The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-04-25
Leading POpulists Are Worried
Over the Situation.
Other Districts May Follow Lead
of Sixth and Seventh.
WANT NATIONAL HELP.
J g. Johnson May Be Called Up
on to Fix Things.
Threats That Bryan May Be
Dropped by Populists.

Clay Center, April 25.-The question |
of disposing of the political controver-
sizes which exist between the Democrats /
and the Populists in the Sixth and Sew |
enth congressional districts where two |
candidates for congress have been |
named, may receive attention from |
the Populist convention tOday 1t is |
conceded on every hand that unless |
these matters be settled and one or the |
other of the candidates withdrawn the |
Republicans will win in both districts. |
The PopulistS leaders here admit that
the chances for nomination of a Dem
ocratic and Populist candidate for con-
gress in the Third and Fourth districts
are just now very favorable and some
thing which will settle the present
difficulty and prevent a recurrence in
these districts is the panacea which all
are planning to contrive.
Henderson Martin. who was defeated
in the last campaign as the fusion can
didate in the Fourth. is in the race
again He is a Democrat and seeks the
nomination against Grisham of Chase,
Brown of Coffey, Yearout of Lyon, and
one or two others, all POpuliStS. 1t has
been given out that the Democrats must
have these congressional nominations
or they will run an independent candi-
date.
In the Third, Farrelly of Neosho
shows no signs of permitting fusion
deal, and the recent quarrels which
have originated promise to result il a,
Democratic and Populist nominee in
that district.
In the Fifth district there is row no
Democratic aspirant. The nomination
is generally conceded to Vincent of
Clay, but the Democratic convention is
not to be held until August, and some of
the Populist politicians fear that if
other districts have two candidates the
Bourbons of the Fifth will follow the
example and nominate a man to make
the race against Vincent, unless a
oh, 4 b. -
time
A plan which will probably he pre-
scented to this convention if it is deemed
wise to take action, has been devised
by Carl Vrooman. He suggests that
the Democrats be permitted to name
the congressman in the districts where
contests now exist. That is to say, that
| the POpulist candidates already nomi-
mated withdraw in favor of the Demo-
| cratic nominees, and that the Populists
! thereafter name all the candidates for
| the legislature.
This, it is claimed, would thereby
deprive the Democrats of the balance
of power in the legislature in the event
| of fusion success, something which
| they very much desire, believing that
| it would place them in a. position to
name the next United States senator.
AS the Populists themselves want to
select the senator, this fusion plan sug-
| gested by Vrooman has many sup
porters.
The fear is expressed by the delegates
| to this convention that the action or
| the Democrats in the congressional dis
| trictS may prevent the elimination of
| The fusion deal arranged for the state
convention, in which it is proposed to
| divide the offices. The Populist leaders
are up in arms and declare openly that
! they will make no effort to stand by
| the state committees arrangement if
the Democrats continue to levy on
| everything in sight.
The Democrats have the Populists
badly scared. All Of the men promi-
nent in the management of the affairs
| of the Populist party admit that they
are in desperate circumstances. Here
| is what a prominent Populist said:
1.-THE Democrats have a better organ
! ization than we have. They are
! shrewder politicians; they are battle
SCARED scrappers, and are always busy
making plans and doing things They
| have already handicapped US in every
move and have obtained all the pre-
liminary advantages"
The men who have heretofore been
free to express themselves in condemna-
ton OF Democratic methods today re-
quired a State Journal reporters prom
ise that they would not be quoted by
! name before they would express their
opinions. The Populist party as it is
represented here today is absolutely al
the dictation of the Democrats, under
the arrangements and political moves
| which have already been made.
Should the convention decide to take
| no action towards disposing of the
trouble which now exists it will be de-
ferred until the Populist national con
Vention, when the national eounmittee
will be requested to take the matter VI
and settle it with the national Demo
cratic committee.
The Populists believe that state pride
would impel J. G. Johnson, who is
Kansas man, at the head of the affair.
OF the national Democratic committee
to effect a compromise of some kind
and one by which he would mor'
nearly assure the success of the Bryan
electoral ticket in Kansas
Already the Populists here are threat
ening to bolt Bryan unless the kansas
2 Democrats get in line. One of the mem
bers of the state committee said to
: State Journal reporter today:
Bryan might be elected presiden
! without the Populist vote in Kansas
but he can never be successful Withou
the Populist party. At the nationa
election we will carry five or six state
at the least calculation, and Bryan vii
need these in his business. If the Kan
] sas OfIice-seekers in Bryan's party wan
: to jeopardize his chances in this stat
n ard permit Mckinley to carry it, the,
q will be accommodated, unless the ma
tional committees can demonstrate tn
utter foolishness which the Democrat
:, in Kansas are indulging in and succee
n in making them submit to a REASONABLE
d adjustment of affairs.
There has never been a convention
{ the history of the PopuIist party i
Kansas where the delegates and politi
cal managers were so much at sea a
{ they are here, and never before hav
: the party leaders been so much in terrc
of their Democratic allies The Demo
Gratis, to use a short-grass expression
e have just now got the Populists buffa
loed.'
THERE ARE OTHERS