The San Francisco call., 1896-07-26
MAJORITY ARROGANCE.
Joseph Asbury Johnson Tells of
the Successful Battle WaRed
by Southern Delegates.


by Southern Delegates.
ST. LOUIS, No., July 25.-The great
convention is over. It is 8 P. NJ. Since its
close this afternoon have interviewed
the first men of eighteen States on the
outcome of the convention and shall now
condense the whole into brief statement
to which will add a more complete sur
vey tomorrow. Details ana gossip, how
ever entertaining, are not to my purpose
and are omitted.
This has been day of profound serious
ress. The pathos of the situation was at
times overwhelming. Many men shed
tears. and often before their eyes were
dried some irresistably ludicrous thing
moved the vast. eager and often angry
mass to uproarious laughter. The impas-
stoned appeals of Mrs. Lease, Cyclone
Davis and E. Gerry Browne evoked emo
tions which held the stoutest hearts en-
thralled. Mrs. Lease spoke for the great
States which lie in the basin of the Mis-
sissippi, Davis for the Gulf States and
Browne for the Middle and New England
States. They were barely first, with five
times their number close second, and all
pleaded for union. All alike put country
above party.
They stood facing a present crisis. Au-
dience and speakers trembled under the
weight of a responsibility which all felt TO
be well nigh too great for any one to bear.
Moments of passion, like tidal waves,
swept over the assembled thousands. At
times it seemed as if one word too much
would bring on chaos. At the critical mo-
ment, feelings found relief in loud-voiced
laughter. "There is but a step between
the sublime and the ridiculous" and how
often 1t was taken to-day.
Thoughtful men see much in the net re-
suits of the convention to make them
grave. The apparent victors, whose COM
pact union and skilled generalship was
directed with unrelenting persistency
against disorganized and divided forces,
seem less certain that they are masters of
the situation than this seemingly over
whelmed minority. In lieu of real assur-
ance, they assumed an air of insolent au-
thority and superiority, which at times
came perilously near forcing an open re-
volt.
The set faces and cleaning eyes of the
routed minority were well matched by the
low-spoken but electric words with which
ton. And yet in their hearts they longed
for an actual and cordial union. Dom
nelly said to me: There will be a fell
citous and durable union of forces as the
result of the work now consummated, pro-
vided there is untarnished honor in keep
ing the spirit and letter also of this COM
pact The South has yielded much; II
can yield no more. Watson must hold the
second place in good faith and Sewall must
make good the claim of his Democratic
friends that his patriotism overtops his
partisan pride and his am bition for Office.
1t now depends upon Sewall. The South
shall not be defrauded."
This was said quietly, but his lips
trent bIed, his chest heaved and his tones
vibrated. So spoke many OF hers.
Davis said: "My brother, you ask me
for ultimate thought, and gladly give 1t !;
my people in the South are in sore straits,
for their sole barrier and protector against
the brutal tyrrany of bourbon gold De-
mocracy is the Peoples party. Make that
the instrumentality of our deliverance and
we are saved; destroy it, and you turn US.
over to the merciless enemy, official and
machine Democracy, and tell you. all is
lost. Give US Watson, with honor and a
fair deal, and we are irresistible, the bat
tie is won. We cannot take Sewall. Our
people would rather have Mckinley. We
would suffer less and would retain our
party in untarnished honor. No Southern
Populist will vote for Bryan and Sewall.
On fair deal, every man OF US will vote for
Bryan and Watson. We shall wait and
see'
9
Populist candidate for Governor of that
State, takes this view:
~ am free to say that regard parties
solely as political instrume en- salities, whose
usefulness ceases when they either become
corrupt or fail to reach and guide the peo-
pie. 1 now frankly say, Mr.. Johnson,
that if the union this day accomplished is
to bring together the friends of toIling
millions, and will wrest the Government
of this country from the greedy clutch of
gold men, / care not under what party
name the work is done. 1 shall GO on in
good faith till / am met with bad faith
from our new allies. If that is to be our
portion under the new compact 1 quit it.
/ shall still cherish the Peoples party,
and go on with our work of education.
We shall have the Republican gold policy
four years. You know what that means.
The people will know. In 1900 we shall
all be together in peoples party of some
kind, and deliverance will come. Better
the destruction of Democracy and the
growth OF a new party than sham victory
with dishonest allies. We shall not long
be in doubt. We may trust the people. !"
Tomorrow shall refer in particular to
the interests which nodded the conven-
ton, and name responsible persons. We
begin our homeward journey at 8 P. N. to-
morrow. Most of as will return by the
same route we came and in the same car
JOSEPH AsBURY JOHNSON.