New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-07-26
A SHOCKING DEMONSTRA TON.

The closing session Of the remarkable gather
ing at st. Louis was marked by scenes that. II
any serious importance attached to its dclibern-
tons might well give Christian Nation pause
That the financial and business interests OF the
country have been in considerable degree az
feced by the sO-called deliberations or this
Convention, and by the possibilities OF It's out
come it would be Idle to deny. Nor Is II less
obvious that the feeling Of anxiety with whlch
the earlier proceedings were watched by 'he
whole country gradually relaxed and changed
to amused curiosity as the roaring farce devei-
oped through It's several stages OF slangwhahe-
ing by Cyclone" orators. song singing by cos
tuned circus clowns and elOcutlOnary perform
ances by unseXed women. The convention
passed naturally and logically through the same
process of development as the enterprise init
ated and carried through to its legitimate con-
clusion by one Of the leading spirits In It's So
called deliberations known at the time as tine
Coxcy raid" Whoever remembers that queer
outburst of lunacy will recall the fact that.
ridiculous as 1t seemed it did disturb great
many tlmid people at the outset, excited seri-
Gus apprehension as it appeared to be ncreas-
ing in its proportions. but that presently 1t be-
came comic instead of tragic, and amid gen
Grass" and went ANONYMOUSLY to Jail.
The St Louis Convention passed similarly
from the tragic to the comic stage and became,
instead Of threat to public credit ana NATIONAL
honor. n laughing stock for the whole people.
And vet In its last scenes 1t YVES something more
than that. In the ribald aid unseemly transac-
lions with which 1t signalizcd the elimination
of it's PURPOSES it transcribed the Roman Satur-
ct bus do wifi
wild French revoutlonists who hundred
wears ago enthroned the Goddess Of Reason on
the high altar in the Cathedral of N0tre Dame.
When. yesterday drunken and disorderly
rabble OF enthusiasts, claiming to be represent
alive of a great National party, broke cut IN
n demonstration Of mob spirit and mob reck-
lessness marching through the aisles or that
great hall carrying the cross and crown OF
thorns as symbols of their sacricgious irrever-
cnce for the Founder Of Christianity, as well
as of their disregard and contempt for the
fundamental principles of the doctrine He
taught spectacle was afforded that might
we'll cause the most reckless scoffer at religion
and disbellever in Christianity 10 stop and
think
Cross and crown of thOrns. Did these men
realize that they were dragging down into a
common Sculn' IOT pOliiItHi olh'VS 'H"i'"'
that in all Christendom are held sacred-em-
blrms before which multitudcs Of devout men
and women PROSTATE themselves and other
multitudcs name with batcd breath as symbols
of the highest and hottest OF all things that ever
enter into human conscousncss-Of the Divine
INTERPRETATION. the Redemption Of Mankind:
Did they realize this: No matter what may be
their individual beliefs or disbecfs-did they
realize that in this mad bacchanal they were
affronting not only the religious sense of Chris
tendon. but that calm general common-ScnSe
which pays decent respect TO honest religious
convictions? Probably not They had come
together with wild notions about everything
and nothing seemed sacred TO them. And per
haps it is just as well that they did in such
manner make revelations Of themselves. But
think for n moment what possibilities open 10
the reflection that these men might by some
strange visitation of Providence be put ia con-
troll Of the dcstinies Of this Republic.