Democratic Sentinel, Volume 8, Number 24, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 11 July 1884 — ILLINOIS DEMOCRATS. [ARTICLE]

ILLINOIS DEMOCRATS.

They Meet in State Convention at Peoria. Mayor Harrison, of Chicago, Nominated for Governor. The Illinois Democratic State Convention , which met at Peoria on the 2d of June, was the largest ever held in the State. Nearly all the 1,400 delegates were in attendance, and 100 contestants were knocking at the doors for admission. John H. Oberly, Chairman of the State Central Committee, called the convention to order. Henry C. Connelly, of Bock Island, was made Temporary Chairman, and Monroe C. Crawford, of Union Connty, was chosen as permanent presiding officer. The folio-wing were chosen as Presidential electors: At large, O. B. Ficklin, of Coles, and William G. Ewing, of Cook. First District, J. W. Doane; Second, James T. Healy; Third, James H. Ward; Fourth, Harvey D. Colvin; Fifth, James Moran, of Lake; Sixth, John F. Smith, of Stephenson; Seventh. James K. BHsh; Eighth, M. W. Shnrtz; Ninth, George B. Harrington, of Iroquois; Tenth, George J. Wilson, of Peoria; Eleventh,William Prentiss; Twelfth, Henry Phillips, of Cass; Thirteenth, H. P. Shumway, of Christian; Fourteenth, W. T. Kirk; Fifteenth, James R. Cunningham, of Coles; Sixteenth, J. C. Allen, of Bichlaud; Seventeenth; E. B. Buck; Eighteenth, G. W. Aiken, of Washington; Nineteenth, F. M. Youngblood, of Franklin; Twentieth, W. K. Murphy, of Perry. 8. Coming Judd, of the committee to select delegates-at-large to the national convention and committeemen-at-large of the State Central Committee, reported as follows: Delegates-at-large—W. B. Morrison, John M. Palmer, J. C. Black, and Lambert Tree. Alternates —Thomas Merritt, M. C. McDonald, Thomas McNeely, and G. D. Henning. Members of the State Central Commit-tee-at-large—John H. Oberly and Joseph C. Mackin. The district committees reported the members of the State Central Committee as follows: First District, A. W. Green, of Cook; Second, Frank Lawler, of Cook; Third, Patrick McCarthy, of Cook; Fourth, S. B. Chase, of Cook; Fifth, S. L. Bignal, of Kane; Sixth, Mr. Frazier, of Carroll; Seventh, W. C. Green, of Whiteside; Eighth, J. C. Campbell, of La Salle; Ninth, B. S. Mclldifff, of Livingston; Tenth, no appointment made; Eleventh, C. R. Whittaker, of McDonough; Twelfth, Maurice Kelly, of Adams; Thirteenth, W. H. Clendennin, of Sangamon; Fourteenth, Wm. Fuller, of DeWitt; Fifteenth, A. J. Fryer, of Coles; Sixteenth, Judge Boggs, of Wayne; Seventeenth, W. Crouch, of Montgomery; Eighteenth, H. G. Wheeler, of St. Clair; Nineteenth, 6. L. Dwight, of Marion; Twentieth, R. J. Goddard, of Williamson. The Committee on Resolutions presented a lengthy platform, the reading of which was frequently interrupted by applause. It denounces protection, advocates a tariff for revenue only, and instructs the delegates to the national convention to vote as a unit on this question. It commends the work of Mr. Morrison in his efforts for horizontal reduction, and indorses the investigations of Springer. It advocates pensions for soldiers and sailors, opposes land-grabbing by foreigners or others for speculative purposes, and that forfeited grants should revert to the Government. It opposes competition between honest and convict labor, and favors an eight-hour law. While willing to punish the sale of intoxicants to minors or inebriates, the platform decrees that sumptuary legislation on the enactment of the prohibitory law is fanatical, “destructive of the rights of freemen, and fraught with manifold evils.” At the conclusion of the reading Mr. Judd moved the adoption of the resolutions and called for the previous question. Mayor Harrison, rose and said that he desired to be heard before the question was put to a vote. He asked that the convention pause before adopting the resolutions as presented. He would move that the tariff question be referred to the national convention, which he had no doubt, would act wisely. He believed that taxation for protection was robbery. The only kind of tariff which was defensible was tariff for revenue. There were various shades of opinion on the tariff question in the Democratic party, and the Democrats of Illinois should not undertake to anticipate the wisdom of the assembled Democracy of the nation. The passage of this tariff plank at this time would endanger the success of the Democracy, State and national. He closed by moving to strikq out nil that part of the platform referring to the tariff. The Hon. W. R. Morrison opposed the motion. He hoped the gentleman who had preceded him would be nominated and elected Governor, but that his motion would be defeated.

Ex-Gov, Palmer said that if Mayor Harrison was not willing to run on this platform he should refuse the Gubernatorial nomination if tendered by this convention. Mayor Harrison interrupted the speaker to say that he was misrepresenting his position. The Mayor said his motion was not to strike out the tariff plank, but merely the instruction to the Illinois delegation to wofk iu a certain way in the national convention. Intense excitement and great confusion followed, numerous speakers struggling for recognition at the same time. Finally it was decided to call the roll of the counties on the question of striking out the instruction to the State delegation as moved by Harrison. This process was accompanied by cheers by the friends and opponents of the motion, as the chairmen announced the votes of their delegations for and against. At the opnclusion the result announced was: For striking out the instruction, 653; against, 623; majority in favor of striking out, 30. The platform, as amended, was then adopted by a viva-voce vote. Gen. J. C. Black presented the name of Carter H. Harrison, of Chicago, for the nomination for Governor, and the nomination was made by acclamation. The remainder of the ticket was then selected as follows: For Lieutenant Governor, Henry Seiter, of St Clair; Secretary of State, Michael J. Dougherty, of Knox; State Treasurer, Alfred Orendorff, of Sangamon; Auditor of State, Walter A. Carlin, of Jersey; Attorney General, Robert McKinley, of Edgar.