The Portland daily press., 1896-07-31

10 sdntlueut VI bn0 DsGEer CLASS IN New
York and Brooklyn are quite generally
favorable to the Repu blican side.
Tho Populist Convention at st. Lonis.
To the Editor of the Press:
This oonvention-the 'Annex'' of the
recent Chicago convention-has come and
gone. 1t was a remarkable smesting in
many respects, and deserves something
more than a passing notice. 1t was
unique, as representative convention,
A majority of its delegates, unmistak-
ably represented the constituency that
sent them there. AS conventional
body it was quite clearly the embodi-
ment of the anarchist idea of popular
governments. War upon capital, war
between capital and labor, war upon
every corporate industry in the country,
mob violence and mob law, the under
mining of all social order in society and
the Punishment of security to life and
proderty are un DERIVING ideas in the
Populist creed.
The convention from. beginning to end
Vlho AlOu az F6ACu0 q GAlSEA bkCO aOOtc Odo
grade of a bowling mob; for at no time
during the proceedings was there any
thing like elaboration OF fair, enlight-
ened discussion upon any of the matters
before it. Nearly every proposition In
troduced into the convention for Its ac-
tion was either howled up or howled
down. The debates were characterized
| by violent, Incorporate language, in
| decent harangues, personal abuse and a
| prGfusion of profanity that would dis
grace the lowest grog shop orsgamblers'
hell.
These Econ captions Of Craftsmanship
were clearly developed when as candi.
date for the Vice Presidency they kicked
out of the convention Arthur Sewall and
nominated one. who, taking his recently
is one of the cheapest kind Of demagogues
in the whole South. mean Tom
Watson of Georgia. 1t is al acknowl-
edged fact that Mr.. Sewall's respeota-
bility as citizen and business man,
outside Of politlos, was the principal
cause Of his defeat
No decent men (politics aside) stood
the ghost Of chance in that convention.
During the fight the Populist candidate
for governor OF Maine telegraphed home
| that "Sewall's scalp was dangling from
| his (Bateman's) belt." The would be
governors borrowed figure of savage war
fare clearly illustrates the kind of con-
| fiot which ragged in that convention.
| The greatest thing in the convention
Senator Jones, directing him to with
draw Bryan's kname as candidate If
! Sewall was not nominated for the second
place on the ticket.
Well, Sewall was not nominated. Did
Jones respond to the message and with
| draw Bryan's name? Not at AL. 1t all
| goes to show that both Bryan and Jones
understood the dispatch 80 be q huMbug,
| a silly attempt to bulldose the convention
| into the support of Sewall, which most
signally failed.
And as result Bryan is now studying
| to find out how small hole he can crawl
cut of and accept the nomination in the
race of his telegram to Jones.
Whose who study the personality of the
convention will find that great men and
women too were there.
There was General CoXey who few
years since at the head of q small army
of s.ragamuffins, marched from Ohio to
Washington, whose march" will go
down in history as tina greatest military
fest on record-peIha excepting Gen.
Sherman's march through Georgia.
Then there was that old political crank
Ignatius Donneily of Minnesota. who has
by fits and turns belonged to SO many
political parties that he would be obliged
to inc uire of his neighbors to find out
his political status at the present time
A conspicuous figure in the convention
was "Cyclone'' Davis Of Texas standing
feet s in his stocking feet, VINO at the
head of his Hangers" led the fight Of
the "middle road men" and with tho aid
of the 'soalpers'' from Maine won VIC
tory.
It should be noticed that there were
other political lights in that convention,
reinforcement of women, who were
there not, as spectators but as Populjstio
fighters. They made speeches ana sang
club songs. They "cackled' when the
men shouted, and made the welkin ring
with their oratory. There was the ele-
CANT Mary Ellen Lease OF Kansas,
who several years since stumped the state
for the Populsts, while her husband re-
manned at home to care for the children
and who for services rendered demanded
to be sent to Congress or placed in the
Gubernatorial chair Of the state and the
| Pops cheated her out of both places; and
the silver tongued Mrs Roberts Of Color
ado and Miss Johnson of Pennsylvania,
whose personal beauty in addition TO her
charming voice sent the convention wild.
And I might go on with interesting de-
tails of what took place in this sensa-
tiCnal convention, but it is unnecessary
for all agree it was the greatest "sh0w''
ever exhibited In this country-Barnum' q
not excepted.
JOHN J PERRY.