The Fusion Bargain: Democrats and Populists Trade Principles for a Ticket

TACOMA, Aug. 20.—(Special.)—Fusion is growing popular. The Populists and Democrats are ready to try it. Principles are not considered. Greed for office has sapped principles, and Democrats and Populists who want office at any cost are earnestly conspiring for fusion. Fusion is in the air. Old Hickory and straight-laced Democrats and keep-in-the-middle-of-the-road Populists denounce it, but the Tillicums do not like idleness, and the pins are being set up for fusion. Fusion may be denounced by all classes of Populists and all classes of Democrats, but still fusion will be connived at.

Greed for office is the stumbling block. The Democrats accuse the Populists of wanting everything, and the Populists declare that the Democrats want “more than they are entitled to.” Steve O’Brien is next to Hugh Wallace, and Steve has a feeble grip on the Tacoma News. Now if the News is not frightened by the statement that it is preparing to flop in favor of fusion, the expected flop may be looked for immediately after the meeting of the Democratic state committee tomorrow. All that is necessary is a satisfactory “divvy” of the offices.

So far as the News is concerned it was approaching a fusion point when the Lane-Roediger management was succeeded by William McIntyre. The invincible McIntyre held out for a time and has practically taken back Capt. Roediger as business manager. Mr. McIntyre’s mother is ill in Canada, and he may have to make a protracted visit there. In the meantime Mr. Lane knows just how to beat the political rods of the Populists and Democrats to cause a satisfactory fusion—satisfactory “divvy” is more like it. Mr. Lane has never been on good terms with his party. If he can suggest fusion between his editorial lines he can do his party a favor without necessitating any acknowledgment from Mr. Wallace.

Steve Judson has blossomed out as a candidate for sheriff on the Democratic ticket. A man noted for his political wisdom says: “If the Democrats would fuse Steve Judson and Steve O’Brien they would do well.” Strength would be added to the party by fusing the two Steves, or the elements they represent in their party. Some of Mr. Judson’s friends, and some who are far from being his friends, desire that he should become a candidate for the state senate in E. W. Taylor’s district, where Taylor is the candidate on the Republican ticket.

The Democrats are going to overlook the small vote cast in King county for Snively for governor, and they will allow that county a chance on the apportionment of delegates to the state convention, on a basis of the votes cast for the Democratic presidential electors. At least such is the order of the Tillicums.

R. A. Hutchinson, of Lincoln county, says he is not a Tillicum and does not train with them. He exacts that the first penalty for not being a Tillicum will be imposed tomorrow, when the state committee meets. Hutchinson wants the state convention held at Sprague, but the Tillicums have it all cut and dried for holding the convention elsewhere, probably at North Yakima, Hutchinson thinks.

It is understood that customs rules and regulations forbid that a man in the service shall take part in political conventions as an officer, and on that basis some of the Democrats who are against the Tillicums ask why Charles Miller, of Port Townsend, is here as a member of the state committee.

Samuel Vinson and H. T. Jones, of Spokane, are among the Democrats now here to attend the state committee meeting.

Senator Hutchinson is here on a proxy, and thinks the Tillicums will give him notice that he is not running the state committee.

The celebrated Sam Bass is here on J. A. Strong’s proxy from Whatcom. It is expected that Bass will urge that the state committee carry out his advice to hold the state convention in Spokane. Dr. Curls, of Anacortes, and H. T. Jones, of Spokane, are also here on proxy, the latter representing J. J. Browne’s protege, S. R. Flynn. Ben Peterson, after a disturbance of two years ago, will keep away. Selden Haze, of Vancouver, has Pat O’Reana’s proxy, and Carson, of Seattle, will sit on W. H. Talbot’s proxy. Four-fifths of the committee will be represented. Most of them are favorable to an apportionment on the basis of the vote cast for the Democratic candidate for attorney general at the last state election.