The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1891-06-04
The Platform Contains Much
That Is Foolish, Yet THERE'S
i'm il Truth Enough To Over
turn the World.
1T Is A PLATFORM THAT BE
LIENES SOMETHING AND
SAYS SOMETHING.
The Part y is Founded on a Great
Moral Idea.
WHAT II MEANS, WHAT IT SIGNIFIES !

New Iolk, May 81, lS9l.-Rev.
Thomas Dixon, Jr., Pastor Of the |
TWenty-third Street Baptist Church,
preceded his sermon this morning at
Association Hall, by the following
review of current events.
TIE NEW PARTY.
On the 10Th of this month there
met in Cincinnati anovel convention.
They met TO consider the expedicncy
of launching II new political party.
They launched it. They launched
it with enthusiasm.
1t was my good fortune TO be pre-
sent in Cincinnati on that day.
Drawn by "A deep Interest in the
questions involved and a curiosity
to see what sort Of men had assem-
bled in the convention, l FASTENED to
Music hall to see for myself. / found
an assemblage of about 5000 people.
There were several things that inn
pressed me abont the make. up o f this
crowd. 1t wasa curious aggregation.
And yet it was deeply impressive.
They sat close together. They touch
ed each others elbows. There were
no stragglers in the rear OF the great
hall. They all pressed eagerly for
ward to %ard the speaker stand.
\ ROUGH CROWD.
II was "A h-lOoking crowd.
There was scarcely wcli-d csscd
man to be seen anywhere among
them. 1t was an assembly OF the
great fourth estate. The farmers pre-
dominated. They were genuine far
mers too. The hayseed was plainly
visible in their hair, and they did
not seem to care if it was. Rough,
weatner-beaten faces and honey
hands were theirs. They were IN
dead earnest. Their carncstness was
pathetic. No lover of his fellow
man could look over that eager
| thrOng Of care-markcd men and not
be profoundly moved. They listen
ed eagerly to the dullcst common
places that tell from the lips OF the
speaker. They cheered at the slight.
est provocation. Looking into those
faces furrowed by care, pecring ca
gerly up from shoulders bumped aud
bowed by the toughest toll, it seen.-
ed TO me that / could hear the craC-
kle Of burning passions and faiths
beneath the cauldron of coming
revolution.
NOT FOR FUN.
They did not come there tor fun.
The humorous found little response.
| ~
had quit smiling sometime ago. But
they knew how 10 cheer, to stamp
their feet and yell until they were
hOarse. And they were not drunk
either. They meant business. They
were ready to stake their lives un the
issue. Fourteen hundred delegates
from over Thirty States Of the Union
were represented in that earnest
throng. Let men ridicuie it who
may, it was an impressive spectacle.
1t was great convention. 1t was
great because the people were there.
People were there who bad no axe
10 grind personally. People were
there who were not accustomed Il
attend political gatherings.
| THE DbkOIDtsG.
The tone Of the meeting WAS pro
foundlv religious. They sang. They
prayed. They shouted. They did il
all with fervor. They closed iheil
meeting with an involuntary bursl
OF religious enthusiasm in the box
ology, whose glorious old strain.
echoed and quivered f.ohI arch cor
nice anu ceiling until the great bui q
ing trembled with its melody.
CRANKs, FOOLS, DEAD-BEATS.
There were many incongruous Gle
nents mingled there. There wpr,
cIiques and cults that will be slough
ed in process Of time. They wer,
dead weight, and th,y are 80 dea,
that to carry them is an impos-ibili
ty. There werr many cranks an.
fools ard deadbeats, political hack
and bummers-almOst as many II
you would lind ir. one of the con
ventions Of the Old parties Thcs
were inevitable. The crank is al
ways present at the launching o
every new movement. He sits dowl
on the movement and expects to b
: launched himself with the banner
! flying before an admiring world. Tn
; fool is there because he seeks ne,
fields and change OF scenery from
; his old political associates and com
! CONTINUED on Fourth Page.