Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1902-03-17
POpulist Leaders to Counsel Together on
Party's Condition
NEW EDITORIAL ASSOCIATION !
Organization to Thwart Democratic Pla1
Expected to Arise.
GovaNoRsHIp THE PRINCIPAL STAKE
Both Parties Want 60 Name Candi-
dates and Each Has Formidable
List of Aspirants, with En-
tries Not Closed.
frrom a stan correspondentl )

Z
LINCOLN, March Especial )-The
meeting OF the democratic and populist
state committees to take place here
Wednesday. Ostensibly oallas: simply to FIX
the time and place Of the next fusion state
convention in reality promises to develop
into formal council Of the leaders for
the purpose OF determining where the fu-
sion forces of Nebraska are at and what
steps may be necessary to gather together
the demoralized fragments scattered by two
successive defeats.
1t is in the populst ring Of the circus
that the greatest activity is manifested, be-
cause the populists are beginning to realize
the critical condition that threatens their
organization. namely, the determined ef-
forts Of the democrats to swallow them up.
In view OF this situation Chairman DE
France, not content with sending the usual
notice to members Of his committee, has
mailed letters Of invitation in addition to
the chairman and secretary OF each popu-
list committee to the editors OF all popu-
list papers and to numerous others who
have been more or less prominent in the
populist propaganda.
VIII Hive Up POpuIist Editors.
Besides the committee meeting proper,
which is set for o'clock, general con-
ference is to be held to which the demo-
Gratis in attendance upon their committee
meeting will be accorded admission, at
which ways and means and the politics OF
the parties In the coming campaign are
expected to occupy attention. More I'M
portant still, however, from the standpoint
OF the populists is the intention to get the
popuIist editors together into some kind Of
an organization to counterbalance the or
sanization recently effected by the demo-
cratic editors OF the state. The uncon-
cealed purpose OF the democratic organiza-
tion is to promote the absorption OF the
populists by the democrats, and as a
natural consequence the object Of the popu-
list editorial association will be to take
concerted action to Withstand these In
sidious attacks from foes masQuerading In
tho guise Of friends. Il.
AZ this concfave OF popuiist editors for
nier Senator William v. Allen will probably
make his first bow as q knight OF the quill,
representing the new weekly he has estab-
lished at his home town under the name OF
the Madison Mail. In fact. Senator Allen
has already, through his paper, taken up
the cry Of continuing the populist organi-
cation Independent and distinct from the
democratic machine. and, with the defunet
silver republican party before them as
horrible example, the populists may be de-
pended upon to fight against amalgamation
70 the last inch.
Democrats TO BE Held 10 Bargain.
Imbued with the idea that the very life OF
their party is at stake in Nebraska, the
disposition Of the leading populists here
Indicates that they will insist on the demo-
J. crats carrying out the bargain made last
year. by which only populists were TO be
considered for the nomination at the head
of the ticket this time as recompense for
yielding TO the democrats in naming Judge
Hollenbeck for the supreme court year
ago Even the most rabid democrats have
epenly contended that the fusionists would
have made a better showing at the last
election had their candidate for supreme
Judge been a populist instead of a demo-
crat and having made this admission the
democrats will be in poor condition to ad-
vocate heading the ticket again with one
of their number.
Prospective Candidates.
A compilation of the names so far men
toned as possible fusion standard-bearers
includes ex-senator and ex-Judge William
". Allen; ex-Congressman r. d. Suther-
land, who was forced to make way for g
democrat, Congressman shallenberger, as
the representative OF the nfth district
NJ f. Harrington, a we'll known attorney
OF o'Neill; Ex-Governor w. A. Poynter
whose friends would like to feature HIN
as the man who refused to pardon Barley
John C. spreeher. Schuyler. Colfax county
who was the real leader of the minority
in the last legislature; Congressman starl
Of the Fourth district-all populists. DR.
j. M. Lyman OF Adams county, once la
beled silver republican and q membe
Of the state senate. Also the following
democrats: W.. H. Thompson Of Crane
Island, who received the fusion senatoria
boquets at the last legislature; @.
smyth, former attorney general and NOR
lately before the public as the champion
Of Meserve; General Victor Vifquain, con
suI TO Panama under Cleveland and for
while colonel in command Of the Thir
Nebraska.
OF course there are likely to be other
as the season IL yet young and way benin
the screen may be seen the shadow Q
none other than William J. Bryan, who, a
his friends here assert, might be drafte
a the occasion requires.