The San Francisco call., 1896-07-25
TOM WATSON IN
SECOND PLACE,
ToOntfnued from FIRST Rags.l

leyeiing loaded foretinger at the relay,
asked, with an asperity that was laugh
able, whether the horny-handed man was
chairman of the convention. This was
taken up by the Texan relay, who in
formed bis delegation that guy from
Maine was asking whether Smith OF Ne
braska or Allen of Nebraska was in the
chair.
1t could not be truly Populistic con-
vention without the presence of cranks
and without those spectacular effects
which make life indeed worth living even
to Populist. At time when important
business was to be transacted this FORE
noon the convention was thrown into
spasms OF applause and laughter by the
appearance of Mrs. Mary Pennington, at
tired as a goddess OF liberty (not the
Goddess of Liberty. accompanied by a
man costumed as Uncle Sam. The lady,
who has indeed winsome face and
sweet but thin voice, started to sing a
campaign song to the air of "Auld Lang
Syne," and it was at once seen, or rather
heard, that she had pitched her voice too
high, and when she reached the third bar
she fell over it, but picked herself up very
gracefully and started again few rounds
about seventeen stanzas to the song-one
OF those Queen of Spain compositions. war
ranted to last till morning. The introduc-
tion OF this melody brought out the fact
that Sockiess Simpson has no more ear for
music than he has feet tor socks. Mr..
Simpson mounted chair and suggested
that while the music had been very nice.
1t would have been more agreeable had it
been sung at some other time and in some
other place. The convention had whole
| lot OF business TO do, and, like Macbeth
Mr.. Simpson was of the opinion that il,
"'Twere done when tits done, 'twere bet
ter that 'twere done quickly"
But the funniest, the most persistent.
the most Indignantly irate crank OF all
was little man with whiskers from
Rhode Island. l mean that the man as
well as the whiskers is from Rhode Island.
He offered as a substitute to the majority
and minority reports platform of his own,
which loud-voiced relay proceeded to
read. 1t began with:
when in the course of human events it
becomes necessary" ETC., 'sfor the free
coinage of silver" and it went on in SINH
lar strain, being a cheap paraphrase OF the
immortal Declaration of Independence.
1t did not take much time for the conven-
| ton to discover this crankiness in the doc
ument and several motions were made to
refer the declaration OF independence of
silver TO the committee on resolutions.
| The motion was carried, and when the
chairman had SO declared the little Rhode
Islander, white with anger, demanded
that his precious composition be read. He
| shrieked his demand fercely and brand
ished an diversified fist so threateningly
that the convention shrieked with laugh
ter as the Rhode Islander was forcibly
carried from the platform to his seat by
three OF st. Louis "most staIwart police
men,"
Senator PETER modestly occupies a seat
in the rear OF the chairman's platform,
and he has excited the envy of all be-
holders because by his side sits a stylish
| looking young woman who wears one
natty costume in the morning, another in
the afternoon and another in the evening.
| Her hats are beautiful and artistic crea-
tions of the milliner, and the gay coiors of
| the flowers in them seem brighter and
gayer when flashed against the brown
! background of the Senator's historic
whiskers. She is a Texan belle, and when
she flashes row of white teeth whisper
ing into the Senator's ear, the spirit of
murder takes possession of the heart of
every gallant man in the hall, for they are
all watching her.
As the discussion on the Vice Presidency
continues night that eminently dignifed
and respectable banker, ship-builder and
railroader of Maine is being roasted alive
with burning words uttered by the friends
of Tom Watson of Georgia. of whom one
OF the speakers said that he had been often
elected and as often defrauded. Delegates
who had no objection to Bryan declared
that they as Populists could not stomach
Sewall; it was asking too much even from
men who were willing to support Demo
crat upon Democratic platform. Tom
Watson's name seemed to have magic in
it for the Southern heart He had been
counted out time and again by the South
ern Democracy, the natural foe of South
ern Populism. and it seemed fitting that
he should replace upon the fusion ticket a
Democrat Not u word was said against
Bryan, bat every speaker except the sup
porters OF Sewall voiced their dissatisfac-
tion with him both as man and mil
lionaire.
There is one thing must not forget in
this letter and which if l did not mention
would be an act OF injustice to represen-
tative body of American citizens, and that
is that / am agreeably disappointed with
the makeup of this convention. had
expected to find cranks here; they are
here, but they are in such very small
minority that they are practically invisi-
BILE and unheard. / found large proper
tion of scholarly and thoughtful men, in
the main, honest and sincere of purpose,
and l found also many men with no mean
gilt OF eloquence both natural and ac-
quired. Through all the speeches beamed
the brilliant hues of the flower of poesy
and imagination that seem to thrive the
best and shine the brightest in the land OF
the magnolia and the palmetto.
lgnatius Donnelly, scholar and states
man, who has written at least two books
which will remain permanently as an
honor to American literary genius, is one
OF these. His presence and his support
would dignity and lend the charm of in
MmII l.. Il