The weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1891-1894, 1891-05-23
Shall u Third Political Party be
Formed? DonneIiy Says Yes,
Right Away.
Woayer Would Delay Its OrganiZa.
tion u NraI The Smiling.
Swelling PETER.
THE C~INCINNATI CONvENTION.
A Great AssembIage Of Honest, Hard
Working sons Of Toll.

OUTCOME the big convention that met
by which any American citizen might
we'll be proud. Fifteen hundred repre-
sentative of the bone and sinCw Of the
nation gathered alike from farm and
city. The toilcrs anne 10 order On the
very watch tick that had, months be
forehand, been agreed upon, and lifted
their voices in Il magnificent diapason in a
hymn TO their country. They said to-
gether in rcvcrcntial unison the Lords
prayer and then calmly proceeded to
fight il out as best their manhood iii
rected the question whether or not IA
great new political party in the United
State should forthwith be given an cX-
~istencc.
Pho convention met in Il place whore
before this presidents have been made
in historic Cincinnati the music hall
the largest audience chamber in the city.
The natural grain of polished woud,form-
ing the roof and walls of the gathering
Dld'' Ell'N 40 ~ ~ NV '''ht llhl iI'IN
with the weather aud the brunzcd checks
of the hardy looking hundreds closely
packed in delegate chairs beneath. In
the galleries among the throng Of city
folks sat many = scdat" woman from the
p"rairics who came to- see Il husband or
SOL take part in what honestly eccmcd
to be a mOmcntOuS event. From first
TO last the developments Of the opening
day were strongly impressive. Such AN
air Of unmistakahic sincerity pcrvadcd
an overwhelming majority Of the dele
gates that the recurring humorousIy gro
tesquc incidents that marked nearly
every stage Of the proceeding were
quickly lost to view. Every outsider
laughed till his sides achcd, when at the
very outset "a band Of well meaning but
inattcntivc enthusiasts from far away
Kansas delayed the opening appeal to
the Almighty till they had given
three cheers and Il tiger for their
idolized hero, "Socklcss' Jerry Simpson,
who had Jest entered the hall. But in
the great hush that fell upon the convcn
ton hall when the movement later of
800 delegates, with bowed heads, began
with the words Our Father" no one
noticed the peculiar incOngruity Of Kan
sas, just then pc~titioning with others for
forgiveness Of trcspasscs.
\ Notifying occurrence now took
place. The newly elected farmer United
States senator from Kansas was seen by
the reporters To enter the hall from the
rear. Conscious Of the fresh and well
won laurcls that mctaphorically rested
upon his brow, Senator PETER
smiled proudly as he stepped down
tn" long p~assHgcway to the seat Of honor
that had been reserved for him. AS luck
would have it every newspaper man was
instantly ON the alert to witness the ora
ton that would outdo all previous rec
prds. However. the same inattcntion, or
whatever il was that led 10 the untimcly
outbreak, for Congressman Simpson
brought about AN exactly opposite effect
in the ease Of Senator PETER. Mansan's
men were absorbed in the selection of II
committee or some equally cngrOssine
conference and as he took his
scat. absolutely unrrcOgnlZcd, Senator
PETERS expansive smile slowly but sure
Is disappeared behind his shaggy beard
like n forest sunset in winter. II was "A
dramatic sp"ctaci" when the temporary
chairman called one after another of IL
half dozen different clements composing
the convention TO stand up and ac-
knowledge their presence. The solid
masses Of men arose in different parts of
the hall as the names Of their organiZa-
ton were called: stood for an instant
motiolcss AS 50 many statues AMI thrn
broke into cheers as they and the
audience realized the splendid show
ing that was made. Not Il lItllc
Surprise was manifested when practically
the entire body of delegates ARCS" at the
call Of the Farmers alliance, north ana
south" Many Of the spectators felt that
there was "A hidden significance in II all
that told of an already disciplined, ihr
reaching body instead Of a loose jolntrd
cOnglOmcration that some had expected
to see.
The installmcnt of Cunningham OF
Arkansas to preside was done without
"A single objection, though all public
talk beforehand had pointed to Speaker
Elder Of the Kansas Legislature
or j. II. Powers, president of the Ne
braska alliance AS the lucky man. 1t is
limited that Elder gave way to leave "A
clear path for the elevation of Senator
PETER to the dignity as permanent pre-.
siding officer. by long odds the most in.
tcrcsting moments in the convention was
during the spiritual passage between IL.
natius Donnclly and Gen. Weaver. ii
was like nothing So much az a duel be.
tween two skilled swordsman, and when
the combatants were parted no one
in the hall could say which had
the best of it. Roth are brainy men,
keen and ready AS bowie knives and each
appeared to feel that he had a focman
worthy of his steel. Donnelly favored a