Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1896-07-24
W. ]. BRYAN, THE BOY
Midd|e-of-the- Men Showed
Under by the Followers
of the Nebraskan.
THE PLATFORM ADOPTED
Everything Now In Readiness
For the Nominations Of the
Two Candidates.
A LIVELY TIME IS AT HAND

ST. LOUIS, Mo-, July "a The mid.
die ef-the road men, who, from the first
have demonstrated more enthusiasm
than capacity for organized effort, ap-
pear to be entirely demoralizsd by
their crushing defeat of yesterday.
They now acmit that the nomination
of Bryan is foregone conclusion, but
are trying to save something of the
wreck by substituting candidate OF
their own choice for vice-president in
place of Sewall. The agreed-upon
programme is to submit minority re-
port from the committee on rules, Civ.
ing the selection of vice president pre-
cedence in the order Of business, over
the nomination Of presidential can
dIdate. "This is to be DONE" as one
of the anti-Bryan men explained to a
united Press reporter, this morning,
.'because good many of the people
have been promised that If they will
vote for Bryan they can have their own
way about the presidency, and we
want to make sure that they can de-
liver the goods.
MIDDLE OF-THE-ROAD PLANS.
The Texas people are endeavoring
to hold the anti Bryan delegates
together and obtain an agreement to
bolt In case the ticket or platform be
not acceptable to the middle-of-t
road contingent. They were in session
at headquarters nesrly all night and
again this morning. Fiery speeches
both for and against bolt were made,
but there is no definite decision, cooler
heads seemingly having prevailed upon
the radicals to wait until action is
taken by the convention before decid-
ing to bolt The plan which finally
met with the most favor was tor all
the delegates to remain in the conven-
ton until the end, and then call con-
vention of their own to assemble i'm
mediately after adjournment, for the
purpose of nominating straight popu-
list candidates on the Omaha platform,
with one or two added planks.
CONVENTION IN SESSION.
PoPuLIsT CONVENTION HALL, July
24.-The convention was called to Or
der by Senator Allen, permanent chair
man, at 1905, and after prayer by |
Rev. Mr.. Williams, of the Union Meth
odist church, of St. Louis, the chair |
man introduced Mrs. Marion Todd,
who read resolution expressing re-
gret for the death of Mrs. S. E. B.
Emery, some of her number She
read an address eloquently eulogiz-
ing her. The resolution was adopted
by rising vote.
A GAyEL PRESENTED.
A gavel, constructed in Ohio, out of
forty eight different kinds of timber,
Representing every state, was presented
to the chairman by Delegate DeNoe, Of
Ohio, and as q ssmiddle-of he-rOad
gavel," was accepted by the chair.
man.
THE CONFERENCE COMMITTEE.
The roll of states was then called for
the appointment of delegates to act on
conference committee with the silver
convention. When Texas was reached,
the spokesman of the delegation indig-
nantly declared that Texas bad no
name to present for such committee.
THE RULES DISCUSSED.
The report of the committee on rules
and order OF business, made late last
night, was taken up for action. The
majority report was read last night,
and the minority report was now read
the point of it being that nominations
for vice. president shall be made prior
to nominations for president. The
majority report was explained by Del
egate Pomeroy, the New Jersey mem
ber of the committee on rules. There |
were but three points Of ference, he I
said, between the majority and minor
ity, the principal one being the rever-
sal of order of nomination for president,
and vice. president. One of the rules
reeommended was, that nominating
speeches should be limited to twenty
minutes, aud seconding speeches to
ten. The rules unanimously recon-
mended that where there were vacan.
cies in the delegations, the votes of
the delegates present should be count
ed, pro.rata, for the whole number to
which the state would be entitled.
The explanation as to the PROPOSE
tion of the chairman OF the national
committee was unsatisfactory to Igna-
thus Donnelly, and it provoked little
tilt between him and w. l.. Green, ofl
Nebraska. E. Gerry Brown, of Mas
sachusetts, made short concIliatory
speech, recommending the adoption of
the minority report, and to
proceed to the nomination for vice.
president before the nomination for
president. The minority, he SAID,
asked Of the majority that little conces-
sion, and he hoped it would be made.
He moved the adoption of the minority
report. The chair ruled that he could
not entertain Mr.. Browns motion until
the previous motion to take up the re-
port by sections had been disposed of.
George Abbott, of Nebraska, disclosed
she whole purpose of the movement TO
proceed to the selection of a vice-pres
dent, by brief speech, which received
tumultuous applause. He said: 1.-THE
men who want you to vote for vice.
president first do so because they think
we will not give them the vice-presi-
d spcy after they have nominated
B gan. Now, come from Nebraska,
and | say 10 you, | will fight any
proposition to make Sewall vice. -presi-
d mt loud cheers]' lam populist'