Birmingham state herald., 1896-08-04
Children Cry for
 Pitchers CaStorIa. A HANDSOME SURPLUS.
Popullst Managers Made Pretty Penny Out of Their Convention Sl0,-
 900 Promised by St. Louis Paid.

Globe Democrat
 The late populist convention in St. Lou is seems to have "cost more than 1t came to-" St. Louis, through the officers of the Business Mems league. promised to put up $1O,OOO to get the convention. That promise has been faithfully kept. Monthly payments of 5000 were made for six months before the date of the convention, and the balance was paid in a lump sum. MT. H. E. Taubeneck and MT. Rankin, chairman and treasurer re- spectively, of the old executive commit tee of the populist national committee, were the officials to whom the money was paid. That's what the convention cost the people of St. Louis. What it "came
 to" Is quite different sort of tale. It is
 figured up by those familiar with such
 things that the tickets, badges, etc., cost
 not more than 5000. Something like $500
 Is estimated as the amount paid to door
 keepers and attendants, and there we have about $2000 as the actual expenses of the convention, for be 1t understood the hall, the music, the state standards,
 cleaning and such hall expenses were
 met by the Business Mems league. With
 these figures in mind, the question is a
 very natural one: Where did the rest of the $10,000 go?
 As has been said, the $10,000 promised
 by the Business Mems league has been
 paid, and some people might, in the lan-
 guage of diplomacy, consider the in-
 cident closed" But all people are not diplomats, and many there are in whom curiosity creates a desire to know what Is to become of the $S000 that remains of the $10,00O. MT. Taubeneck admits that the cost of the convention will not con sume the $10,000. By his own admission, the expenses will not exceed $5000 and of this amount he accounts for less than
 $3OOO, attributing the balance to general expenses.
 MT. Taubeneck says the balance of the money will go into the populist campaign fund. A full statement, he says, is to be made to the public of all moneys re- ceived and handled by the committee as soon as it can be arranged. MT. Taube- neck consented to give estimates of the expenses of the convention so far as as- ceftained. The printing of the tickets and badges cost, he says, $9S5 It was expected that portion of this sum would be recovered, but the delegates | did not pay for their badges, and less than $40, he claims, was realized from | the sale of tickets His estimate of the total receipts from tickets and badges | is $100. There were 100 doorkeepers and it was originally intended to pay them $2 per day. The expenses were so much larger than anticipated that settle ment was made for $750. The department of the sergeant-at-arms for clerical hire stationery headquarters and other nee essary expenses cost 5000. Thus MT Taubeneck accounts for something less
 than $S0OO He says the balance up tc
 S5OOO Is "easily accounted for" and
 enumerates the following items of ex-
 pense; Expenses of thG esscuttYsi cQIn;
 inittee of hirie, mileage and hotel bills
 f5r four days when they yislted the city
 in January, old debts of the executive
 committee as far back as 1892, which the
 new committee refused to assume; ex-
 penses for headquarters of national com
 mittee since last February, the rent for
 the rooms alone unfurnished reaching
 $500: rent of rooms for resolutions, ere
 dentials and other committees, type.
 writing, clerical work, stationery. etc,
 Mir. Taubeneck says that .every penny
 that is left after the expensessoY the con-
 vention are paid will be accounted forl