St. Louis Post-Dispatch
July 22, 1896

Historic newspapers carry the language, views and graphic reporting of their time, including racist content. They are shown to teen and adult profiles.

The text was read from the page scans by machine (OCR), so it has mistakes and its columns may run together. See the pages · About this title · At the Internet Archive

Page 1

4 1 . dats ea : e d > 2 g ay ¥ . ay owed ie, 3 n iS? ono eh geste FOR BRYAN AND JFC IIIIs worthy of 4, e nn d Wr hose eloquence has thrilled the galleries » Sfouse the enthusiasm of its supporters az, BR We. 25 r re é 3 8 oP N * nis hi when. obtained through x = * : ‘ 3 : e 7 You = = Good paying customers you'll own 4 : 2 5 i P.-D. Wants. nn ͤ— VOL. 47. NO. 347. 22. 1896. TEN PAGES, ONB . Lobots. 4 4 ? 1 : j hs! 5 7 — — — Faire J 7 * 2 i 3 4 he ; 7 N „ „ * 2 . 1 : * * 2 . j 5 J . ; $ >. ö 7 * 2 oA Struggle of the People and the : Money Changers’ Tools at the Auditorium. POPULISTS HAVE A COMPROMISE CHA MAN, BUT THE FACTIONS SEEM TO BE IRRECONCILABLE, — Adjourned Until 8 O’Clock To-Night. The contest is on in Populist ranks. The most notable convention ever held by the People’s party has begun and the na- tion awaits the result. Much depends on the action of this body of farmers, wage earners and new schoodi economists, and the members of both ihe old parties have a vital interest in the re- 8 117. It is a fight between the money devii and side may get the death blow in the big Auditorium building. The wolves of Wall street are fighting for their lives, and the people are battling for freedom. ' There are ludicrous elements in the con- vention, and the bravest and most sordid passions of humanity show in spots like moth patches on a woman’s neck, but be- neath the surface the main purpose moves swiftly. steadily, strongly. It is the stern unyielding will of a people seeking relief from the evils that they have long felt, but only recently recognized. Powerful efforts have been made to cor- rupt the men who are representing the vari- ous States in the convention, and in some essful. Whether the measure of success is enough to cause rejoicing in the heart of Mark Hanna remains to be seen. It was first proposed that the Populist Convention should meet at 10 a. m. Wednes- day, but later 12 o'clock was agreed on. This was done to allow a formulation of the plans which were exceedingly chaotic in the early hours. There was a stiff fight on between those, who wanted Senator Marion Butler of North Carolina for temporary chairman and the middle-of-the- road“ extremists who were actively working to secure the over- throw of Butler and the selection of O. D. Jones of Missouri. This, the main contest of the first day, was being fought out up town. As it waxed hotter and hotter it kept the leaders away from the Auditorium, and held in the corridors of the hotels most of the delegates. The Auditorium was a desert of empty chairs at 10 o’clock. Here and there an oasis of whiskers broke the monotony end occasionally two or three bustling patriots would mingle their beards in busy confer- ence. Sergeant-at-Arms McDowell's assistants had a lonesome time until near noon. They had nothing to do but wander about and discuss the condition of crops at home. When the delegates began to come in there were kicks innumerable over the plan of seating the delegations by States. Texas and Tennessee, two of the most rampant “middle-of-the-road” States, found that they had been cut out of the @over pasture in front of the speaker's platform and relegated to the stubble field on the extreme left of the hall. At the Republican convention this space was occupied by the people who paid d a seat for tickets to Hanna’s circus. Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, Washington and Indian Territory found they were similarly located on the extreme right of the hall. The choicest locations in the space direct- ly in front of the platform were, given to I}linois, Kansas, Nebraska, Miss'ssippi, Cal- ifornia, New York and Massachusetts. come in at a lively rate. The Iowa delegation, numbering among its members some of the s%anchest Bryan men in the convention, came early and pros- elyted for the Nebraskan. . Kansas jolned them and assisted in the campaign which was being carried on in ‘ the interest of both the candidates nom- Stik ey $58 aed oh gga fo Byte ewewwesntiene 4g, .; Two noticeable things about most of the Middle-of-the-Road“ wing are its predilec- tions for whiskers of abnormal growth and its aversion to the necktie of commerce, _ As the leaders of the Populist party en- tered the hall singly or in groups, they Senator Butler of North Carolina Is Made Temporary 8 8 Chairman of the Convention. aa et were receive’ by the delegates generally — without noisy demonstrations. Gen J. R. Field of Virginia, t who was given second placeOf™he Popt ticket tour years ago, was cheered a6 he came in at the head of his delegation. He is one of the strongest Bryan men in the convention. . National Committeeman Washburn’ of Bostcr. whose diamond headlight is the only one in the convention, beaded a large contingent of New England delegates. The change of sentiment in the East made New England pretty evenly divided between Bryan and anti-Bryan. . When Washburn and his colleagues were seated they were visited by the Bryan ad- vocates, who labored zealously to secure converts. ; Gen. J. B. Weaver, chairman of the Bryan and Sewall Steering Committee, had his lleutenants on the ground early. ; They met delegations as they entered and kept tab on the work of the “middle of the road”’ faction. Ex-Congressman Jerry Simpson of Kan- sas, Senator Peffer, ex-Gov. Lewelling and John Breidenthal worked actively among the delegates from the West. a Carl Brown of Coxey’s army, Sam Stew- art of California and “Cyclone” Davis of Texas, three middle of the road” men, whe are bearded wonders, were bitter in their fight on Bryan. 8 At 11:30 there were not 1,000 people in the gallery. The zealous but misdirected ef- forts of a brass band which persisted in playing the “Dead March” from “Saul” had no effect on the crowds outside, ee, They refused to give up $1 a head to hear the lion roar. g 1 Indications pointed to a slim attendance for the first day's session, though ulist leaders had been insisting all time that there would be more people than there were at the Republican Convention, Congressman M. W. Howard of Alabama, who wrote “If Christ Came to Congress,” was an active anti-Bryan worker. He . tracted little attention. 5 Ex-Gov. Waite of Colorado and ex-Gov, — = es “2 “ed 2 pe” Fx * ace > * 2 * a 2 yy 2 ean 4 ‘+ 0 Buchanan of Tennessee, who have been predicting a bolt, were among those whe % came early and watched with interest the - movements of some of the delegates. Ignatius Dennelly, who accused the dead Shakspeare of stealing Bacon's labor, was accused of double dealing by the Minne- 5 ‘3 sota delegation as soon as he entered the — 15 hall, hn It was charged that the smooth ath was trying to boom himself as a tial possiollity, and had issued cards 3. a ting forth his shining qualifications. At 11:45 o'clock it was reported that “Cy> clone” Davis had evinced a willingness the fight for O. D. Jones of 01 “rhe middle-ot-the-road“ men found they could not poll their full vote Butler. Fearing the effect of a show of