The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1896-07-29
Antiques and Horribles.

Politics has its comedies. What the
concourse of motley and grotesque char
acters in the yearly parades of indie
pendence Day is to patriotic and mer-
curial celebrants, the assemblage of
populists is to the quadrennial process
sion of political conventions.
Some 1,400 delegates, claiming to
represent the people of these United
States, assembled in ST. Louis last
week. 1t is described as the most re-
markable aggregation of mortal and
political elements that were ever con-
vened in this country. After long
period of unlimited talk, during which
the scenes that are said to have
been enacted around the Tower of
Babel after the confusion of tongues,
were reproduced, the convention
tackled the matter of adopting plat
form. The declaration of princi-
pies finally adopted demands Ga ma
tional money, safe and sound, issued
by the general government only, with
out the Intervention of banks of issue,
to be full legal tender for all debts,
public and private; just, equitable
and efficient means of distribution di-
rect to the people and through the law
full disbursements of the government"
1t demands free coinage in the ratio
of 16 to l; an increase in the volume
of circulation sufficient to meet the de-
mands of business and population; no
more bond issues; the governments
option as to the kind of money in
which it will pay its obligations; a
graduated income tax, " to the end that
aggregated wealth shall bear its just
proportion of taxation -; the establish
ing of postal savings banks; govern
ment ownership of railroads and tele-
graphs; land for home for every pru-
dent citizen and the retaining of all
lands now held by the railroads and
other corporations in excess of their
actual needs, and the prohibition of
private land monopoly and alien owner
ship; condemns the Pacific railroad land
grants; demands free homes for settlers :;
direct legislation through the initiative
and referendum; election of president
and vice-president by direct vote; at
tacks the courts for imprisoning riot.
ers; declares finance the chief issue.
These are the leading declarations,
briefly stated, but there are many
"principles" of minor importance
enunciated.
AS the result of stout contest by
the middle-of-the-road faction, who
were demanding the nomination of a
straight-out populist for vice.president,
the nomination of that official preceded
the choice of a candidate for president
This piece of strategy was designed to
head off the nomination of Sewall, and
succeeded. Thomas E. Watson of
Georgia was nominated on the first
ballot.
When the purpose to turn down
Sewall became apparent, Candidate
Bryan wired Chairman Jones of the
national committee to withdraw his
name if Sewall was not nominated.
Nevertheless, the ballot for candidate
for president was begun, proceeded and
ended in the nomination of Bryan in
the face of the knowledge of his tele-
gram to Chairman Jones. An attempt
was made to have the dispatch read,
but Chairman Allen of the convention
declared that no such telegram had
been received at the platform, which
was literally true.
Late on Saturday afternoon, when
the purpose to nominate Bryan had
been contaminated, the convention
abruptly adjourned. Midsummer's
Nights Dream" as an exhibition of
grotesqueness, must "hide its dimin-
ished head" before this display of mid.
summer political madness.