The Irish standard., 1896-08-08
A PoPuLls4 !. CONVENTION ! I j !
S'@*
a Racy Description OF IFS. Cen
O.. eral Make
e. e." .r# ..r& 4. -
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coloaELs AND MAJORS ALL ABOUT
And Yet 1t Showed That The People
-...- Have A Griev. =.
.nce
coloaELs AND MAJORS ALL ABou1

and, with much circumlocution and discur-
siveness, transacted it's business and ad-
journed last week, excited a. good deal of
attention throughout the country, notwith-
standing it's peculiar character, and its pro-
ceedings were read with almost as much
interest as were those of the Democratic
convention; and with far more interest
than those of the body which nominated
Mr.. Mckinley. For, whatver may be said
of the Popul;sts, they are thoroughly
American and redolent of the SOIL. Their
gathering was a picturesque assemblage-
the dress, the swagger, the lofty language,
the deep earnestness. of everybody. the
profound convictions and the exalted pur-
poses With this, of course, was mingled
something of the grotesque; yet fifty years
from now all this will wear romantic as
pect, and those who read of it will see in
it only what was noble and good, says the
Catholic Mirror. -. ,,,srss
It was not unlike political, conventions
Of times long past-of those days Of which
we have glimpse in Dickens American
Notes." Among the Populists last week
figured the Generals .,"Colonels" and
majors" almost innumerable;s and there
were men bearing those queer American
nicknames which are so characteristic, and
telling, such. as Cyclone" Davis and
Headlight Foster" and Coxey9 was there,
who once led his ragged minions to Wash
ington, and Carl Browne who acted as his
lieutenant, and other eccentrics. And
there were strong minded women orators
who lifted up their voices boldly with the
rest and were not .abashed. The style Of
oratory was elevated. stately and q little
extravagant; yet sincere, and Its way Inn
pressive. These were the sort: pf speeches
that were made in the old days before. the
war when there were few newspapers, and
when stump speaking was an art cultivated
by every one who had political aspirations,
and when voters would 60 many miles to
hear public questions discussed, In the
West this liking for good speaking still
exists, and such speaking is still effective,
as was shown In the case of Mr. Bryan. !,
The convention Of the Populists was
wholly unconventional. There were no
gentlemen in correct morning dress, with
flowers in their buttonholes,. to read set
addresses in typewriung which had al
ready been given to the reporters. It was
an assemblage of the Peoples Party,
and what we know as the people" were
there mostly the Western people, with
their big hats and rough clothing and
hearty and boisterous manner The phra-
seology was as curious as the rest of the
exhibition, and. racy Of The soil, There was
something characteristic in the rambling
nature Of the proceedings, in the various
Interrupt Tons and adjournments, and even
in the rather enlightenment on one occa-
sion Of the lights. Strange and fantastic
as were all these doings, yet there was in
them something pathetic and impressive.
This meeting Of the P0pulists and the
burden of their speeches tells OF q great.
deal Of suffering, and, one cannot but think,
Of much injustice. That, with all the ex-
and quixotism Of soIne5d the
there is goodness in the cause,
Is shown by the steady growth Of the party
since its beginning. More and more the;
people are recognizing that the social con-
d..tions are not right inf. a great country
like this which give so much wealth
power, comfort and; luxury to sa8 fen, and
lndicts distress and des ion upon many.
They are recoen,,z that under lays
and proper conddIt ions, Fffnssa land ~ such
mar lotls resources sonporz
unite q le.' als