Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1896-07-31
THE ST. LOUIS CONVENTION.
Judge Kennedy Briefly Describes
the Result of that Wonderful
Convention.

Judge G. B. Kennedy returned from St.
Louis Monday and reporter for the
FARMERS LEADER called on him for an
account Of the convention as he saw it.
Mr.. Kennedy gives his observations as
follows:
Mr.. r. E. Dowdell, secretary Of the
state central committee, and myself ar
rived at St. Louis on Monday morning
aud we found that the headquarters Of
the national committee and OF the Bryan
forces was at the Lindel Hotel one Of
largest hotels in the CITY, The corridors
were already full Of delegates mostly
from the south. and the leaders were
already on the ground. The hotels all
over the city were rapidly filled up and
in every corridor excited discussions were
going on with reference to the nomination
Of Bryan and Sewall, the candidates nom
mated at the Chicago convention by the
Democrats. The southern delegates were
strenuously excited and incorporating
ly determined that the Peoples party
should not allow itself to be swallowed
by the Democratic party, which they
claimed would be done if Bryan and
Sewall were endorsed. They came up
from Texas 103 delegates strong; from
North Carolina 95, and other large dele
cations from the southern states. deter
mined that the party should lot be sur
rendered to the Democrats. They called
themselves the middle.of-the-road Popu-
lists, in favor of a Popullst ticket, and
mo compromise" their slogan. They Il,
at once organized determined fgt,
against both Bryan and Sewall, and i,
appeared on Monday that it would be i'm
possible to nominate either of these can.
didates, but as the delegates from the
middle, west aud north came in, it be.
came evident that Bryan was popular,
and the best judgement OF the conserv'
ative element was, that it was TO the
interest of the nation that, in this time Of
dire oppression by the money power, he
should be nominated. The Georgia and
Texas delegations appeared to lead the
southern delegations, and on Tuesday
they organized and invited each delega
tion to send over representatives to theil
headquarters IN the ST. James hotel anc
also in the Southern hotel, to confer with
Them with reference to the ACCESSIBILITY Of
nominating straight Populist ticket
Their speakers, and there were many O
them able men, setting forth in passion
ate terms the conditions existing between
the Populists and Democrats of the south
They stated that the Democrats of tn
south had always been the enemies of th
Populists; that they were unprinciplet
in their political methods; that the Demo
Gratis had ostraczed the wives anc
daughters OF the Popuiists; that they hat
stuffed the ballot boxes, stole them, ant
counted out the Populists where the!
had been honestly elected. The feelin,
was so bitter that they contended that i
would destroy the Populist party in th
south il Bryan and Sewal were nomln
ated by the Populists. The feeling wa
SO bitter that il at once became eviden
that it would be impossible to nominate
both the candidates nominated at Chi
cago.
On Monday night the friends of Bryan
and Sewall met in the ladies ordinary o
the Lindel hotel and canvassed the silu
alton. The leaders Of the committee O.
the Bryan forces were Weaver of Iowa
Tom Patterson of Colorado. Allen anc
Green of Nebraska and Lafe Spence O
New York. They were emphatic anc
determined in their opinion and purpos'
OF nominating both Bryan and Sewal
and appeared to be uncompromising ant
open in their expressions that it was nee
essary to force this nomination. Thei
determined attitude and forceful canvas
sought the conservative element in tn
convention and 1t seemed impossible 70
the Bryan and Sewall elements to agree
and all the conservative delegations VIII,
were in favor Of harmony in the party
recognized that Il concession should b.
made to the south, and that it would b.
impossible to nominate Sewall. They a
once began to canvass the advisbility o
nominating a southern man for the vic'
presidency.
The first struggle of the convention
was on temporary chairman. The Bryan
forces decided that Senator Butler o.
North Carolina, might do; he was not ,
Sewall man, and would be safe con
servative man. The fact that the Bryan
element was in favor of Butler made the
southern delegations suspicious and they
were opposed to his nomination, and i,
looked like it would be a fight on the
floor of the convention, but when his
name was proposed in the national com.
mittee he was accepted without opposl-
ton and when presented to the conven.
tion was elected temporary chairman