names Evans.
The Former Prohibitionist of Tracy Will
Lead the Populist. Democratic
Forces to Defeat.

The Democratic committee remain
ed in session all of Tuesday afternoon
in Attorney G. o. Daily's Office, await.
ing the result of tine Populist conven-
tim. The convention postponed the
nomination of a candidate for con-
gress until about six O'Clock, trans
acting all other business first, for fear
that when the nomination had been
made the delegates would bolt the
hall without transacting any of the
other business. Hour after hour
rolled away and still the faithful few
remained in Mr.. Dailey's office. Be-
sides Mr.. Daley, there was P. B..
Crane, of Jackson, M. J. Grogan, of
St. James, Burt Winters, of Granite
Falls, and Gen. E. M. Pope, who held
proxy. Besides this small represen-
tation of the committee, there were
one or two proxies held. Mr.. Daley
was selected chairman Of the commit
tee. ...
The afternoon waned and the sun
sank into the west and still the COM
mittee waited, while A. e. Clark and
his compatriots were drafting resolu.
lions in the basement of Union hall.
Hunger was beginning to smite on the
emaciated forms of the committee,
and darkness was gathering rapidly,
when tramping up the stairway was
heard, followed by rap at the door.
Great joy spread over the faces of the
committee, replacing the look of in
tense longing that had impressed it,
self there before, when it was ascer.
tanned that the callers were COM
mittee from the convention sent to
notify the representatives of the great
Democratic party that the Populist
party in convention assembled had
decided upon D. III. Evans, of Tracy,
as It's candidate for congress. The
Populists had no objection to the
Democrats endorsing him if they
wanted to. The Democratic commit
tee jumped at the privilege conceded
their party, and hastily voted to
adopt Mr.. Evans as their candidate.
Mr.. Evans will therefore go on the
ticket as the Populist Democratic
candidate for congress.
Some of the Democrats of the city
have been asking today, "Who is Mr.
Evans?" We learn from his Populist
friends that Mr.. Evans was raised in
Blue Earth county, clerked in store
in this city, and is now prosperous
hardware, grain and machinery deal
er at Tracy, where he is residing
with his family. He is about forty
five years of age, and is personally
popular and fair speaker. He start
ed in as Republican, then joined the
Prohibition party, and is now Popu-
list. Such a degeneration, remarka
BILE as it is. seems to have left him
with desire for office. or perhaps the
esire for Office may have accounted
for the political degeneration. He
ran for mayor of Tracy several times
and was twice elected on citizens
ticket. Now he aspires to represent
the Second district in congress, but
as the people are satisfied with Con-
gresham McCleary they are not going
to make a change this year.
Mr.. Evans is not looked upon as a
strong candidate. Personally. he is
said to be very amiable gentleman,
but his acquaintance over the dis
trict is limited, and the fact that he
has been Prohibitionist and, that
his sympathies tend that way swill
lose him large part of the foreign
born vote, which will decimate his
Democratic support. Ex-Republicans
are not looked upon with nuch more
favor than ex Prohibitionists by the
Democrats as a rule.
A leading Democrat said today that
he could not support "a Populist. He
would vote for Congressman McCleary
before he would endorse any such |
come down on the part of the Demo
cratic party as to take up Populist.
This gentleman spoke what hundreds
Of other Democrats are shrinking.
They cannot 60 the fusion scheme, es-
pecially as success would mean that
the Populists would have the fat |
plums of Office, while the Democrats
would have to be satisfied with such
crumbs from the banquet table as
they could pick up or beg.