The Roanoke times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1897-1977, 1897-07-29

DUNE So FAX.
&'At noon yesterday the State convention
Of the Por ulist party Of Virginia met in
the Old Opera House. The convention
was called to order by j. Haskins Hobson,
State chairman. Rev. L. G. NJ. Miller.
of the Lutheran Church, opened with
prayer.
About $50 delegates and visitors were
in the hall. Edmund r. Cooke, J. Has
kins Hobson, General James G. Field, H.
A. Muller and Mayor Andrews occupied
seats on the stage.
Chairman Hobson, IN behalf of the exec
utive committee, placed in nomination
for temporary chairman the name Of Ed
mund r. Cooke, of Cumberland. and for
temporary secretary H. A. Muller, of
HenricO. Both gentlemen were elected
without opposition.
Mr. Cooke accepted the craftsmanship
of the convention in brief speech. He
said:
Gentlemen of the convention, thank
you for this honor. 1t is an honor, for I
had the pleasure of calling to order the
first PEOPLES party convention that ever
assembled in Virginia"
With complimentary allusion to the
principles OF the Peoples party andto the
city of Roanoke, Mr.. Cooke closed by in
Producing Mayor w. K. Andrews, who
delivered the address of welcome.
Mayor Andrews spoke briefly and to
the point: He assured the convention
that they wero welcome to the freed ON
of the city and babe them make them
selves at home.
Mr.. Thomas, of Henry county, in be-
half of the convention, responded to the
mayors address of welcome. He too,
spoke briefly. Said he:
1--WE are here to lift up this old COM
monwealth. We are here for the pur-
pose of lifting up and restoring to the
country that same prosperity that made
this city what 1t is.''
The following committees were elected:
Credentiais-H. A. Muller, C. H. Har-
rison, j. A. Gilbert, G. w. Crumpecker,
w. A. Reilly, Joseph Blackwell, w. NJ.
Davis and G. w. Coyner.
Permanent OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES M.
Gregory, w. A. Barrow, J. r. Arm.
strong, ]. R. Vaughan, James G. Field,
II. V. Glascock, E. L. Newberry and
Jacob Shaner.
p. nj.
At that hour the delegates reassemb led
and II few minutes later the convention
was called to order by Captain Cooke.
The report of the committee on creden-
tials provided that the delegates present
be allowed to cast the full vote of the
convention by Congressional districts on
the basis as adopted in 1894. The report
was adopted.
The committee on permanent organiz,-
tion recommended that Gen. Jas. q. Field
be made permanent chairman and the
following gentlemen elected as vice-pres-
idents: VIM Raines. First district; A.
Todd, Second district; Walter Grant,
Third district; q. w. jackson, Fourth
district; l.. S. Thomas, Fifth district; G.
w. Crumpecker. Sixth district; VIM. A.
Rieley, Seventh district; j. Brad Beverly,
Eighth district; H. &. Hicks, Ninth dis
trict; o. K Lapham, Tenth district
Permanent secretary, II. A. Muller, with
w. H. Tinsley us assistant.
Messrs. McGavock. Hobson and Crum-
pecker were selected as committee to
escort General Field to the stage, who was
introduced by Captain Cooke. After
thanking the convention for the honor
conferred on him, Gen. Field said in
part:
81 esteem it no slight honor to preside
over convention of the Peoples PAL ty.
deem it to he II great honor to be the
presiding officer over State meeting of
the party composed OF the most patriotic
men In the world. No party in the his.
tory of the world was ever called upon to
exhibit love of country more than the
People's party when they bowed TO the
VIII OF larger and more powerful polit-
lcai party:which adopted the principles of
Populism."
The speaker in most graceful man.
ner referred TO Mayor Andrews address
welcome a nd 60. 81,
worus made known the purpose Of the
party in coming to Roanoke. He said
that 1t was very fitting that the youngest
party in the State should meet in Vir-
glnia's youngest city, as the party was
not only the youngest in the political
realm put the most progressive and that
Roanoke WAS ELECTROMAGNETIC in
the State, but the most progressive. He
said:
I'VE are not here rs office seekers; we
are not here to promote the personal am.
billion or party aggrandizment.b but we are
here to promote the well being of the
state and the prosperity of all the peo-
pie.
I'VE are the party who regard it as
sentimental, that our government is a
government of the people, for the people
and ny the people. We are not here TO
nominate candidates for the purpose of
putting any of our members into Office
but to hold intact the great mass of g.,
5Co, 600 American voters who cast their
votes for w. j. BRYAN last year. This is
only skirmish of the great battle of 1900
which will be fought to perpetuate re-
publican institutions. We are not here
20 sing Hallelujahs. although no people
on earth have greater right to sing
praises of their achievements. Il,
NThe great yvuva s,yh;oh ,,.o, ;,,orn,