Democratic Sentinel, Volume 15, Number 20, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 June 1891 — INTENSELY DRAMATIC. [ARTICLE]

INTENSELY DRAMATIC.

OUTCOME OF THE CINCINNATI! CONVENTION. third Party Farmed, Style I “Tlie People’s Party of America”—lt Adopts a Radical Platform and Will Try to Make Itself Felt in 1892—Taubeneck to the Front. A little political party was born into the worltj to-day, says a Cincinnati te'egram. A chorus from the Farmers’ Alliance song-book and three bangs from Temporary Chairman Cunningham’s iron hammer preceded a prayer by the Rev. Gi:bert Delamatyr, the. Greenback cx-Congressman. Mr. Delamatyr was rojuudiy applauded when he arose to pray. Frequent and earnest amens from the audience punctuated the invocation, after which the delegates seemed to feel better and settled contentedly back in their chairs, while the Kansas Glee Club regaled them with a humorous ditty. After an address by Jesse Harper, of Illinois, the report of the Committee on Credentials was presented, showing that thirty-four State; and Territories were represented by 1,417 delegates having proper credentials. An invitation to lunch with the local delegates and au intimation that the lunch would not be entirely dry provoked a row. Helen M. Gougar created a sceno by repudiating the convention, and retired amid cheers and hisses. Senator Peffer followed in a fervent address in favor of a new party, and then a recess was taken. Soon after the convention had reassembled the report of the Committee on Platform was presented by Ignatius Donnelly and read by Robert Schilling. It opened with a lengthy statement of the political and social grievances and evils that had rendered political action not only desirable but necessary. Then came the resolutions, which read a; follows:

1. That in view of the great social, industrial and economical revolution now dawning upon the civilized world, and the new and living issues confronting the American people, we believe that the time has arrived for a crystallization of the political reform forces of our country and the formation of what should be known as the People’s Party of the United States. 2. That we most heartily indorse the demands of the platforms as adopted at St. Louis Mo., in 18S9, Ocala, Fla., in 1890. aud Omaha, Neb., in 1891, by the industrial organizations there represented, summarized as follows:

A—The right to make and issue money is a sovereign power to be maintained by the people for the common benefit, henc i w r e demand the abolition of national hanks as banks of issue, and as a substitute for national bank notes we demand that legal tender treasury notes he issued in sufficient volume to transact the business of the country on a cash basis, without damage or especial advantage to any class or calling, such notes to be a legal tender in payment of all debts, public and private, and such notes, when demanded by the people, shall bedoaned to them at not more than 2 per cent, per annum upon non-perishable products, as indicated in the Sub-Treasury plan, and also upon real estate with proper limitation upon the quantity of land and amount of money. B —We demand the free and unlimited coinage of sliver.

C —We demand the passage of laws prohibiting alien ownership of land, and that Congress take prompt action to devise some plan to obtain all lands now owned by alien and foreign syndicates, and that all land held by railroads and other corporations in excess of such as is actually used and needed b/ them be reclaimed by the Government and held for actual settlers only. D—Believing the doctrine of equal rights to all and special privilege to none, we demand that taxation—national, State or municipal—shall not be used to build up one Interest or class at the expense of another. E—We demand that all revenue—national. State or county—shall be limbed to the necessary expenses of the Government, economically and honestly administered. F—We demand a just and equitable system of graduated tax on income. G—We demand the most rigid, hrnest and just national control and supervision of the means of public communication and transportation, and if this oontrol and supervision does not remove the abuses now existing we demand the Government ownership of such means of communication and transportation. H—We demand the election of Presiden’, Vice President and United States Senators bjr a direct vote of the people. 3. That we ur e united action of all progressive organizations in attending the conference called for Feb. 22, 1892, by six of the leading reform organisations. 4. That a national central committee be appointed by this conference, t > be composed of a chairman to be elected by this bodv and of three members from each State ret resented, to be named by each State delegation. 5. That this central committee shall represent this body, attend the nat onal conference on Feb. 22, 1892. and. if possible, unite with that anti all other reform organizations there assembled. If no satisfactory arrangement can he effected this committee shall call a national convention not later than June 1, 1892, for the purpose of nominating candidates for Fresldent and Vice President. 6. That the members of the central committee for each State where there is no iniependent politiealorganization couduet an active system of political agitation In their respective States. The platform was adopted by a rising vote, and the roll of States was called Tor members of the National Committee, the convention adopting the innovat on of appointing three members from each ■State instead of one member as the old parties have. The Alliance Congressman, J. G. Otis, as Kansas, nominated H. E. Taubeneck, of Illinois, as Chairman of the National Executive Committee. There was a great outburst of cheers when Taubeaeck s name was mentioned. W. R Lamb, of Texas, seconded the nominat on, saying he had watched Tauteneek’s record and was satisfied. Taubeneck was chosen by acclamation. Loud calls for Taubeneck finally brought that gento the rostrum, where he made a brief but very manly and modest speech, thanking the delegates. He said: “Gentlemen, you see before you all that is left of the celebrated independent party in the Ulincis Legislature so often called the ‘big three’." He added that while he sincerely appreciated the honor the convention had conferred upon him, he scar, ely fe t equal to doing the position of National Chairman justice, but he would do the best ho could and would rely upon the assistance of the other members of the committee. The following is the National Committee as appointed: “ Arkansas—L. P. Featherstone, Isaac E, McCracken, J. Q. A. Bush. California—Marion Cannon, H. C. Dillon, A. G. Hinckley. . Connecticut—Robert Pique. Florida—W. D. Condon, L. Baskins, J. D. 3 oss. Georgia—C. C. Post lowa -J. B. Weaver, M. L. Wheat, A. J. Westfield. Indiana—Cl A. Powers, Leroy Templeton, J. D. Comstock. » Illinois—S. N. Norton, A. J. Btreeter, H. £. Taubeneck.

Kansas—P. P. Eldor, Levi Dumbald, R. S. Osborn. 1 Kentucky—D. L. Graves, 8. F. Smith, T. G. Fallin. Louisiana—J. J. Mills, Dr. R. B. Paine, John Pickett. Massachusetts —C. F. Washburn, A. C. Brown. E. M. Boynton. Michigan—Ben Colvin, Mrs. S. E. V. Emery, John O. Seabel. Minnesota—lgnatius Donnelly, C. M. Perkins, Andre Stevenson. Missouri —Paul J. Dickson, J. W. Rodgers, W. O. Atkeson. Maine—H. S. Hobbs, F. A. Howard, D. W. Smith. Nebraska—J. H. Edmeston, William Dysart. W. H. West. New York—Jacob H. Studer, Joel J. Hoyt Ohio—Hugo Preyer, J. C. H. Cobb, H. F. Barnes. Oklahoma—Samuel Crocker, A. E. Light, John Hogan. Pennsylvania—R. A. Thompson, F. R. Agnew, Lewis Edwards. South Dakota—J. W. Hardin, H. L. Loucks, Fred Zeppe. Texas—W. R. Lamb, Thomas Gaines, J. H. Davis. Tennessee—H. P. Osborne, G. W. J. Kay, John W. James. Wisconsin—Robert Schilling, Alfred Manheimer, A. J. Phillips. West Virginia—Luther 0. Shinn, George W. Hammond. Thomas C. Keeney. WyominT—H. Bretenstein, James A. Smith, H. D. Merrett District of Columbia—Lee Crandall, S. A. Bland, H. L Schultheis. A few moments of confused preparation for adjournment sine die ensued, then the Chairman’s gavel fell, and the first convention of the People’s Party of the United States had passed into history. SCENES AND INCIDENTS. Possibly the picture that will be longest remembered by those who witnessed it will be the unequaled display of enthusiasm by the big gathering at the joining of the blue and the gray with the black, in the person of an cx-Union soldier, a Texan ex-rebel, and the leader of the Colored Farmers’ Alliance. The significance of the incident was little if any marred by the fact that the third of the trio was of pure Caucasian blood.

An appeal was made from the platform for funds to pay the fare home of a colored Alliance delegate from South Carolina. The delegate, Savage by name, came forward personally, and in a really clever speech, said the reason so few of the colored organizations were represented was that the colored people were too poor. It was perhaps as well for the convention, he added, naively, eyeing the hats that were being passed around for his benefit, that so few of the colored delegates came. He was handed the hatfuls of small change and retired amid great cheering for the colored Alliance. A sensational feature of the proceedings following Donnelly’s announcement came after the platform proper had been adopted. A California man was the individual that nearly rivaled the classic youth of ancient renown who fired the Ephesian dome. The Californian’s name was G. W. Miller, anti he was a Prohibitionist from the summit of his steeply brushed hair to the very bottom of his boot heels. Apparently nothing on earth could disconcert that Californian. Over 1,000 thoroughly enraged and disgusted brawny grangers and mechanics turned on lnm as if they could tear him limb from limb, but he refused to budge an inch.

He worked his jaws without ceasing, though every syllable he uttered was lost in the hurricane of jeers and contumely. The Californian wanted to thrust before the convention a resolution pledging the new party to the prohibition caase. The convention emphatically did not want to submit to any such process. But it had to. The nerve and grit of one man against a thousand carried the day, and the People’s party before it was an hour old was forced to go on record upon the young Westerner’s resolution.

The convention, however, instantly took its revenge. Like a vicious young colt it kicked tho resolution into kingdom come with a sickening suddenness and vigor that must have surprised even Mr. Miller himself, though he managed somehow not to betray the fact It is reported that many members of the national reform organization, headed by President W. W. Jones, of Illinois, had withdrawn from the party because of the defeat of the resolution.