St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-07-11
A VOTE AT LAST.
Continued from FIRST Page.

was Ouu W see some VcueraDIc gcHllclHeu
gesturing away and apparently addressing
an audience which was not giving them the
smallest attention. 1t seemed to make no
difference whatever to this class of speakers.
They talked on as glibly and unconcernedly
as if they were holding their auditory spell
bound, and finished the attempt as com
placently as if in the very best of humor
over their success.
AT this point it may be said that the speak
ers thus far who have secured the most at
tention, who have attained
THE HIGHEST RESULTS
have been the younger ones. Breckenridge,
Villas, Cummings and Powell are all young
men, and have scored all the points made in
oratorical competition. The old men of both
conventions seem to have lost everything
like inspiration. They are not abashed in
the least by the thousands who front them,
and they prose along with voice, information
and gesture which are as mechanical as the
movement of pump handle or the exhaust
of steam engine. They go through
An ever recurring routine of
in1exlons and movements, with a
curry Droop," as Dickens calls it, at certain
or interest in what they are saying as par
rot has in repetition, or an engine has in
revolution of its crank.
The morning was slow one, a state would
be called and the chairman would rap
and ask permission to have so
and so nOmiD ate or second the nomiD ion
of candidate. Some applause would greet
the chosen speaker as he assembled the steps
of the platform there would be a close atten-
ton for a moment or two, and if he did not
promise well at once he would be dropped by the
audience and no further attention would be
given him save when he came to name the
candidate whom he favored. Many of the
speakers read their efforts or were so closely
confined to their paper that they had all the
appearance of presenting an essay. 1t was
insufferably dull, and on several occasions
the chairman had to announce that the po-
lice would be called on if the insolent cla-
mors and demands of the galleries were not
stopped.
There was a short period of relief when
GEN. EDWARD s. BRAGG,
of Wisconsin, mounted the platform to second
the nomination of Cleveland. Twenty-one
years ago this writer saw
young, active, black-haired, sun
burned little man playing an active
part in the bloody tragedy being enacted in
the march of Grant on Vicksburg. 1t was
Bragg of Wisconsin, then as heroic as the
''Little Corporal, Treating the war, his
friends, the hardships of the march, and the
severity of the battles in a style that was
half humor and half sheer. He had a
short upper lip, which was generally curled
in contempt of somebody or something, and
a tongue that was as keen as his sword, and
both of which he used with exquisite skill
when occasion and necessity were in con-
junction. He was then as fearless as an
Apache or tiger, and no man ever went
deeper in the hell of shell, flame and bullets
than he. To-day when he mounted
the rostrum the writer saw that
his raven black hair and
beard had changed under autumn frosts and
the once straight form was not as erect as
when he led his legions at Black River cross
ing and at Champion hills. The eagle eyes
were now covered with spectacles and he
climbed the platform rather more slowly than
he was wont to charge battery. He faced
the audience, he dropped his head and glared
on the masses from his eyebrows. His upper
lip curled and
THE BRAGG OF THE OLDEN TIMES
Al. j
Bragg of the Army of the Mississippi who
had come to the front. Tammany lay in
serried masses before him. He did not stop
to count. He simply saw where they
were drawn up and charged them
on sight How well | recognized
the soldier of almost quarter of a
century ago. 1t was the same daredevil
leader, seen a moment and the next en-
veloped in the masses of the enemy, and as
of yore he came out with skin unbroken and
flushed with victory. The gigantic Grady
boldly advanced to meet him, but had hardly
time to place bis lance in rest before he went
rolling in the dust before the impetuous
charge of the fiery little knight. This episode
relieved somewhat the dullness of the morn
ing's session. Bragg was hoarse
and could not be heard even by
all the delegates, but he made himself
head and the abrupt jerking of his right arm.
Even in pantomime he could be understood
and without being heard by fiftieth part of
the auditory he made one of the most effec-
tive addresses of the session.
Towards 3 p. m, the stream of talk ran
had been presented in a speech, and each in
turn had been seconded by one or more other
speakers, and ali had talked so long and SO
many had spoken that there was nobody else
to say anything, and those who had spoken
had said all there was in their souls, and in
consequence, as in the case of b 1iler where
there is no more coal, fire or water, things
came to stop.
The people have suffered much during this
infection but
THE END Is NOT YET,
there are yet to to be nominated Vice-Presi-
dental candidates, and all this dreary work
of eulogy has to be done again. There is the
consideration, however, that it will be like
the second attack of variola or measles,
lighter than the original disease. The only
only drawback to this reflection is that the
systems of the auditory are SO enfeebled by
ravages of the disease just endured that they
may not be able to survive the next assault.
There was lack Of celebrities on the floor
this afternoon. Gov. Waller. of Connecticut
took the rostrum to second the nomination
of Cleveland and proved himself a fluent
and distinct speaker.
He has rather commanding figure, a large
head and an open countenance and from his
smoothly shaven face and the use Of spec
tacles he has the appearance Of an intel
ligent and well fed priest. However, as in
the case of New Jersey. his comforting as
surances that his state would give a Demo