The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-07-22
THE FOPULIS9 CIRCUS.
Tremendous Opposition to Bully
Boy Bryan : Texas
Talks Bolt.

ST. LOUIS. Mo-, July %. 1S96.-No
matter how heated the proceedings of
the Peoples Party convention may be
today-and there is every prospect of
hot fight from the word "go''-the
weather viii keep pace with the dis
putants. 1t is a typical st. Louis summer
day-scorching from the very start and
growing more SO every minute. Quite
an influx of newly arrived delegates is
noticeable at all the hotels and the pre-
ponderance of gr;zzled. long bearded men
past the meridian of life, which has been
a noticeable feature of the gathering
| from the first, is evermore marked than
! heretofore.
The Middle of the Road delegates, who
followed the lead of the Texas people
and Joined with them in their opposition
to Senator Butler, the choice of the Ma
tional Committee for temporary chair
man, held a meeting this morning and
reconsidered the action taken late last
night The decision to run Judge o. d.
Jones, Of Missouri, against Senator But
Ter for temporary chairman was rescind-
ed and it was agreed TO make no opposi-
ton to the election of Senator Butler for
the temporary presiding officer. Last night
the delegation led by few hot heads
and believing that they had a safe ma
jority of the total number of delegates
in favor of an independent ticket would
| not listen to more conservative delegates,
who preferred that the fight be made
against the nomination of Bryan instead
| of complicating matters by attempting
| 10 overthrow the action of the National
Committee in selecting Senator Butler,
| whose views on making the ticket did
| not coincide with the views of the mid
| of-the-road people This morning
| California and several Western States
suggested in the interest of harmony that
no contests should be made against Sena-
| tor Butler, and after q short but turbul-
| ent session in the Texan headquarters,
! the decision was arrived at to make no
! fight on temporary chairman The deie-
gates who favor a straight-out Populist
! ticket declare that this action was not
| due to any lack of strength, but was
solely in the interest Of harmony. They
| claim to be able to control the convention
and express themselves as positive that
1 Bryan will not be nominated or endorsed
/ The same uncertainty and confusion
| prevailed about the hour of the meeting
| of the Peoples Party PopulGst) ConVen-
| ton as about the various other matters
| connected with it. Ten o'clock, eleven,
1 and noon, had been publicly given out
| as the hour, with more or less apparent
/ authority. At the earliest of these points
of time there We're not fifty delegates in
the convention hail. and only a few Sol-
| tary figures were TO be seen scattered
/ here and there throughout the galleries.
| An hour later there had been seeessions
that about doubled the number of people
on the floor and In the galleries. The hall
was practically in the same condition as
to arrangements and decorations that it
| was in when the Republican Convention
| assembled in 1t five weeks ago, except
that the pictures of Washington, Grant,
| md h6pn
and that the place reserved for the Chair
man. Secretaries and other officials and
celebrities on tine stage was absolutely
| unproyided with tables, chairs or any
other part of the necessary outfit. The
reason for this nakedness in the most
| important and conspicuous part of the
hall was past finding out
The absence of brass bands as an almost
necessary adjunct TO all political gather
ings, has been particularly noticeable in
/ connection with the Populists. There
| was an exception made today, however, a
band being. located in the gallery back
of the chairman's stand which filled up
the long waiting time
Mr.. Ignatius DOnnelly, OF Minnesota,
was early in attendance smiling, unctu-
Gus, and rotund as ever, and little
changed in personal appearance since he
a representative from the State of Penn
sylsaIria- He moved about among the
delegates chatting with them and pre- re
cause Of middle of the road Populism.
Many Of the delegates setting ceremony
and dignity aside as unbefitting the
| weather and the occasion, Invested them
selves OF coats and sat in their shirt
sleeves tanning themselves ass;duously.
The unceremoniousness Of the affair was
further indicated by the presence Of some
ladies In the seats Of delegates, and by
the carving around of the youngest Coxey
child baptised by the name Of Legal
Tender -
The ladies' however, had the right OF
entrance being delegates from the State
of Colorado, five in number end every
one of them an orator. Before tho
rncet.ng of the convention ex-GovsrEcl
Waite of Colorado. had been a contest
ant for a seat, but who withdrew his
contest yesterday, managed to obtain
an audience from the Pennsylvania dele
cation, and made ten-rninute address
in favor of the endorsement Of the
Chicago nominees. His speech was heard
politely and was even applauded, but
no indication was given as to what the
action of the delegation would be.
AT ha9f-past eleven the first motion
was made in the line of providing ac-
commodation for the chairman and Off
GERS. Soon after this some work.
one OF the galleries a fair
draped In the American flag, and the
fion Of applause or interest that the con-
Other occasional cheers vent up from
siss saissscerfaiined fhat Drcvocafion III diem