Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-07-07
POPUL/STS WILL NOT FUSE.

columns tOday will be found an interest
ing statement from Hon. Mortimer c.
Rankin, chairman of the populist ma
man that no fusion will take
place between the populists and demo-
Gratis in the forthcoming presidential
campaign. Outside the state of Nebraska
there is no disposition on the part OF
the populists to again unite their for
tunes, or, rather, their misfortunes, with
the democratic party. And even in Mr..
Bryan's state they favor such a move
ment only with the understanding that
the populists shall be given the nominee
for the vice presidency. Such a scheme
would seriously interfere with the move
ment now on foot to bring the eastern
and western wings Of the democracy into
harmony on a compromise platform. Mr..
Rankin stated the Ease very pointedly
when ne said:
The %populists are tired of fusion. for
they have found that whenever they en-
tered into a fusion with the democrats
the latter party received the benefit,
while the populists We're there merely to
fill up.
Had the populist chairman seen fit to
go into details, by way of illustrating his
statement: he could nave cited the late
tana. A more disastrous case of political
appropriation was never witnessed than
that practiced by the democratic party
in this state. With not to exceed 5000
votes to it's credit at the time Mr.. Bryan
was nominated in 1896, as was evidenced
by the preceding election, the demo-
cratic party in Montana sought a fusion
with the populists. who had polled as high
as 10000 votes two years previous.
Arrangements were entered into for
a division of the state offices, under
which the populists, being the stronger
party, were accorded the g~ubernatorial
nomination. A democrat, carefully dis
guised as a populist, was projected into
the race and by dint of political postum
ing that would cramp a kodak fiend, sue
ceeded in getting the nomination for gov
ernor. Having thus secured the COVER
norship by indirection, the democrats
were given state treasurer and attorney
general under agreement, and the popu-
lists took secretary of state and super
~fAtendent of public instruction. Thus
q w.
0uiofitted for the campaign, the Bryan
movement swept all before it in the silver
states, and Montana was turned over te
the democracy.
In continuation of the democratic pro
gramme to destroy the populist party il
this state, the gentleman who had beer
accorded the nomination for governo
under false p%retense was called upon tw,
years later to play another part befor,
the political footlights. Distrusted b.
the populist party, to which he pretended
to prevent his election as a delegate t.
it's state convention in 1898. Courtes,
to the high station which he occupied il
the official life of the state came to hi
rescue, however, and he was finally givel
a seat in that body. At an opportun
moment, and doubtless in accordanc
with the plans laid by the democrats
long time in advance, the governor aros
and announced his withdrawal from tn
populist party and his conversion-Lord
save the mark!-to the principles of tn
democratic party.
These political theatricals were in
tended, first. to break the populist part,
in twain and lead the greater portion o
it into the democracy; and, second, t
place the governor in line for Unite,
States senator as soon as the ambition
of Hon. w. A. Clark had been properI,
hamstrung. The governor made a trj
umphal march from the populist part
into the democracy, followed by Attorne,
Crutcher Of Helena, and nineteen othe
~pie-counter pick-ups from the politica
p~urlieus Of populism.
Feeling under deep obligations for tn
part he had played in breaking up tn
populist party. the democracy rewarde
Governor Smith by permitting him t
take the stump against the populist nom