Daily Kennebec journal., 1896-07-24
STILL AT IT.
Popu|ists Seem to Be Delay
ing Their Work.
Do Some Business at Thursdays Ses-
sion, but Not Much.
No Candidate Tor the Presidency Has as Yet
Been Named.

citing the Ire OF some OF the IOpullStS
Jerry Simpson last night denounced the
officers of the convention as a lot of
imbeciles" The secretary of the st.
Louis Business Mems League. who has
the convention arrangements in charge,
assumed all the responsibility for the
mishap regarding the light last night.
He says it was entirely accidental and
expresses his regret at the occurrence.
The Bryan and anti-Bryan forces
seemed to be distinctly aligned this
| morning behind rival candidates for
permanent chairman. the Bryan men,
| favoring Senator Allen of Nebraska and
the anti Bryan or Middle Of the Road
men, supporting Ignatius Donnelly of
Minnesota Each side claimed to have
| a clear majority of the convention.
The stand taken blythe Middle of-the-
Road men recalls Senator Hills speech
at Chicago in which he said: Il tell you
| that no matter who your candidate may
| be in this convention, with possibly
one exception your Popuistic friends
upon whom you are relying for support,
will nominate their own ticket and
your silver forces will be divided. Mark
| the prediction which | make.
| s'ePH'N
good time for the morning session. The
immediate and uppermost question in
all their minds is Shall the convention
keep to the middle of the road making
| its own platform and choosing it's own
| candidates for President and y ice Presi-
dent? Shall il endorse or nominate the
Democratic nominee. or shall it take
| the middle course. endorse Bryan,
| nominate a Southern Populist for Vice
| President, and patch up some sort of
| terms by which that arrangement can
| be made practicable and successful?'
Each plan has its own faction de-
| termined to carry out its own plan and
| to oppose any other plan, even to the
| extreme point of boiling II the other plan
| be adopted.
| At 10 minutes past 10 Senator Butler
of North Carolina, the temporary chair
| man. called the convention to order.
| At that time the body of the hall was
about two-thirds full, and there We're
probably not 200 persons in the CALLER
| les.
There were several women seated
among the delegates. The Rev. Mr.
| Smith offered a short prayer The
chairman then called for the report of
| the committee on credentials but that
committee was still unprepared to re-
port and was given further time. The
roll of states was then called for the
| names of the committeeman on organ
iZation. resolution and notification of
nominees.
Among the conspicuous persons on the
platform was Mr.. Jesse Harper of
| Kansas who is said to have nominated
| Abraham Lincoln for the Presidency at
Chicago in 1860
The names of the proposed commit
teemen having all been sent in, those
| on permanent organization We're re
quested by the chairman at 1850 to re-
| tire for consultation.
While the call of committeeman was
going on there was sudden outburst
| of cheering all over the hall. 1t was
| caused by the irruption of IA small
party of Texas delegates headed by the
| two bearers of banner inscribed with
! the words Middle of the Road:
Straight Populst Ticket"
| A majority of delegates rose and
| cheered and shouted and waved hats
| and fans. and the spectators in the
| gallery Joined in the shouts and cheer
| ing.
From the gallery behind the stand
| flight of blue cards descended on which
| We're printed financial plank, pro-
posed for the Middle-of- the Road peo-
pie by three of the Arkansas delegates.
This plank is in these words:
We demand national treasury note.
issued by the general government re-
| ceivable for all public dues and a full
legal tender in payment of all debts.
public and private, and loaned direct to
the people through postal and other
governmental banks at cost for the
benefit of the people, and the purchase
and coinage of such amount of gold
and silver bullion, at the ratio of is to
|, as may be necessary to pay the debts
of the government, which are made
payable in coin. We demand that the
volume of money shall speedily in
crease to an amount necessary to
transact the business of the country on
cash basis.
A motion was made by Delegate
Crafford of Kansas, that the delegates
to the silver convention be admitted to
this convention on the presentation of
their badges. The motion was greeted
with Kisses and shouts of no. 1t was
modified by making it apply only to the
galleries. The chairman ruled the mo-
ton out of order, on the ground that
it would violate the contract made with
the business men of st. Louis. The rul-
ing was loudly applauded.
The Massachusetts delegation have
decided to present the name of E.
Gerry Brown as a favorite son candi-
date FOR Vice President
A motion to take recess till 3 was
finally successful, and the temporary
chairman at 12.45 declared the conven-
tion adjourned until that hour
The Populist convention re-assem-
bled during the hottest portion of an
oppressively hot day.. 1t was $3.50 when
Senator Butler called the convention
to order. and stated that the commit
tee on credentials was prepared to,
make a partial report. Thereupon Mr.
Wardell of California, chairman Of the
committee. submitted the majority re-
port recommending the delegates be
recognized in all uncontested cases;