Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-07-27
WHATWILLHEDO
That Is to Say What Will Bryan
Do About St. lcuis9
IMPORTANT QUESTION UNDECIDED

When the Populist Convc ntion Adjourned
Sine Die saturday synopsis
of the Telegram Chairman Allen Would
Not Have Read 20 the DeIegates-A Mo-
ton Adopted That May Solve the Diff
ties Likely to Arise-National Commit
tee Given Full Power.
ST. LOUIS, July 27-WilIiam Jennings
Bryan, of Nebraska, who was nominated
BY the Democratic national convention at
Chicago a fortnight ago, was Saturday
made the standard bearer of the Popu-
list party by vote Of l,0i2 to 32l. The
Democratic candidate was nominated In
the face of his own protest in the shape of
telegram directing the withdrawal of
his name, sent to Senator Jones. after
Sewall, his running mate, had been
ditched for the vice presidential nomina-
ton and Thomas f. Watson, of Georgia.
had been named for second place on the
ticket. 1t was also made in the teeth of
an opposition so bitter that after the con-
vcntion adjourned some OF the radicals
held ''rump' convention.
The last session of the convention which
lasted from $50 saturday morning until
almost ) o'clock In the afternoon was
marked by scenes of turbulence and nbisy
excitement which several times bordered
ON actual riot, and which almost prccipi
tatcd personal collisions. Orc fist fight
did occur, n Rhode Island delegate was
piaefal a,,1 Wnet Ni-.,ri-,i, al, IN
tnfilmcd by the action of the convention
walkcd sullcnly ont of the hall. But the
really dramatic features Of this wild ses
sion We're enacted behind the scenes. Ru.
mors of what was going on in the wings
reached the delegates, but they knew
nothing definitely, and to the very end a
message from Bryan, which might have
changed the result, was kept from thci,
ears. This was telegram from Bryan
stating his position fully regarding tbs
nomination, and is stated TO have been .
refusal to accept withoJ1 Sewall Thi.
telegram Chairman Alien refused to per
nit to be read.
Were Bound to Have Bryan.
The POpulist Bryan managers decided
at the outset Saturday to disregard Bryan:
Telegram of Friday night, to nominal,
him, and straighten out the tangle after
| wards. They started out to rush his nom
inat:on through before any other candi
| dates could he put in the field. and they
| would have nominated him by acclama
nation if there had not been indications
of n riot in case such thing was at
| tempted. The result was six hours O
| oratory and the final calling of the rol
| with Bryan and Norton. of illinois. as TIL
two candidates, the radical Populists re
peatcdly asking whether Bryan woull
stand on their platform and rs repeated!
| failing to obtain straight answer.
| Motion That May Settle All Difficulties.
| The Texas delegation even sent a mes
sage To Bryan at Lincoln putting TIL
question to him. To this no answe
was received but word came to tn
| convention hall that Jones had q messag
| which he wanted the convention to hear
1t was then that, upon the suggestion o
| Senator Allen, a motion was carried in TIL
confusion just before the ballot was takel
that may prove the key by which the com
plications attending the desired union O
all the silver forces may be unlocked
was motion comforting upon the nationa
committee plennry powers-all the power
as the motion stated, of the convention il
self.
How the Single Ballot Resulted.
1t was while the roll call was proceedin
that Governor stone appeared and aske
to be permitted to read Bryan's telegram
1t was because he would not interrupt rol
call that Chairman Alien refused the pei
mission That was what Allen said, bu
there are plenty who believe the astut
chairman ruled strictly because that telt
gram would have undone all the work c
the convention of Saturday and left it /
the widest disorder When the roll ca
was completed it was found that Brya
had ] OBJ out of the ]. 400 votes in t he CONVEX
ton Frank :. Norton, of Chicago. wa
the only other candidate. Ignatius Dor
nellcy and General Coxey were nom
mated. but their names We're withdraw
Norton received 32l votes; Eugene
Dcbs, 10. and Donnelly, /.
And the Convention Finally Adjourns.
Norton got the majority of the soil
vote of Texas. Michigan, New York. Mi
souri, Rhode Island and Wisconsin. and
respectable portion of the votes of Al;
hama, California, kentucky, Illinois. IN
Ohio. The convention was hastily nc
journed sine die after Bryan had been d,
clared the nominee. and the radicals |
the Texas, Arkansas, California, Illinoi
and Maine delegations proceeded to o.
ganize their trump" convention tn
aforesaid 'rump' convention did NJ
. amount to much, the chief lnalconten,
being the Texans. The only thing don
was to appoint n committee to issue a
address.