New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-08-04
BLASPHEMY ON TAP.
SOME EXAMPLES OF ITS coPIoUs FLOW
FROM POPULTsTs' LIPS.


| "Al hell Is for the Bryan ticket" enthusiastic
cally declared Senator Stewart the other day and
a Western paper printed the interview under
headline suggesting that at last the Internal re-
gions had been stampeded. That might be a rea-
sonable explanation OF the outbreak Of profanity
that has been heard among the supporters Of the
Popocrat ticket since the Popusts gathered at
st. Louis to express their approval Of 1t In Ian
guage that was even more radical than the politi
cal revolutions they desire and certainly more
shocking than has ever been uttered at any polit-
icaI convention in this country. Senator Stew
arts remark is only late echo Of the tumult OF
profanity which arose from the Populist assem-
blage in the big Auditorium.
II Is only another phase Of the historical nat
of this campaign that these excited people.
who take themselves withal so seriously. should
mix their prayers and their curses, like the be-
ings in some Of Dante's familiar scenes. Many
of the delegates TO the Populst Convention were
said to be able TO quote the Scriptures and to
curse with equal volubility, and most Of the ora
tors gave convincing evidence Of their ability in
both directions
Mr.. Bryan himself. the new Messiah the
man raised up Of God" he is Familiarity called
in the language CT the Popocrats set the fashion
of this pcrverson 10 political uses Of the words
about which cluster religious associations. The
barrel of blasphemy preached who bungs" asks
Browning. No did. Mr.. Bryans followers
drew out it's utmost contents.
Mr.. Bryan's oft-repeated metaphor founded on
the Crucihxon. was great favorite at the Con-
vention. When the delegates had nothing else 10
do they gave sort Of Convention YELL the words
of which were Cruelty him. Cruelty him. Cru
city the goldbug" Nearly all the speakers at the
COnventiOn he illustrate
some point in their discourses. Large wooden
crosses with paper crowns. bearing Mr.. Bryans
words. were seen in and about the Convention
Hall. Cartoons representing the Crucifxion cir
cuated among the delegates.
PICTURESQUE MICHIGAN PROFANITY.
That the most common. but by no means
the only distortion of the language OF the
Scriptures. AT a mass meeting IN st. Louis on
July y. before the assembling Of the Conven-
ton. Uncle Ben" Colvin. Of ST. Charles. Mich.
made a picturesque and characteristic speech.
going still further than Mr.. Bryan in his free
and familiar treatment OF sacred history. Mr..
Colvin's address also illustrated the bitter
hatred of the rich--as typifed by the Jews.
After declaring that this Government had
never issued any gold bonds, Uncle Ben roared:
Il defy any hook-nosed son Of a gun from
He then gave graphically the Populist con-
ceptiCn Of the Crime Of '73 D." He told how one
OF those Individuals picturesquely described.
had come quietly out West, unknown to any
one except the money clique. and had found
there millions and millions Of silver that the
blessed God had put there to rescue us, suf-
fering people. from those hooknosed shysters."
That discovery led 70 demonetiza ton. Those
same people are the who killed Christ"
he added.
God have mercy u.s. he shouted. God
help US to get out Of the clutches of these Shy
locks. that Is a-eatin' and a-gnawin' Of our
vitals"
He told how the rich rolled in their carriages
at Saratoga in the summer. Where do you go
70 spend your summers" "A voice. ITO hel,')
Young man. you're Of a discernin' nature.
You're right; you do go plumb to he'll, as long
as you let them hooknosed shysters pull you
around the way they have"
Then followed some Of the lees from the bar
rel OF blasphemy."
Eighteen hundred years ago" continued the
speaker your Saviour went into Wall Street
and found the ancestors of those same shylocks
a-tradin peoples money. What did He do? He
tipped over those tables and he caught them by
the neck and the slack Of the pants and threw
them out"
Another remarkable character at the Conven-
ton who habitually quoted Scripture. was ICY
clone" Davis and he. it is said. curse longer
and more loudly than any man in Texas. on July
"a Davis was employing the Scriptures to defend
the attitude OF the Middle-of-the-Road men.
Some one interrupted him. Cyclone" paused in
the midst OF his text 10 pour forth one Of the
most remarkable voleys Of oaths ever heard.
f-op no tah' vrbiq ha
standing and seized the person who interrupted
him and shook him at arms length. After this
interruption the text continued.
Davis was ardently in favor Of nominating
independent ticket. When Bryan was nomi-
mated Cyclone" shouted, This Convention is
going to hell
Ignatius Donnely was even more profoundly
impressed with this fact. for he declared that it
was going Ave hundred miles lower than the
lowest pits OF hell"
The supporters Of Mr. Bryan however, took
much more cheerful view of the situation. They
were much less profane. and kept calling the
name Of the Deity for other purposes.
W L. Greene, of Nebraska, declared: We are
as good Populists God Almighty's sun ever
shone on"
in order delegate from North Carolina shouted
For God Amighty's sake don't give us Arthur
Sewall"'
The women who attended the Convention.
naturally enough, uSeu their hnONicuse VI tine
Scriptures for other than the decorative pur-
poses Of a rich and varied profanity They
were disposed morbidly to regard the Convention
as a sort Of new and improved revival meeting
THE WOMEN'S SHARE.
Mrs Mary E. Lease. the Girl Orator OF
Kansas" said to he delegates: In the name Of
God forget your prejudices and unite in sup
porting this Gods Messiah. God is to
liberate the people through William J. Bryan"
And again: The God Of your fathers is In this
cause. The God Of our fathers gave US William
J. Bryan I don't care what he is-Socast,
Popust Anarchs' Democrat. He is the
leader against Hanna and Choose We this day
whom We will serve "
Miss Annie Diggs expressed a similar Hebraic
sentiment and met with a singular rebuff from
the nrofane part Of the Convention She said