The San Francisco call., 1896-07-27
Elected Chairman of the Plat
form Committee by Only
One Vote.
RESULTS THAT SEEM STRANGE.
Two Reasons Why the Micdle.o e.of-tne.
RoadSters F ed to Control the
Convention.

ST. LOUIS, Mo-, July 26.-I resume my
review OF the conditions which made the
inevitable and gave color to the proceed
ings, and / shall close with a succinct
statement of the actual political situation.
/ premise that my twenty hours of close
contact and hand to-hand encounters
with forty-tive of the best men in the
Populist party who constituted the CON-
mittee on platform and resolutons-men
who are thoroughly schooled in the eco
nomics and philosophy of the Populist
system, and coming to the work IN hand
thoroughly equipped by intellectual train
ing and made practical by political and
official experience-gave me a complete
mastery OF the purposes and methods
both of the straight Populists and our
Organized associates.
It is also important that state a fact
with regard to the choice of chairman of
the committee. for it is generally known
that General Weaver was elected by but
one majority, and>two belated members
arrived Just as the vote was declared who
would have voted for Judge Jerome c.
Kerby of Texas, Populist candidate for
Governor of that State, and he would have
been chosen by one vote instead of Gen.
eral Weaver, who said to me in a tone of
defiance just before the vote was taken:
81 shall be elected by a two-thirds VOTE
for L represent two-thirds of the conven-
tion."
That was no doubt the belief OF all
Organized Populists. Probably General
Weaver never went through a more excit-
ing event in his life than while the vote
was counted. His face was purple with
excitement. But from the moment the
vote was announced the word was passed
rapidly to all the leading Bryan Populists
not on our committee, and they at once
moderated their attitude toward the
straight Populists. When the convention
reversed the order and decided to elect the
Vice-Presidential candidate first, and then
proceeded in spite of all obstacles raised
by the Bryanites to elect Tom Watson, the
actual strength of the straight Populists
asserted itself.
In the face OF these results it may seem
strange to some people that the straight
Populists did net thereafter rule the con-
ventlon and even go so far as to nominate
Colonel Norton or some other man as they
did Watson, but a look at the facts be-
meath this space will make this seeming
Inconsistency perfectly clear. There are
two reasons: First, the straight Populists
never intended to refuse alliance with the
other reform forces which stood for free
silver and more money, and they were
agreed that Bryan stood for perhaps full
third of these forces. and was in fact at
heart at Populist; second, they recognized
the fact that the country was in the first
stage of great Bryan fever, and half the
people of the whole country were gone
daft in favor of Bryan, and that it would
be necessary to keep the convention here
perhaps ten days, in order to change pub
lie sentiment and make it safe to ignore
the claim and pretensions of the Bryan
ties.
1t was known to all that the poverty of the
delegates would force two-thlrds of them
to return on Saturday; hence, nomina-
tion became necessary and Bryan had to
be the man. 1t may help to make the
proceedings of this most extraordinary
convention little more comprehensive
if l call attention to the fact that four
States were organized and consolidated
with the ablest leadership to force the issue
OF nominating Bryan on the vast unorgan.
lied majority, who had no plans laid, no
candidates agreed upon, no concert OF
action of any kind, except to secure a
genuine and unimpaired declaration of the
party's faith in the platform. Those four
States were Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas and
Colorado.
Weaver in Iowa, Allen in Nebraska,
Llewellyn In Kansas and Tom Patterson
in Colorado led the fight in their several
States. They soon succeeded in dividing
the delegations in several of the States
west of Ohio. 1t was a com paratively
easy matter for these four States, with
their large delegations under the inspira-
ton and direction of the State leaders, to
invade the defenseless delegations OF all
the other States and win over a part
of them, and thus create dissension and
distrust, with all the attendant weakness
and distraction OF divided delegation.
I must abruptly close. The heat has
been so prostrating that writing was out
of the question till late in the afternoon,
and it is now halfpast 6, with the ther-
mometer at 98 deg. and no preparation
yet made for our journey, AID we are to
start in two hours. We are all we'll except
Dore OF Fresno. who is worn out and half
sick to-day with work on the National ex-
ecutive committee; but he will be able to
go. will resume the analysis of the stu.
alton tomorrow.
JOSEPH AsBURY JOHNSON.
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fl-D u A y