The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1904-08-12

/ DR.. c. Bohrer, Rice.
According to a previous agreement
both the peoples party and the demo-
cratic party met in state conventions at
Topeka, Wednesday, August 3. The
democrats assembled in the Auditorium
and their convention was presided over
by Ex-Governor Click. The populists
gathered in Representative hall at the
state capitol, and was presided over by
ex-Lieuteuant Governor Harvey. The
purpose of the meeting of the two con-
ventiOns at the same time and place was
to effect fusion if possible. Both con-
ventiOns elected a conference committee
to meet and devise a plan. The outlook
at first, in both conventions, seemed
unfavOrable to fusion.
The PoPulist convention apparently
was dominated by the middle-of-the-
road element. After "scrapping' all
day and until near midnight, and after
the conference committees Of the two
conventions had spent many hours in
trying to get together, and had then re-
ported to their respective conventions
that they could not do so, the Populist
convention took the bit in its teeth at
ITO clock Wednesday night and voted
to accept the democratic plan favored
by Judge Dale, by the decisive vote of
321 to lis.
ThereuPon the Smith county dele
cation and a number Of other delegates
bolted and went to the senate chamber
to consider what to do. Up to past
midnight they accomplished nothing
and finally adjourned to s O'Clock
Thursday morning. There were IS in
the bolt and the next morning only J
showed up at the place of meeting.
There will be no straight POPulist ticket
on the ballot, as was contemplated.
When the boilers got together the next
morning their number was so small that
It was decided that It would be foolish
to attempt to name a ticket; and on the
recommendation of Judge E. S. Waiter
bury and Albert Griffin they decided to
60 home and 'be good
The plan under which fusion. was ac-
complished allows each party to place
its electoral ticket on the ballot, the
democrats a Parker ticket, and the pop
ulists a Watson ticket. The state ticket
is divided between the two parties and
placed under the democratic heading.
There was no trouble over the divis-
ion of Offices. The trouble was entirely
over the way the ticket should be placed
on the ballot. As theofices were divid-
ed the PoPulists get one justice of the
supreme court, lieutenant governor, au-
ditor, attorney general, superintendent
of insurance, congressman-at-large, and
one railroad commissioner
The democrats get governor, secretary
of state, state treasurer, superintendent
of public instruction, two supreme JUS
tees and one railroad commissioner.
In reality two of these Offices were ex-
changed. The democrats named a
pOpulist for secretary of state and the
POPulists named a democrat for con-
gressman-at-large.
For a time IT lOoked as though the fu-
sion wagon would be shaken to pieces
by the rocks placed in the way by
the middle-Of-the-road people. They
talked and talked. and even those in
the populist convention who fovOred
fusion under the democratic heading
were doubtful about the result of vote
on the question.
Just before II came to a test, however,
G. c. Clemens appeared before the con
ventiOn and announced that the pOpu-
list party had returned TO him, and
that while he had always fought fusion
while he was a PoPulist, it looked to
him as though It was the thing this year
If the PoPu1ists wanted 70 accomplish
anything IN the way Of relief for the
people A committee vas also sent for
Judge Dale to address the convention.
He did 50 briefly and undoubtedly turn
ed a considerable number OF votes to
the fusion proposal
The speech of Col. E. J Close, one
of the POPulist conference committee,
took with the convention and the. two
speeches, by Col Close and Judge Dale,
turned the tide Tor fusion II the popu-
list convention. The adoption Of the
fusion agreement IN the democratic con
yention was both enthusiasts and uuan-