Evening star., 1896-07-21


Mark Hanna's money for the purpose of
preventing thB Endorsement of Bryan and
defeating the silver party.
The proved t9 Ss silas a Ross oft Of But
phati: maniisr that he had been engaeed
In s1eh business, or HAD ever seen the Okla-
homh man before.
AlBight claifned that Ross had represent
ed himself as FROM Baltimore and other
portions of the country. but upon close
questioning he admitted that he might be
mistaken. saying that the man looked very
much like Ross.
Going Down the ROLF
Later In the meeting Hackstaff of Col
orado entered and made a speech. The
Oklahoma man said Hackstan was the man.
Hackstaff Immediately denied that he had
ever been seen in Oklahoma before. or that
he was engaged in anything but an EFFORT
to select a straisht-ou populist candidate
for President. The Oklahoma man seemed
to be undecided. and went out after mo-
ton had been adopted requesting the Bryan
men to leave.
Then the meeting was called to order with
whoop that none but straight-out popu-
lists be nominated for President. Then oc-
CURED row over the fact that men with
Bryan badges were In the room. 1t was
claimed by the middle-of-the-road people
that these Bryan men should either get out
or declare themselves for q ddle-of-the-
road ticket. There were several quarrels
over the speakers recognition. and a sem
blance of order was finally obtained by
moving q call of the roll Of states to secure
responses. and see what strength the mid
dle-of- -the-road men would have in the con-
vention.
Arizona did not respond, nor did Alabama,
although Florida man stated that he un-
derstood Alabama was divided. Arkansas
was for the Omaha platform. California
was divided. and 1t was said the middle
of-the-road men in the delegation would
a OF afeytf tot y,1o r
form There was no response from Con-
necticut.
Colorado announced two delegations. one
for Bryan and the other for straight-out.
1t was moved that the middle-of-t -the-road
men use every effort to seat their deega-
ton and reject the Bryan delegation.
This was carried with q shout. There
were no responses from Delaware or the
District Of Columbia Colorado and Florida
announced two votes for the middle-of-tlle-
road. Georgia did not respond. Indiana
was called. and 1T was announced that the
greater portion of the delegation was mid
die Of the road
The delegate making the announcement
said the populists that he represented DID
not propose to do anything that would as
sist in the election Of Daniel W. Voorhees,
to succeed himself.
More whoops were heard when this an
ncuncement was made.
Idaho was called. James Gunn said that
her seven votes would be cast for Bryan;
that no matter what this convention did
the Idaho popuIists would vote solidly for
Bryan and carry the state for him. The
secretary made the point Of order that this
was q middle-of-the-road meeting. and that
the Bryan men had no right to try and
make this "a ratification meeting.
After. some wrangling MIR. Gum was
granted q few minutes to make state
ment He detailed the hardship the popu-
1iStS had epcOnptpre1 and Sntd that no
matter what was done he always intended
to remain po?ulist.
When Iowa was called Secretary Reed
entered into a discussion of the preferences
Of different delegates. and after figuring
out five or six middle-of-the-road men, he
entered an emphatic denial of Weaver's
statement that Iowa would cast thirty
solid votes for Bryan.
A delegate from Texas named Wood
chipped i'll at nearly every announcement,
saying: TEXAS greets you and promises
% votes to helD out.
He had promised the ninety-flve votes to
seat the anti-Bryan delegation from Col
orado. He and Webster of Missouri got
into a discussion of side matter, and each
warned the middle Of the-road men to keep
out of caucus of state delegations, which
would turn their votes over TO Bryan. Both
said the unit rule should be avoided. and
each vote as he saw fit.
When Illinois was called the announce
ment was made that there was an Altgeld
delegation for Bryan and a Taylor dele
cation for the middle-of-the-road.
1t was promptly announced. how ever,
that Altgeld was not a delegate. The reply
was made that Altged controlled the Bry-
an delegation
When Maine was called a man mounted
chair and stated with great vehemence
that there was only one delegate from
Maine present. but the delegation was solid
for the middle of the road.
Another man with equal vehemence de-
MED the assertion.
=,
with one exception. solid for the middle Of
the road. A man from Mississippi an
nounced that that state was opposed to any
fusion, but he could not speak definitely,
HGckstaff Of Colorado. in speaking for
that state. said that there were two dele
cations. the straight middle of the road in
tending to go out of the convention If
Bryan was nominated.
The meeting gave three cheers for him.
Hackstaff went on with his speech, saying
out of their position.
Wall street agents were here, he said, to
disrupt the popuist party and turn 1t over
to the democratic party. He detailed at
length 1.-The facts about the two Colorado
conventions and said the Bryan delegation
were very bad men,
Then enSued the incident in which the
Oklahoma man was concerned After the
adoption of the motion to put out the Bry-
an men, thus cutting of the Okiahoman's 9
explanation. a row occurred. A German
populiSt from St. Louis said 1t was not q
populist. but q republican meeting.
The Disturber Put Out.
Thare were loud cries, Put him out"
and Down with the traitor" "Sit down."
said the chairman.
Il won't sit down. said the Missourian.
'ycu can't make me sit down.
The chairman told some one to put him
out. The German showed fight. A Mime
sofa man jumped in with fists doubled. and
it looked for moment as If Minnesota
and Missouri were going to shed blood.
But there were enough men to prevent
actual hostilities, and the Missouri man
vas hustled toward the door, declaring
that his money, which paid for the hall
and the badges, had been diverted from a
straight populist party to faction.
The business was resumed. The Mime
sofa man was SO mad that he would make
no response for his state, and there was
none from Maryland. New Jersey, New
Hampshire or Dakota
Ross Of New York, who had been mixing
up in the Hackstaf incident, said he repre-
sented the middle of the road men.
The call Of North Carolina brought forth
a man who said he did not know why, but
he was the only one from North Carolina
there. He did not know why the other del
egates from North Carolina were not with
them. Then Hal Aver of North Carolina
mounted chair and stated: 1.-THE real
facts connected with middle of the road
movement" he said. "are that while they