The age-herald., 1900-07-07
THE CONFERENCE
 IS UNFRUIfFUL
PopuIiSts Object to the With
 draWaI Of ToWne.
SITUATION IS COMPL ICATED
Silver Republicans Are Willing to En- dorse Stevenson, Though They Are Very Much Disappointed in
 the Defeat of Towne

Kansas City, July GA protracted meet ing of the conference committees of the Democratic, Populist and silver Repuhli- can parties was held at Lyceum Hall to- night, at which the Vice Presidential situ- ation was discussed with a view to bring ing about, if possible, agreement between the three parties. The members of the Democratic committee urged the Populist and silver Republican representatives to use their influence in uniting their parties in support of Bryan and Stevenson.
 "The Democrats all over the country" said Committeeman Johnson, turning to the Populists, know that MT Bryan is your kind of man. If the two parties were to unite in factions Democrats know that MT. Bryan would be found with your party. Democrats felt that the nomination of Bryan was in defferenee to the radical form element of the party and that seleo- tion should be made for Vice President to hold the conservatives. This brought about MT Stevensons nomination. There never was time that MT. Towne had show of success"
 It was finally decided to hold another conference later. Members of both the Pop ulist and silver Republican committees eX- pressed the hope that way would ulti- mately be found to unite the three parties in the support of one National ticket.
 The conference of the representatives of the three parties developed peculiar situ- atlon. The Democrats were anxious for the withdrawal of Towne from the Populist ticket and the silver Republicans said that so far as they were concerned, they would, through the committee nominate Stevenson for Vice President, although disappointed that To8ne was not nominated by the Democratic convention.
 The PODuliStS were mt in favor of the withdrawal of Towne, and maintained that the Populist National Committee, acting under instructions of the Sioux Falls Con- vention, would be compelled to put another candidate in the field if Towne should with draw and that the committee could not withdraw him.
 More than this, they asserted that if ToWne should be withdrawn that they should not put another man in his place, their organization would be endangered and such action would result in the Popu- lists going over to the mddle-o of- -the-road ticket nominated. This would lessen the chances of carrying States in the West and 1nter-mountain country.
 It was also said that Mr. Bryan had been apprised of the situation. and that several men had received word from him to keep Towne in the field and to.run a double-tail- ed ticket in order to hold Populist and Sil- yer Republicans in the Western states The fact that a number of United States SenatorShips depended upon the success of fusion was given reason why the Pop ulist ticket should be kept in the field
 It was claimed by the Populists that two Senators in Nebraska, one in South Da- kota, one in Kansas, one in Colorado and possibly one in Wyoming depended upon perfect fusion of the three forces. The Populists made a plea for delay, saying that thirty days from now they would have had an opportunity to confer with their people, and the conditions which might make necessary the withdrawal of Towne or his retention would then be better un- derstood When the conference broke up no conclusion had been reached, the Popu- lists and silver men going back to their re- spective national committees with the un- derstanding that the three committees should meet in the morning.