The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-07-28

stage scene for five or ten minutes
more, nearly the entire convention
joining in the uproar while the band
came to the rescue with popular airs.
Such little by plays of greater or less
degree were not infrequent throughout
the convention, and I give them not
as specimens of oratory but as depict
ing the proceedings.
Perhaps the most disgraceful scene
was the hooting down of Senator Stew
art, of Nevada. who took the floor
about midnight, to second the nomi-
ton Of Sewall. He was entitled TO five
minutes under the rule, but had not
spoken two before there began to be.
yells of time" followed by epithets
which drove the gray-haired old man
from the platform Considering the po-
s1tion he has occupied in the silver
fight, it was a decidedly discreditable
act. especially in view of his years. At
lull In the yelling some one on the
platform shouted, II appeal to the
chivalry of the South to hear Senator
Stewart" but If there was any South
ern chivalry in that convention 1t would
need an X-ray to discover it. A
Georgia delegate finally obtained suf-
ficient order to say: II ask unanimous
consent of this convention that the
distinguished senator from Nevada be
heard" To this there was a perfect
storm Of NO." NO" Rats" and other
slang terms which ended that scene,
the chair not even attempting to put
the Georgia mans motion, and Stew
arts voice was not again heard in the
convention.
THE LIGHTS WENT OUT.
All this time there were rumors going
about the hall, which subsequently
was the hooting down Of Senator Stew
proved true, that Bryan had wired
would not accept if Sewall was not
ne minated. These reports delight
ed the middle -the-road" crowd,
while they did not deter those
who favored Bryan and
Southern man, from continuing their
read the telegram as soon as the vote
for Watson was announced, but stimuli
taneously with that announcement the
arc electric lights went out, and for ten
minutes the convention was in dark
ness and in the greatest of confusion
The extinguishment of the lights, alb
Solutely simultaneously with Watson'S
nomination, seems scarcely possible to
have been an accident If they had
gone out just before the nomination or
while something was pending, it would
have been different, but they were ex-
tinguiShed as the sentence of the chair
announcing the result concluded and
just when a certain portion Of the bust
ness was absolutely complete and be-
fore any one could begin to read Bry-
ans telegram. The only thing that
argues against design in the matter
was that in about ten minutes the
lights were restored, but if they had
been extinguished by design, the plot
tiers might easily have concluded that
the darkness would have thrown the
convention into such a state Of con-
fusion that no further business would
be transacted that night If so, they
reasoned well, for the moment the
lights came back the chair put a motion
to adjourn, which no one heard made
but himself, and declared it carried
amid an overwhelming roar of negative
votes. It was this episode which en-
abled them to head the ticket with
Bryan on the next day.
SOME OF THE ORATORS.
There was, think, more speaking in
this convention than any other one I
have ever attended, but there was
nothing notable In the oratory or any
which will live in history. The speech
of Gen. Weaver, of Iowa, nominating
Bryan, was the best of the entire con-
vention though his voice was not strong
enough to be well heard throughout
the convention hall. He commanded fair
attention, by announcing in advance
that he did not want any cheering. One
of his opening sentences was: Neither
Mr.. Bryan or his personal friends have
any right to say what this convention
shall do" AS they began cheering he
exclaimed Don't cheer, I don't want
any cheering" and thereafter he was
accommodated.
Mrs. Lease, who was given North
DakOta's time to second Bryan's nomi-
nation, was the next best speaker and
better heard than any man who at
tempted to speak from first to last. Her
voice is something wonderful for a
woman Louisiana yielded her time to
Mrs. Minerva Roberts, of Colorado, who
spoke well though not with as strong
a voice as Mrs. Lease. Being a good
deal handsomer than Mrs. Lease, 1
presume her speech was fully as effec
tive. She made the strongest point
against the "Middle-o of the Road" pol
icy, from the Populist standpoint, of
any speaker when she said: with Nc
Kinley on one side and Bryan on the
other, there is no middle ofthe road"
1t was a decided novelty to have women
making speeches from the platform of
a national convention seconding the
nomination of a candidate for presi-
ing If not novel In spite of the fact
that a number of women were dele
gates and that women spoke and sang
repeatedly from the platform. the con-
vention refused to re-adopt the female
suffrage plank from its previous plat
form. A minority report was made to
add the female suffrage plank, and
on this direct issue 1t was voted down.
Perhaps Mr.. Donne1ly made the most
sensible speech for Bryan, when he re-
commended that they should not ask
Bryan whether he Endorsed their plat
form or whether he accepted their
nomination, but simply go ahead.
A COMPARISON
I attended the first national Popu-
list convention at Omaha four years
ago. but 1t was by no means SO bolster
Gus an affair as this one. 1t was there
that futile attempt was made to Sc
cure Judge Greshams nomination and
Taubeneck, the late chairman Of the
national committee, produced a tele-
gram, which Mrs. Lease says was Boz
gus, indicating that Gresham would ac-
cept. That convention was only about
one thousand strong, which perhaps ac-
counts in part Tor it's more orderly
character. It was like this body. evil
IDENTIFY fresh from the people, with it's
women and glee clubs participating in
the proceedings. The most notable out
burst there was four white men car
rying a negro delegate around the hall
on their shoulders, and dumping him
head first on the platform in front OF
the chairman as indicative Of their joy,
and desire to applaud the nomination
Of Gen. Weaver for president.
There was in this convention, as in