rs; some of them had walked long distances to save railroad fare,
while others were so poor that, having exhausted their small store of
money before the long-drawn-out convention adjourned, they suffered from
want of regular sleeping places and adequate food. All were impressed
with the significance of the decision they must make.

Gone were the hopes of the past months; the Populist party would not
sweep into its ranks all anti-monopolists and all silverites--for one
of the old parties had stolen its loudest thunder! It was an error of
political strategy to place the convention after those of the two great
parties in the expectation that both would stand on a gold platform.
Now it was for these delegates to decide whether they would put their
organization behind the Democratic nominee with a substantial prospect
of victory, or preserve intact the identity of the Populist party, split
the silver vote, and deliver over the election to a gold Republican.

The majority of the delegates, believing that the Democratic party had
been inoculated with the serum of reform, were ready for the sake of a
principle to risk the destruction of the party they had labored so hard
to build. Senator William V. Allen of Nebraska summed up the situation
when he said:

"If by putting a third ticket in the field you would defeat free
coinage; defeat a withdrawal of the issue power of national banks;
defeat Government ownership of railroads, telephones and telegraphs;
defeat an income tax and foist gold monometallism and high taxation upon
the people for a generation to come, which would you do?... When I shall
go back to the splendid commonwealth that has so signally honored me
beyond my merits, I want to be able to say to the people that all the
great doctrines we have advocated for years, have been made possible
by your action. I do not want them to say that the Populists have been
advocates of reforms when they could not be accomplished, but when the
first ray of light appeared and the people were looking with expectancy
and with anxiety for relief, the party was not equal to the occasion;
that it was stupid; it was blind; it kept 'the middle of the road,' and
missed the golden opportunity."

Although most of the members of the convention were ready to cooperate
with the Democrats, there was a very strong feeling that something
should be done, if possible, to preserve the identity of the Populist
party and to safeguard its future. An