The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1898-07-20
TORN TO FLINDERS,
l.. D.

ward used to say, to see the Democratic
party of Minneapolis after plotting and
toiling for year to disrupt the Peo-
pies Party, all torn to flinders itself.
It's present leaders ought to be in the
imbecile asylum.
Even the Minneapolis Times, which de-
nounced lis bitterly because we would
not abandon Populism and turn Demo-
crat, has abandoned Democracy, and is
supporting Eustis for governor against
John Lind. And this is what it says in
its issue OF the 18th inst:
A ROARING FARCE
Unless the Democratic convention meets
in a different frame of mind today, it's
finish and the finish of it's hopes in Henne-
pin county is not difficult to predict A
more noisy, useless and thoroughly ''luny"
aggregation never gathered together than
that OF yesterday. 1t wrangled fifteen hours,
all the time in the hands of two or three
short-haired, long-eared leaders of the
stewart type, and quit at night without
an asset to It's credit. The method Of doing
business was for everybody to yell at once,
ana then all yell again. The floor was
mus Kept IN constant turmoil that pre-
GUIDED intelligent action Of any kind When
stewart was not waving his ubiquitous chin
ana assaultlng the atmosphere with his
arrogant ignorance. the convention was
thrown into a CONFUSION and imbecilitv by
the failure of the ballot on sheriff to pro-
duce a result The simple fact that there
were more votes cast than there were dele
gates should have caused no surprise. 1t IS
an old political trick, one of the cheanest
ana thlnnest in the business The c6nyen-
tlon however. had itself to blame. It mt a
premium on confusion by adopting the
most ancient. obsolete and clumsy methods
OF DONG business. One c. NJ Foote, said
10 be political leader of great acuman
proposed the plan of voting, and it went
through on the theory that il must he
democratic' because c.. NJ Foote opposed
II. however. in conventions that have
passed the Silurian age, delegates vote viva
Voce and express their own sontiments
Yesterday people who were absent were al
lo"el 70 be voted by their friends. and
skeleton delegations were given fin now.r
~ represent a full precinct 1t was hardly
10 De wondered at that the result of the frst
pallot Tor sheriff was never declared If
me tellers had even taken the precaution
10 count the slips before they counted the
names, the excess Of ballots would have
been discovered. But nothing was dono
right from the start"
What is the use of the Peoples Party
getting into the belly of Democracy.
while it Is In that disintegrated condi-
ton? 1t will tumble out again without
"Caesarian operation"
For the information of our readers
We quote some extracts from the Mime
apolis dailies, giving a fair description
Of the scene.
The following is from the Times, the
alleged fusion organ:
WILD TIME
DEMOCRATIC PARTY IN HENNEPIN
SPLIT WAY UP THE
BACK.
THE PHILLIPS-CONROY FIGHT PRE-
CIPITATES AN INSANE
RIOT.
CoNRoY OPENLY CHARGES THAT
DOODLE WAS USED IN THE
CONVENTION.
AFTER THIRTEEN HOURS WRANC-
LING NO TICKET is
NAMED.
The Democratic party m Hennepin county
is spit up the back today as it never has
been before in it's entire history Shortly
before midnight last night, after 13 hours
OF the most sensational wrangling, the con-
vention adjourned without having nominal
ed man save Sidney M. Owen for con-
gresS.
Never in the annals of Minnesota politics
has such convention been held in any
party. Three weeks ago a similar observa-
ton was passed upon the remarkable riot
known as the Populist state convention
But that memorable ARRAY was not to be
nod in, no
vention which the Democrats of Hennepin
county held yesterday at Turner hall. The
English language IS impotent to the verge
of evaporation to express in fitting terms
the events OF yesterday.
The last seven hours of the convention de-
Veloped gradually, through course OF in
creasng rancour and bitter acrimony, into
riot which was devoid of bloodshed only
by the most miraculous interpOsition Of
some fortunate fate.
The last seven hours of the convention
were simply and purely series of mob
outbreaks, marked by the most violent tenn
per, the most threatening partisan bitter
ness and hatred and continual yelling
shrieking, howling-such as seems imposs-
BILE in an assembly of human beings when
one thinks upon 1T In calm consideration.
1t was an exemplification Of the ends to
which reasonable beings may be driven by
the pcrffdy of circumstance which over
powers the sense to reason. At times it
was no better than a riot-run mob of fren-
zied men shrieking at each other In one
tumutuous and cyclonic din from which
no order could be wrought and out Of which
no momentary escape from chaos could be
made.
Things began pleasantly enough in the
morning. Suddenly the fight over the nomi-
nation for sheriff developed into a pretty
warm contest. The partisan feeling began
to run higher, and finally an unfortunate
happening, for which no one was to blame
precipitated state Of affairs from which
it appears impossible for the Democratic
party of this county to bring harmony and
unified action
1t is pleasant to think that S. NJ
Owens nomination for congress was the