Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1896-07-30
PREVIOUS PROCEEDINGS.

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| ST. Louis, July 27.-The national
populist convention opened Wednes-
day with 1000 delegates and 600 spec
I tators present. The session lasted only
IL hours. Senator Butler of South
Carolina was made temporary chair
man. Butler was Bryan man but
his speech gave both The Bryan dele
gates and the middle-of-t he-road fell
lows a chance to shout. A defect in The
electric lights forbid an evening ses-
sion. National Chairman TaubeneCk
called the convention to order at its
initial meeting.
Thursday morning Senator Allen of
Nebraska took the chair as permanent
chairman and made a ringing speech
tavoring Bryan's endorsement. The
session was short as the various com
mittees were not ready to report. Sey-
eral contests were, however, settled
The middle-of the-road men tried to
elect j. f. Campion of Maine perma-
nent chairman but were beaten. Texas
and Georgia were especially wild in
their demonstrations for him. Allen
got 1853 votes to 5Gl f0r Campion. Their
victory made the Lr. - shG.,, fairly
crazy with joy.
Friday the cOnventiCl ga. M led
at 10 a. m. and by vote {. Z, to 10
adopted sensational rule to n,.AI.1t.
candidate for vice president -,
This was a victory for the element
that was antagonistic to Sewall and
that wanted a southern man on the
ticket This revolutionary proposition
created a long, angry and exciting de-
bate. The fear of the anti-Sewall ele-
ment was that if Bryan was endorsed
first, SewaIl would be named in the
excitement sure to ensue
At the evening session nominations
for vice president were called for and
Colonel Bowman took the platform and
placed in nomination Congressman
Harry skinner of North Carolina. Con
gresham Howard of Alabama placed
Thomas +. Watson of Georgia in nom.
nation. Howard was followed by j.
r. Sovereign of Arkansas who sec
ondcd the nomination of Watson.
James II. Johnson, also seconded Wat
sons nomination. Colorado yielded to
New York and LATE Pence named Sew
all Azman Murphy seconded Wat
sons nomination. l.. S. Stockwell Of |
Indiana also seconded Watsons nomi- !.
nation. The name Of Frank Burkitt f.
Of Mississippi was suggested by l..
Weller of Iowa. Col. Harris Of Ken i
lucky seconded Sewal's nomination. /
sons nomination. Captain Burnham
Of Tennessee nominated 4. H. Mimms F
Of Tennessee. G.. NJ. Miller of Illinois +
seconded the nomination of Mimms, +
md Judge A. A. Gunby, that of Wat
son. Prof. H. C. Bateman of Maine.
nominated Marion Page of Virginia. /
president of the Farmers Alliance of
that state. Ignatius DonnelIy Of Min
nesOta eloquently seconded Watson's
Thomas f. George, the
blind orator of Mississippi, seconded
the nomination of Burkitt Donovan
OF Montana seconded Sewall's nomna-
ton George Abbott of Nebraska made
Rogers of California see
ondcd SINNERS nomination. Senator
Stewart of Nevada, who was for Bry
an and Sewall, was howled down by the
middle-Of- the road men The voting
then began and before the first ballot
had proceeded very far it became evil
dent that Watson would be nominated.
Some one moved that the nomination
be made unanimous which prevailed
amid much enthusiasm on the part of
the middle-of-the men. 1t was
noticed that Watson's nomination was
at l6 minutes to | o'clock
Saturday morning This caused
great hurrah of "16 to L." Congress
man Howard of Alabama then moved
an adjournment until o'clock Satur-
day morning and the motion was car
ried. The Saturday proceedings are
given in detail above Thomas f. Wat
son of Georgia was a member of the
tifty-tirst congress and in the fifty sec
ond and tiltythird congresses unsuc-
ccSstully contested Col Blacks seat.
He is 40 years old, a lawyer and
farmer.
The platform adopted is very long.
1t taNors free silver, better land laws
and government control of railways,
telegraph. etc. The national free sill
Yer party also met and endorsed Bryan
and Sewall