The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-07-24
THE MORNING SESSION.
No Material Progress Made by the
Convention

ST. Louis, July 23.-At 1905 Senator
Butler, ithe temporary chairman, APP
peared on the platform. Simultaneous
y t4le band struck up Dixie" and the
delegates uncorked some of their
pent-up enthusiasm.
Five minutes later Chairman Butler
called the convention to order and the
Rev. Mr.. Smith offered an invocation
for the divine blessing.
After an unheard and mnoticed an
nouncement by an Illinois delegate, the
report of the committee on credentials
was called for, but no one responded
and the States were called for mem
bers of the committee on permanent
organization and resolutions.
The delegates sat in the sweltering
heat while the announcements were
being made. Almost every one IN the
hall had supplied himself with palm
leaf fan, and the thousands or more
fans waved conyulsively in the pit, like
the wings of myriads of yellow butter
flies lowering above a clover patch. Big
sunfiowers adorned the fans of the
Kansas delegation. There were at
times long delays and the delegates
grew perceptibly impatient. The mid
dle-of-the-roaders were extremely sus-
picious. They intimated that it was
part OF the plot to defeat them.
After the announcement of the com
mlttee on permanent organization, the
members retired. While other anounce-
ments We're being made a middle-of-
the-road man attempted a demonstra-
ton.
1t was dramatically arranged, but
it only served to demonstrate the hope
less minority of the straightouts. \
squad of middle-of-the-road headed
by delegate Branch, of Georgia, sud
denly plunged into the hall through
the main entrance and came whooping
down the center aisle. Mr.. Branch bore
alOft white banner, with the inscrip-
ton "Middie-Of-the-road, a straight
ticket"
At sight of it the Texas, Georgia,
Maine, Missouri and Mississippi dele
cations mounted their chairs and yell
ed at the top of their voices. About
a sixth of the delegates Joined in the
demonstration.
There was a ripple of applause and
few shouts when the name of Jacob
s. COXey was announced as a member
of the committee on platform from
Ohio. There were also demonstrations
for Governor Holcomb, of Nevada;
Gen. Weaver, of Iowa, and ex-Gov.
Llewellyn, of Kansas, when their
names were shouted out.
CAMPAIGN SONGS SUNG.
Delegate Dixon, of Oklahoma.
mounted the stage and after adjuring
the delegates to be quiet and not in
terrupted, introduced Claraca II. Com
ley, of Oklahoma, who regaled the con-
vention with some campaign songs.
An Alabama delegate introduced
Mistress Pennington, the sweet cam
paign singer, Of Arkansas" She sang
in pleasant soprano voice parody on
'Yankee-doodle dandy" each verse of
which concluded:
"Yankee-doodle, get your gun,
"Shoot the gold bugs, every one;
"Yankee-doodle, dandy"
Delegate Crawford, of Kansas, mov-
ed that the delegates of the silver con-
vention be admitted on exhibition of
their badges. There were many cries
of "no, no' from the 'middle-of-the-
readers" who evidently thought thy
saw in this move to pack the CALLER
les with Bryan shouters.
Sergeant-at-Arms Medal got on the
platform and said it was impossible
to carry out such instructions.
After some wrangling Chairman But