Birmingham state herald., 1896-07-23
W. R. Smith of the Third Baptist church of St. Louis offered prayer.
 Governor Stones Address of W elcome.

uVered an address or welcome. He said:
 MT Chairman and Gentlemen of the Conventions. come to extend a hearty welcome to the hospitalities of the state to which I have the honor to be the ex- ecutive officer. Freedom of opinion, of religious, political and social, and all other subjects; freedom of action so long as the exercise of that freedom does not disturb public order, or trench on the just rights of others are cardinal prin- ciples in our great government system. (Applause).
 Tn this state we seek to give to that basic idea it's best possible expression. We differ as to the methods, and we diff fer often as to policies and principles, but it is to be devoutly hoped that all of us are actuated by love of country and by motives of the greatest patriotism. (Applause).
 You are met, gentlemen, in a crucial period Gas esteem it), not only of party history, but of national history. It would be unbecoming of me to make any sug- gestion whatever as to the duty of this convention. can, however, without im- propriety say that I hope that every gentleman occupying seat in this great body will perform the important and responsible duty imposed upon him with an eye single to the public good, to the development of our country and to the promotion of the felicity of our people and the glory of the republic"
 Ignatius Donnelly
 of Minnesota responded to Governor Stones address of welcome. He spoke of the different cities that had desired the convention, mentioning Chicago as that "queenly" city of magnificent growth, which is miracle of our Ameri- can civilization. But St. Louis was se- lected because it was prominently the heart and center of the American cont. nent the greatest body of agricultural and fertile lands on the face of the earth. Mr Donnelly said: "The men of Val ley Forge had no more sublime and tremendous duty than we have today. No man, however great, is worth a sc1n- tilla against the interests of this great party"
 MT. Donnelly closed by making an elo- quent appeal for unity. T stood" he said, ''at the cradle of the old green back party. I stood at the cradle or the peoples party God forbid I should be here today to attend its funeral. Stand together friends. Lift up your hearts to the majesty and the dignity of the duties laid upon your shoulders"
 The chairman asked such members or the executive committee as were in the body of the hall to step up to the plat form. Among those who thus advanced was Mrs. Mary Ellen Lease, who was warmly cheered.
 Temporary Chairman Butler Introduced. Chairman Taubeneck introduced as temporary chairman of the convention Senator Marion Butler of North Carolina, who was received with three cheers, which he characterized as a cyclone of patriotism" All history taught, he said, and history showed that there always came crisises in the affairs of men when humanity was raised to higher level accordingly as the men on whose shoui- ders the responsibility rested were able to meet the crisis with wisdom and pa triotism and to solve 1t to the betterment of humanity. Two principal parties, he said, had held national conventions this year. had adopted platforms and had put forward their leaders, and now another great political party, young, but growing a giant in strength, had assembled to speak to the American people in this crit ical and important hour. (Cheers) The populists were here because there was need of them to be here. The parties that had had charge Of the government since the war had succeeded in bringing the nation to the verge of bankruptcy and ruin, and had necessitated the ex- fstence of the populist organization. The two parties had vied with each other in astraddling" and now "straddling" was a thing of the past. He went on to speak of the transportation question as stand- ing side by side with the money question, and declared that both these great ques- tions would have to be solved before the country got back to prosperity. The Standard Oil trust, he declared, would not exist today if it was not for it's CO., partnership with transportation com panies.
 If the peoples party were to go out of existence tomorrow the next democrat ic national convention would report platform on which Bryan would not stand. (Cheers) The peoples party had raised an issue so universal so great, so important that it had split both the old parties in two
 Now. this convention had met to save that issue or to allow it to go down in death. He had faith that this conven- A. 4f f,1x.x Int n cratic annex Qoud cheers) or into re- publican annex (more cheers), but would find
 A Way Between Them
 that was true and right. What" Sen-1 ator Butler asked, should this conven- tion do?" He was answered by one of the California delegates, MT. Alfred Dag gen, Nominate straight populist can didate on a populist platform without reference to what the democratic conven- tion has done," (Cheers.)
 While this party lives" Senator But Ter exclaimed.' and God grant that it shall never die, because 1t will be ever needed so long as human liberty is threatened 1t must be true to the mission which 1t was born to accomplish.
 .If this convention cannot follow its own teachings it is unworthy to repre- sent the people. (Applause.) What is your duty today? It is to indorse and ap- prove what is right and to condemn what is wrong. No other course is true popu- lism. The mission of the peoples party has been to strike down what is wrong and to hold up what is right: If you waver~in your principles Ca delegate we will not do it, then you become no better than the old parties, which you were raised to destroy. l believe that this convention is going to do the wise thing. believe that it is going to stand together. It is not going to split. (Cheers.) We have split both the old parties. We did it on principle but we ourselves will not split, because we stand upon the principle and are not going to be foolish enough to split upon details. (Cheers) If we stand together and go away from here a united band Of broth- CTS will
 Strip for the Fray
 and we will see next November that the minions of organized capital and of gold monopolists are stricken down in this country. We will show you, too, that this young giant of the peoples party will come out of(the campaign stronger than we go into 1t. (Cheers.) Remember that you have accomplished more in four