The sun., 1900-05-11
PoPULISTS At Work.
Business Sessions Held at Sioux Falls
and Cincinnati.
MID-ROADERS' PLATFORM.
Declares For Initiative and Refer
endum, Public Ownership of Pub
lie Utilities and Free Coin
age at Sixteen to One.

Sioux Falls, May 10.-The delegates
TO the Populist national convention were
not all prompt in congregating at the
wigwam at the hour set for convening
Many of them had found either the work
in their committee assignments or the
gossip incident to the convention too
absorbing for them to get to bed early,
and many remained abroad until the early
hours of the morning.
Temporary Chairman Ringdal raped
the convention to order three-quarters
of an hour after the time set at adjourn
ment.
The committee on credentials present
ed its report, declaring that there were
no contesting delegations and recon-
mending that the vote of Missouri be in
creased by two votes, that Of Ohio by
two votes and that of South Dakota by
three votes.
The report, which was read by Govern
or Poynter of Nebraska, was adopted
without a dissenting vote. The minority
report threatened by Committeeman
Madden of Colorado did not materialze.
MIR. Patterson Chairman.
The committee on permanent organiza-
tion reported the name of Thomas NJ.
Patterson of Colorado for permanent
chairman, Il. III. Curran of Kansas, Leo
Vincent OF Colorado and Il. NJ. Deisher
as permanent secretaries. Mr.. Patter-
sons name was greeted with great ap-
plause which expanded into yociferous
cheers as he came to the front of the
platform.
In accepting the position of permanent
chairman MIR. Patterson stated that he
would so far as was in his power rule
the convention with Justice to all and
then briefly sketched the history of the
Populist party and the cause which led
up to its organization.
The speaker gave a short history of
the financial legislation of congress dur
ing the last administration of President
Cleveland and that of President McKin-
aey.
During this controversy" he said,
|'the seed Of the Peoples Party, which
had been sown with 1892. began to bear
fruit. That party believed then, and be-
lieves today, in the right of the people to
control the issue of their own currency
without dictation of Wall street"
Mr. Patterson said the Peoples Party
did not surrender it's rights when it nom
mated Mr.. Bryan in 1896. "The Peo-
pies Party would have been false to all
its avowed principles had it nominated
any other man than Bryan" he said
@'We never could have nominated any
other man."
Bryan Triumph Predicted.
Mr.. Patterson predicted sweeping
triumph for Mr.. Bryan in November and
said his election would mean that the
rights of the people are advanced to a
higher level than ever before
. Whatever may be the glory of that
victory he said, "the Peoples Party
may claim the greatest share, and it will
have been the great political power that
brought about the great result"
n long continued round of applause
greeted the chairman as he sat down.
Chairman Il. Gerry Smith of the com
mittee organization then read the order
of business as decided upon by the com
mittee. The report as read was adopted
without debate by a practically unani-
NOUS VOTE one or two feeble noes com
ing from the North Dakota delegation
After Governor Poynter had presented
Speaker Patterson with a gavel made of
IL kinds of Nebraska wood General
Weaver was introduced to announce
meeting of chairmen of the state dele
gates Immediately after the adjournment
of the session, 'n order" he said in an
swer to a question by Il. Gerry Brown,
s'to avoid any differences which may
4 arise over the question which has been
before us for several days"