94 THE AGRARIAN CRUSADE 



the fear of fusion with the Democrats. The Chi- 

 cago convention finally succeeded in absorbing 

 these malcontents, as well as a group of socialist 

 delegates and representatives of various labor or- 

 ganizations who asked to be admitted. Dennis 

 Kearney, the notorious sand-lot agitator of Cali- 

 fornia was made chief sergeant at arms, and Susan 

 B. Anthony was allowed to give a suffrage speech. 

 The platform differed from earlier Greenback docu- 

 ments in that it contained no denunciation of the 

 Resumption Act. That was now a dead issue, for 

 on January 1, 1879, resumption became an accom- 

 plished fact, and the paper currency was worth its 

 face value in gold. Apart from this the platform 

 was much the same as that adopted at Toledo in 

 1878, with the addition of planks favoring women's 

 suffrage, a graduated income tax, and congressional 

 regulation of interstate commerce. On the first 

 ballot, General Weaver received a majority of the 

 votes for presidential nominee; and B. J. Chambers 

 of Texas was nominated for Vice-President. 



General Weaver in his letter of acceptance de- 

 clared it to be his intention "to visit the various sec- 

 tions of the Union and talk to the people. " This he 

 did, covering the country from Arkansas to Maine 

 and from Lake Michigan to the Gulf, speaking 



