The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1896-07-29
present. Then at 1909 the convention adj
journed. The crowd fled out hurriedly. -
everybody was hungry and tired.

present. Then at 1903 the convention ad
journed. The crowd fled out hufriedly, q
Everybody was hungry and tired.
St Louis July 25.-Thomas &. watson
Of Georgia, who was member Of the Fifty
first congress. and who in the Fifty second
and Fisty-third CONGRESSES unsuccGasfully
contested Col. Backs seat, was nominated
for vice president by the Populist conven.
/ ton on the first ballot shortly after md
night last night.
There were i've other candidates. Sewall
Mann. Page. Of Virginia; A. L. Mimms, Of
Tennessee; Congressman Skinner, OF NORTH
Carolina, and Col. Burkitt, Of Mississippi
The nomination was made unanimous
| before the result Of the roll call was an
nounced.
The opposition to Sewall practically
/ swamped the Bryan forces at the day SEES
/ sion OF the convention, by making it Inn
possible to prevent division OF the Chi
cago ticket.
! The leaders were powerless to check the
strong feeling against the Bath ship builder
| and banker. They had carried the day in
the committee on resolutions IN framing q
comparatively moderate platform, which
| they afterwards got through the convention
| with ease. Their strategy was skilfully
displayed at other points. But the intense
underourrent of feeling against Sewall was
! fatal to them.
For the first time, the middle-of-the-
road element displayed generalship worthy
Of the name Recognizing the fact that all
hope of defeating Bryan's nomination was
lost, they concentrated all their efforts
against Sewall.
They did more. They devised a cum
ming scheme by which the convention was
| forced to nominate the vice president be-
fore the president. 1t was an unprece-
denied thing, but 1t served to mass the
votes in favor of populist candidate for
vice president and uncover them in adj
vance, in the, fear that If Bryan were first
nominated the enthusiasm might break
| down the opposition to Sewall and STAN
| pede majority of the votes for the Ne
braskan's running mate.
When the proposition was to change the
regular order of the nominations, the
Bryan men strained every nerve to pre-
vent it. They even pleaded. Jerry Simp-
son, on behalf Of Kansas, went so far as
to intimate that the vote of the Sunfower
state would be cast of for Southern man
for vice president If the regular order was
not reversed. On the roll cali they rallied
every vote at their command Senator
Butler, Of North Carolina, was powerful
ally with the 95 votes Of the old north state
behind him, and Congressman Skinner the
chairman of the delegation, cast the solid
vote Of the state against the change.
When the vote was figured up, however,
and he ascertained that there was major
ity of 26 in favor Of the proposition, under
his direction, the vote was cast for the
proposition and the ants emerged from the
contrast with a maturity nj IN
This made the defeat of Sewall and the
nomination of a Popuiist for vice president
certain. After that the conference Of the
joint committee of the two conventions
could come to nothing and the silver con-
vention promptly nominated Bryan and
Sewall and adjourned sine die.
The anti-Bryan men, although they pre-
sented majority platform demanding an
irredeemable paper currency and crowded
with bitter denunciation of the Democratic
and Republican parties, did not attempt
to press it after their victory.
The majority report, which Is moderate
and contains few radical propositions, such
as demand for the gradual assumption
by the government of the ownership Of the
railroads and for direct legislation through
the initiative and referendum, was adopted
without division and the minority report
laid on the table.
At the evening session the sensation Of
the convention was sprung. The Demo-
cratic managers consulted after it became
evident that Sewall could not be nomi-
mated and Mr.. Bryan was communicated
with by telegraph. They decided that Mr..
Bryan could not be disloyal to his running
mate and word was sent to the leading
Bryan managers in the convention that the
cal {rJn% - ha
cept nomination unless Sewall was also
nominated. The convention for hours to-
night listened to nominating speeches in
profound ignorance of this fact. Tom Wat
son Of Georgia, Congressman Skinner of
North Carolina, Minis Of Tennessee Bur-
kit of Mississippi, Page of Virginia, were
nominated. About II o'clock the Bryan
men decided to spring this. Steward, of
Nevada, was selected to make the an
nouncement, coupled with plea for unit
ing the silver forces. But the anti-Sewall
crowd were in the saddle. They howled
down the venerable senator and after a
hurried consultation the leaders decided
not to permit the announcement to be
| made at that time. 1t seems undoubtedly
true, however, that Bryan will not accept
the presidential nomination unless SeWall
is also nominated.
Tom Patterson, of Colorado, who had
been pressed for kilograms announcing Bry-
ans position, at midnight still declined to
make them public.
The reports current at the convention
hall last night that Mr.. Bryan had an
nounced his determination not to accept
the Populist nomination for president in
case of the rejection of Sewall, were
based upon the following kilograms be-
tween Mr.. Bryan and Senator J. K.
Jones, chairman of the Democratic ma
tional committee:
est. Louis, Mo-, July 24.-To William
J. Bryan, Lincoln, Neb.-The Populists
| will nominate vice president first. II not
| Sewall, what.shall we do. / favor your
declination In that case. Answer quick.
James K. Jones, chairman national
Democratic committee"
Lincoln, Neb., July 24.-To Senator
James X. Jones, chairman national
Democratic committee, st. Louis, Mo-
entirely agree with you. Withdraw my
name if Sewall is not nominated.-W. ].
| Bryan"
Senator Jones said afterward that he
was firmly convinced that he had pur,
sued the proper course in sending that
dispatch and that Mr.. Bryan, as self
| respecting and honorable man, could
have done no less that he had done in
| asking that his name should be with
drawn after it had been decided to sacri-
| flee his companion on the ticket. Mr..
Bryan's friends say that the dispatch is
not necessarily a refusal of the nomina-
ton, but that it is simply manly way
Of expressing his disapproval of the