The morning times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1897, 1896-08-02
MIR. MDowELL's PREDICAMENr.
1t Was Over He Went for Nails
In Lieu of Snspenders.
Ne,c York Sun.


in Lieu of Snspenders.
Ne,c York Sun
st. Louis, July est was during the
first uproar OF the day at the convention.
The crowd was gathered at the rostrum.
the air was full Of waving standards.
pictures, banners, and flags.
The people on the platform were dancing
and shrieking with joy, and most enthn-
siastic of all OF them was the Hon. j Ohm
Mcdowell, of Union City. Tenn, the ser
gcant-at-arms Of the convention and cnndi
date for Congress on the Populist ticket
in his district. ar. Mcdowell has been a
very much overworked man during this
Convention. and in addition to being over
worked he has on two or three occasions
been within an ace OF figuring as the star
feature OF lynching party. But he had
gathered all Of his energy together To
help along this demonstration and make IT
the greatest that any national convention
had seen
When Mr.. Mcdowell gets excited he
spreads his legs apart, Inrows his hands
and arms wildly about his head, shakes his
whiskers, and leaps with the energy and the
spryness of u billy goat after lunch on
tomato cans. Mr.. Mcdowell was doing all
this and more. He was shriekiDg at the
top Of his voice. Every once in a while
lie would rap the map in front Of him on
the back he was so enthusiastic. As the
demonstration got hotter, the excitement
Of the Hon. MIR. Mcdowell became more
intense. He grew red in the face his eyes
grew bright, ami threatened to pop out
of his head, and he ieaped eighteen inches
at every leap.
II was the climax OF the uproar. Mr..
Mcdowell was SO energetic that half the
people were looking al HIM. IL was a mo-
inent OF supreme triumph for the Tennessee
Popuiist, when suddenly, without a note
OF warning, all of his suspender buttons
gave way and in an instant his trousers
began slipping. They escaped the fierce
clutch OF the unfortunate man. Have you
ever faced death? Have sou ever seen
people when an earthquake was shaking
them? Have you ever seen Il poor wretch
on the caffold with the knowledge that
his last moment had come? Well, IL you
make composite picture of humanity
undergoing all these combined, you have
got fair picture OF Deacon Mcdowell DIS
this awful catastrophe overlook him.
The deacon was on a chair. He Clutched,
but he ciutched too late. He Owed and
grabbed once, twice. thrice, but down
tnoSe trousers silppeu. Mary T. Lease
was only three feet away. Miss Mitchell
of Kansas was less than two feet away
Helen Cougar was almost on the spot
Mrs. Julia Ward Pennington was Just
two seats Off, and all around and about
there were gathered the beautiful and the
eloquent women OF this convention, and
every eye was upon the unfortunate Dcar
con Mcdowell.
Then he grabbed, and then again, again
and again they eluded him. Down, down
he dived. At last victory perched on him.
He got the trousers, and. with a yank
that threatened to rip them from stem IA
stern, he pulled them up. At no time had
the applause ceased nor had there Heen
any sign of let-up in tie demonstration.
Now it was increased twOfold. The women
Joined in.
Mcdowell, clutching the truant trousers
closely about him. attempted to resume
his part of the demonstration, but it was
useless. and, after frantic efforts to show
enthusiasm, he retired to hunt up tenpenny