The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-07-24
BRYAN'S STRENGTH
WITH POPyLISTS
Senator Allen Is Elected Permanent
Chairman Of the Convention.
FAVOR ABLE TO THE BOY ORATOR
The Nebraska Statesman Leads the
Maine Champion by Nearly Two
Hundred VOtes..Speeches Made
Eugene Debs..Other Incidents of
the Day.


st. Louis, July 23-At ten minutes
past ten Senator Butler, of North Caro-
lima. the temporary chairman. called the
Populist convention to order. At that
time the body of the hall was about
two-thirds fun and there We're probably
not 200 persons in the galleries.
After prayer the chairman called for
the report of the committee on creden-
tials but that committee was still un-
prepared to report and was given fur
ther time. The roll of states was then
called for the names of committees on
organization. resolutions and notifica-
tion of nominees. That operation was
slow and occupied much time. The
heat was very oppressive.
At ll.35 the committee on platform left
:hc convention to meet at the Lincoln
hotel. Eugene Debs entered the con-
vcntion and was greeted with cheers.
Mr. Washburn, of Massachusetts, Of
fered the following resolution:
Whereas. We are all Populists and de-
precate an attack which has appeared in
some ot the newspapers that there is a
disposition on the part of any portion Of
this convention to refuse to abide by the
action of the con> ention: therefore.
Resolved. That We repudiate all such ut
terances AS reflection Upon the fidelity
of the members of this convention to the
Peoples party.
Strong opposition was Immediately
developed to this motion on the part of
delegates from the southern states and
the point of order was made that the
convention. not being yet permanently
organized. ii was out of order
This was followed by number Of mo-
tons and the chair became involved in
hopeless parliamentary tangle. from
which he finally eXtricated himself by
declaring the motion tabled.
\ motion to take recess till 3 o'clock
was finally successful. and the tenn
convention adjourned until that hour.
st. Louis. July 23.-The convention re-
assembled during the hottest portion of
an oppressively hot day. Most of the
delegates set aside all idea of personal
dignity or of the proprleties of the oc-
casion, and divested themselves of
coats. vests and shirt collars.
1t was half past three when Senator
Butler called the convention to order
and stated that the comInittee on Gre
dentials was prepared to make partial
report. Thereupon Mr. Wardell. of
California, chairman of the committee.
came to the stand and submitted a ma =
jority report, recommending that the
delegates be recognized In all the un-
contested cases; that i'm the cases of the
first seven Illinois congressional dis
tricts both contestants and contestees
be seated with the right to cast half
votes, and that in the case of Colorado
the delegates known as the Patterson
delegates be seated and cast the full
votes of the state. Minority reports,
the chairman stated, would be submit
ted in these cases.
That part of the report of the adms-
sion of the delegates where seats We're
uncontested was agreed to.
The Illinois case was then taken up.
Tie report of the majority declares
that the Taylor delegates from Cook
county, Illinois. are not entitled to the
seats, and that the contestants are The
minority report is therefore for the Tay-
lor delegates.
Mr.. Moran. of Nebraska. moved the
adoption of the minority report and
Mr. Denning. of Virginia. moved the
adoption of the majority report.
Mr.. Palmer of Illinois, opened the
discussion in support of the minority
report. therefore seating the Taylor del
egates. The contestants, he said, did
not represent the Peoples party of Cook
county. bat represented a certain ele-
ment I'm Chicago. He declared that the
ease had not been decided on it's merits
by the committee on incidentals.
Some delegate intimated that the
certain element In Chicago" alluded to
by Mr.. Palmer. was the anarchistic ele-
ment. hut Mr.. Palmer disavowed max
ing any such charge.
The majority report was defended by
Mr.. c. l.. Darrow. of Illinois, the lawyer
who defended Eugene Debs. He said
that he would make no insinuations
where he dared to state no facts. The
case he declared, had been carefully
considered last night by the committee
on credentials and the decision of the
committee was an honest and fair one.
No one had yet been heard to give a
reason why that decision should not
stand. Mr.. Jerry Simpson. of Kansas,
spoke for the minority report.
The vote was then taken on the mi
nority report on the Cook county Ulli-
nois) case that the delegates are en-
titled to the seats, the roll of states
being called on the question.
EXTRAORDINARY VOTING.
The vote was taken in the most ex-
traordinary manner. Instead of voting
aye or no on the question before them
the adoption of minority report-most
of the delegates voted upon both re-
ports at the same time. In this hap-
hazard way the sense of the conven-
tion was reached and 1t was found that
they were cast: For the minority re-
port seating the Taylor delegates from
Cook county 542 votes. For the major
ity report seating both delegations with
a half vote 665 votes.
This result was announced by the
chair (Mr. Washburn, of Illinois. whJ
had temporarily relieved Senator But
ler). amid a scene of great confusion.
1t was urged by the chair in reply to d
question that the Illinois delegations
had voted on their own case though no
one had heard Illinois called 1t was
incidentally disclosed during the roll
call that the vote of Louisiana. had
been increased by the committee on
credentials from IL to 32 without any
report being made in regard thereto.
The roll call also gave public informa-
tion for the first time of the number
Of votes assigned each state under the
elastic rules of the convention.
The voting strength of each state was
ne follows: Ala' anna. 81; Arkansas, rs;