Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-01-23
FOR AND AGAINST FUSION
Factions in Populist Party Naneuvering for
Advantage.
Want Committee Meet
Ing i'm Chicago and Convention
to BE Held Early.


Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.
OMAHA January n. 1899.
The national committee of the populist
party may meet at Chicago February H.
and it may not. The mid-road populists.
both west and south, favor Chicago, and
do not hesitate to say SO. The populists
who favor a fusion with the democrats
and those who want to see Mr. Bryan NOM
mated are working necessarily to have the
national committee meet at Lincoln.
At this meeting a momentous question
will be settled-the time and place of hold
ing the next populist national convention.
The fusion populists want the national
convention held at the same time and
place as the national democratic conven-
ton, and they want 1t to nominate Mr..
Bryan and subscribe to the platform upon
which Mr.. Bryan expects to run for the
presidency. If the committee shall meet
al Lincoln it is hoped that such influences
can be exerted at the home of Mr.. Bryan
will insure the success Of the program.
Senator W. V. Allen is doing everything
in his power to induce members of the ma
tional committee to favor Lincoln. and has
addressed an urgent appeal to each one
to vote for Lincoln for the committee meet
ing and for Kansas City for the place of
holding the national convention: it being
understood among populsts in this state
that Mr. Bryan favorS Kansas City as the
place of holding the national democratic
convention. The senator asks all populists
to stand by the fusion program. We can
only beat the republicans through force
of numbers he says. 1T does not matter
where the votes for principles for which
we stand come 'front.' is votes We need
to overthrow the enemy. 1t is only through
amalgamation with other parties that we
can hope for success. L believe in fusion
and will urge it wherever possible" The
Nebraska Independent, which voices the
fusion branch of populists in this state. is
doing Its utmost to overcome the opposi-
ton to Lincoln a meeting place for the
committee.
The opposition among populists here is
led by Glenn Deaver, a Nebraska member
of the national populist committee. Mr.
Beaver is unalterably opposed to fusion.
He is one of the original mid-road popu-
lists and holds that fusion has been of
great injury to the cause of populism. Mr..
Beaver has for months been in correspond
ence with members of the national COM
mittec. He is in favor of Chicago as the
meeting place and wants the national pop
ulist convention to be held in some large
city south. In his opinion majority Of
the committeeman are favorable to Chi
cago. Mr. Beaver believes that a majority
are true blue mid-roaders and are not
favorable to fusion.
The outcome of this contest over meet
ing place for the committee is viewed with
much concern by the friends of Mr.. Bryan
in Nebraska. Should the vote of the COM
mittee favor Chicago it will be considered
inevitably be followed by the designation
of a separate time and place for holding
the national convention irrespective of and
prior to the national democratic conven-
ton. 1t is reported here today that money
is being used among committeeman to in
duce them to vote for Lincoln, but there
is no way of verifying the statement. The
Nebraska Independent is very bitter in-its
remarks concerning the activity of the mid
readers and the inference is CLEANED from
its utterances that the anti-fusion faction
has already won first blood. In former
issue it charged the md-roaders with try
ing to buy up proxies to control the meet
ing Of the national committee and says
that IF the mid-roaderS get control of the
ational committee they will expel every
one who believes in fusion; they will nomi-
nate Barker and Donnelly; they will con-
troll the party name; they will have the
only candidates on the Australian ballots
and the rest of us will have to organize
a new party or vote the straight demo-
cratic ticket without having a word to say
in its councils
To this line of argument the anti-fusion-
lists retort that the fusion crowd is try
ing to deliver the party over to Bryan
and that they are ready to resort to the
most desperate tactics, even to the extent
of expelling the mid-roaders and Selling
the committee by force if need be-
The factional fight wakes warm and how
ever it may terminate bad blood is likely
to result, very much to the detriment of the
fusion plan.