The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1896-09-02

SMITH. SYLVESTER KELLIHER, CIIAs.
D'AUTREMENr, HANS B. BJoRGE,
JAMES DILLON.
The State convention of the Peo-
pies Party assembled at Harmonic
Hall on Wednesday last and spent all
day until nearly midnight in nomi-
mating candidate for lieutenant-gov-
ernor and a candidate for attorney
general, four candidates for presiden-
tial electors, and in indorsing the
nomination of the Democrats and sill
yer men for the other Offices Of the
state.
THE CONVENTION IN DETAIL.
1t was after L o'clock before the
delegates were in their seats and Chairman
Meighen called them to order.
Chairman Thomas Meighen made a long
and able Introductory speech, in which
he felicitated himself upon his re-
liability as political prophet say
ing that he presided over the first con-
vention of the Peoples party, and he at
that time prediced that 1t was destined to
become the nucleus about which should be
built the party which would redeem the
country from the control of corporate
greed. He said hat his highest hopes were
more than realized In the growth Of the
Populist convention before him. Then he
devoted a few minutes to an Apologize re-
futauon of the claims that the men before
him were dangerous to the country. He
demanded who are the anarchists?" and
some one In the audience replied promptly,
1.-The capitalists" Chairman Meighen fol-
lowed this with another question: "Who
are setting the laws sssde?" and another
man shouted "WaA street." and still
,4ol
Upon this the convention applauded, and
the speaker concluded his address by saying
that there We're only a few anarchists in
the country and they were near Wall
street.
At the conclusion of his remarks he stated
that the state central committee had
agreed upon list of officers, to be recon-
mended to the convention, and he read them
az follows:
Chairman. P. NJ Ringdahl of Polk coun-
ty; secretary, Sturgeon Odel, of Lyon
county; assistant secretary. Lewis Hanson,
of Clay county; reading clerk, Thomas w.
Murphy; sergeant-at-arms. A. G. Wells, Of
Mcleod county. The recommends tons of
the committee were adopted by the conven-
ton. and Secretary Ringdahl advanced from
the wing of the stage and delivered an ad-
dress. He said:
1.-The eyes of the loyal and patriotic peo-
pie Of the state Of Minnesota are on this
convention today. It's nominees. If wisely
chosen. are destined to carry the flag of
reform over the battlements of executive
oppression, and plant it over the executive
chair In the capitol. For Is years we have
pleaded and petitioned for relief from these
greedy monopo!ieS which are eating up the
substance of the people; for Is years we
have gone to the men who are in theory the
servants Of the people. but in fact their
masters and asked them for relief; We
petitioned for a reduction of the rail road
freight rates. and what did they give us?
They gave us the warehouse commission
applause and laughter). Then they curtail-
ed the powers of that commission so that it
was left without a cent to combat the great
railroad corporations with hundreds of mil
lions at their back. The state warehouse
commission has been an Interstate COM
merce commission In miniature. and together
they have become the purest humbug Of
our time. They should both be abolished or
made useful well ornamental.
1--WE asked them for a state elevator at
Duluth, and they have given us a forced
construction of the constitution, by which
our wish was turned aside Whenever the
people striving to do something to evade the
filchings of the monopolsts and the greedy
corporations, they tell us 1t is anarchy.
1--WE asked them for relief from the
Standard Oil monopoly, and they have
given oil inspector who has full
power to test the grade of oil and collect
fees for these tests, but who is powerless
to protect the people from this giant robber
of the people.
''They have squandered the heritage of
the people in many ways; they have given
the richest deposit Of iron ore in the world
into the hands of alien to our state
and they have wasted our rich forests
until only the blackened stumps stand in
mute protest at the ruthless distinctions
they give us Industrial and social conditions
which foster insanity and suicide and force
others to become wanderers over the face
of the earth
"These men have not stopped at their
hell work in Minnesota. They and their
class have brought the nation to the verge
Of financial ruin, and 1t Is our privilege.
not only to redeem the state but to place
the best specimen Of young American man.
hood of the nation in the white house at
Washington William J. Bryan. (Cheers)
Three months ago we looked forward
to this convention as we have looked to-
ward other conventions in the past We
thought we would put up ticket only to
be led to the slaughter. But three months
ago the barons of modern feudalism put
up the American make, and sold them at
auction at the Republican convention at
st. Louis, and the hammer that knocked
them down sounded the death-knell Of the
party of the Shermans, the Clevelands and
the Rothchilds. The men who assumed
supremacy based upon snobbery and mo-
nopoly are coming to their rightful place in
the body polite. In 1776 we voiced the
sentiment of freedom at the lannon's mouth
anu HOW we are TodOy 10 40 the same thing
with the ballot. and the men who have
held the people in bondage are quaking in
their boots over the impending crisis.
HARD ON MCKINLEY.
'They are still making one struggle. In
ancient Rome the conquerors dragged their
captives with chains hitched to their chart
OTIS through the streets Of the capital. Their
modern prototypes have their designs upon
the American eagle. They want to tie him
to the tail Of the golden calf. (Applause)
And Mckinley is practicing to lead the
procession by making himself look like
Napoleon. Gaughter) But he need not
worry himself on that score. He will have
another task. On the 4th Of March he
will head another procession headed for
the head-waters Of Salt Creek, and bringing
up the rear with his fishpole in one hand
and his shot gun in the other will come
the Nimrod of Buzzards Bay. CHEERS and
laughterD
1.-THE day of the political straddler is
past. Men are grasping hands of their
brothers in the conflict of the people against
oppression, regardless of old party lines
and affiliations and all going forward
under the leadership of that manly man
from Nebraska, nominated upon the new
Declaration Of Independence. They have
realized that new opportunities mean new
duties. Time has made ancient truth un-
couth. One truth cannot ride into it's place
upon the back of another; it must fight its
own way. The men who believe In the
modern cause of the people realize that
they are to unite their forces and together
storm the hatflamantS of opproccio, o,,or