The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1896-08-20

clpoN W Sulue Ills lOOtStepS. lie spoke
his sentiments, and. right or wrong, he
is willing to bide the consequences. At
Galveston shirt sleeves and jean pants
predominated. 1t was meeting of the
people.
Here in Fort Worth today is assem-
bled the counterfeit of the populist con-
yention. Here are assembled men who
are loudly swearing allegiance to the
cause of silver. Yet there is not that
true ring about their intonations that
marked the Galveston meeting. This
crowd is not the real They are imita-
tors. They strive to equal, but fail to
come near the real eXponents of the sill
yer craze. Here are the popocrats. The
imitation and the imperfect. At Calves
ton was assembled the genuine article,
and oh, what difference the contrast
brings out. Here, in this popocrat con-
venton, are assembled men who pretend
times disguise themselves. Here are
office seekers-silk-stock diamond
bedecked pie hunters. They predomnate.
Look where you would in today's con-
vention and you could see little else but
office seekers. They are here, not by ones
or twos, but by the dozens. They COM
prise the convention. When one is NOM
mated the balance of the crowd will rise
up as one man and say he is great and
he shall have the Office, and he will get
it. They are all bound together in one
common brotherhood of pie hunters.
Verify the position Is peculiar one.
The genuine article of populism speaks
out for its silver god, because it is part
of its religion. The counterfeit present
ment-the popocrat-speaks out for the
silver god because they think there is
pie behind the eXpoundment of its doc
trines. The mockery of their utterances
is apparent with each note dropped by
the oilice-seeking chair. They may sing
their sweetest lullaby and assume all the
guises worn by the people they are at
tempting to initiate, but the populists will
ever stand forth Il separate and distinct
faction from the popocrats who are now
trying to steal their uttcrances, as they
have in the past stolen their fundamcn-
tai theories.
Ii is most fitting that these popocrats
should meet in this city of all cities in the
state. Here it was. last summer, that
the heat of n summers sun brought forth
the weed of silver fallacy that has
wrecked the democratic party in Texas
and thrown down the mantel of purity
that has so long shielded the party from
corruption and party betrayment. Here
it was that Judge Reagan, Representa-
tive Liliard al, organized faction
outside of the party, that has, by cunning
and trickery, stolen into and captured the
democratic party and turned its chosen
children out to Craze. One year ago
this faction was organized. The adj
ministration ring agreed to champion the
cause of this Fort Worth crowd, and
among the lot of them they have COM
bined forces and by trickery have
things their own way now. They have it
their own way so far as this convention
is concerned. They are all of one
mind here. They are popocrats seeking
to initiate the Galveston crowd. and
will do their best in that line. This IS
called n democratic convention and yet
looking over the assembled crowd you
see nobody save the crowd that assem-
blcd here last summer and declared for
free silver and fight to steal the fun
damental principles of populism."
There is scarcely single new face,
and vet few of the old ones are missing.
The crowd that assembled here one year
ago did not have the audacity to call
themselves a democratic convention, but,
emboldened by time and the prestige of
position, we find the same identical
crowd assembled here again this sum
mer, and they rear back and call them
selves ''the democratic party" If they
were not the democratic party one year
ago, why are they now? That is what
is worrying the looker-on in this pOpo-
crat convention. These popocrats seem
to flourish in the warmth of a hot sum
mer. In that respect they are some
what like their friends, ;he populists
They can swelter beneath the hottest
sun while they save the country, and
durance vile they look for more worlds
to capture Fort Worth should be
proud of it's offspring. That which was
sprung into life short year ago in its
city has improved it's lung powers won
derfully since, and while the numerical
strength has not perceptibly increased,
judging from the attendance here, the
capablity of the crowd to make noise
has been steadily on the Increase until
now they have almost reached a stage
of perfection in the matter of making
much noise. They speak not with so
many words OF wisdom in their mouths,
but with sufficient wind propelling force
from their lungs to make the welkin ring
Judging from what one hears now, the
old saying of the creature being greater
than its Creator is about 10 be wildly
portrayed. The popocrat is now loudly
proclaiming that he is greater than
that which he seeks to mitate-the
Simon pure pOpulist What meat doth
these Nineteenth century Caesars feed
upon?
THE ATTENDANCE VERY SLIM.
Some Reasons Why Many Stayed at
Home.