Democratic Sentinel, Volume 12, Number 21, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 June 1888 — CLEVELANDCHOSEN [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

CLEVELANDCHOSEN

He Is Nominated by Acclamation to Lead the Democracy. | Dm de I Dougherty, the Silver-Tongued Orator, Presents the President’s Name. Delegates and Spectators Thereupon Give Ihemielves Up to Twenty Minutes of Enthusiasm. Proceedings of the Second Day’s Session of the National Democratic Convention. St. Louis, June 6, 1888. Ten thousand people sweltering in a parallelogram room with less air than is given to a car of ; live-stock on the way to the slaughter-pen. Ten thousand fans waving frantically in the vain effort to create a breeze. This is the National Democratic Convention as it came together this , morning. The thermometer in the hall registered i 96 degrees in the shade. i The convention was called to order by Chairi man White at 10:23 o’clock, and as soon as silence could be secured the Rev. J. B. Green, of Louis, offered prayer, asking the guidance of the Holy Ghost. On motion of F. O. Prince, the silver gavel

from Colorado was accepted for use by future Democratic conventions abiid applause. A petition from the citizens of New York, asking for the enforcement of the Monros doctrine was referred to a committee. Mr. Mallory, of Florida, presented a resolution indorsing President Cleveland’s tariff message, which was received with cheers and applause. The measure was referred to the Committee on Resolutions. The report of the Committee on Credentials, seating W. F. Steele and H. L. McGuire —the “ Church faction"—from Dakota, was presented and unanimously adopted. The report of the Committee on Organization followed. When the name of Gen. Collins, the permanent Chairman, was read, it was greeted with applause and cheers. Gen. Collins made a ten minutes’ speech. A long tariff resolution offered by Mr. Showalter, of Missouri, was read and referred to the Committee on Resolutions. Mrs. E. A. Merriweather, of St. Louis, appeared on the platform to speak for the Women’s Rights Convention, and at once a band struck up and there was a rousing cheer given which fairly rent the roof. The Chairman asked the convention to please preserve order while the lady spoke. Mrs. Merriweather’s speech was composed of old arguments in favor of women’s rights, and she asked that the party make its practices of government accord with its principles. Mrs. Merriweather addressed herself more directly to the reporters, and asked the adoption of a preamble to the platform recognizing women’s rights. The confusion increased, and Mrs. Merriweather, becoming aninoyed, said: “Gentlemen, you are not often troubled with ladies and ought to hear one once.” Great cheering was elicited by Mrs. Merriweather’s indignation. Mrs. Merriweather made several efforts to be heard, but after awhile, when she found the convention was unwilling to listen to her further, she desisted. ,

An attempt was here made by Mr. Pickett to adjourn the convention until 10 a. m. to-morrow, and the result was al multitude of motions to adjourn, to adjourn until Bp. m., and to call the roll for nominations. The motion to adjourn, ; construed by the Chair‘man to be a sine die adjournment, was voted down, and after a long wrangle the call of the roll of the States was ordered. When Alabama was called Mr. Peter of that State said: “Mr. Chairman—The delegation from Alabama has instructed me to

tender its first place on the call and first right to speak to the State of New York." [Great applause.] The Chairman—The delegation from the State of Alabama desires to surrender its right to a nomination to the delegates from the State of New York. The gentleman from New York, Mr. Dougherty, has the floor. Amid great enthusiasm and applause Mr. Dougherty ascended the platform to the right of the Chairman and addressed the convention as follows. “I greet you, my countrymen, with fraternal regard! In your presence I bow to the majesty of the people. The sight itself is inspiring, the thought sublime! You come from every State and Territory, from every nook and corner of our ocean-bound, continent-covering country. You are about to discharge a more than imperial duty with simplest ceremonials. You, as representatives of the people, are to choose a magistrate with power mightier than a monarch, yet checked and controlled by the supreme law of a written Constitution.

“Thus impressed, I ascend the rostrum to name the next President of the United States. New York presents him to the convention and pledges her electoral vote. Delegations from the thirty-eight States and all the Territories are assembled without caucus or consultation, ready, simultaneously, to take up the cry and make the vote unanimous. We are here not, indeed, to choose a candidate, bufto name the one the people have already chosen. He is the man for the people. His career illustrates the glory of our institutions. Eight years ago unknown save in his own locality, he for the last four years has stood in the gaze of the world, discharging the most exalted duties that can be confided to a mortal.

“To-day determines that not of his own choice but by the mandate of his countrymen, and with the sanction of heaven, he shall fill the Presidency for four years more. He.has met and mastered every question as if from youth trained to statesmanship. His promises of his letter of acceptance and inaugural address have been fulfilled. His fidelity in the past inspires faith in the future. He is not a hope. He is a realization. Scorning subterfuge, disdaining re-election by concealing convictions, mindful of his oath of office to defend the Constitution, he courageously declares to Congress, dropping minor matters, that the supreme issue is reform, revision, reduction of national taxation; that the Treasury of the United States, glutted with unneeded gold, opSresses industry, embarrasses business, enangers financial tranquillity, and breeds extravagance, centralization, and corruption; that high taxatiofi, vital for the expenditures of an unparalleled war, is robbery in years of prosperous peace; that the millions that pour into the Treasury come from the hard-earned savings

of the American people; that in violation of equality of rights the present tariff has created a privileged class, who, shaping legislation for their personal gain, levy by law contributions upon the necessaries of life from every man, woman, and child in the land, and that, to lower the tariff is not free trade. It is to reduce the unjust profits of monopolists and boss mann. facturers, and allow retain the rest. The man who asserts that to lower the tariff means free trade insults intelligence. We brand him as a falsifier. It is furthest from thought to imperil capital or disturb enterprises. The ■dm is to uphold wages and protect the rights of all. “This administration hp.s rescued the public domain from wouU-be barons, and cormorant corporations faithless to obligations, and reserved it for free homes for this and coming generations. “There is no pilfering, there are no this administration. Public office is flpblic trust. Integrity stands guard at ever/p&sit of our vast empire. "While the President has been the medium through which has flowed the undying gratitude of the republic for her soldiers, he has not hesitated to withhold approval from special legislation if strictest inquiry revealed a want of truth and justice. “Above all, sectional strife as never before is at at an end, and 60,000,000 of freemen in the ties of brotherhood are prosperous and happy. “These are the achievements of this administraticm. Under the same illustrious leader we are ready to meet our political opponents in high and honorable debate, and stake our triumph on the Intelligence, virtue, and patriotism of the people, adhering to the Constitution in every line and letter, ever remembering that ‘powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.’ Bowing to the authority of the Democracy of New York, backed by the authority of the Democracy of the entire Union, I give you a name entwined with victory. I nominate Grover Cleveland of New York.” When Mr. Doughterty finished his speech at 12 .’O6 p. m., the delegates and the audience set up a yell. After simply yelling for half a minute, some of the more ardent took off their coats and began waving them. About this time the door of the capitol at the rear of the platform was swung aside, anti in the panel appeared a portrait of Cleveland, occupying the center of the facade of the capitol. Then the delegates and the audience simply went wild, and, with furious energy, worked their voices and their bodies in their efforts to testify their approval of the nomination. A band somewhere in one of the galleries started up “Marching Through Georgia, ’’ and the air of the sentiment, nobody knew which, elicited a tremendous outburst of cheers. About this time a third of the delegates and perhaps one-fourth of the audience produced bandana handkerchiefs and waved them frantically, and in response to this fresh incentive there was an additional swell in. the terrific outburst of noise. One lunatic in the gallery took his new plug hat and sent it sailing across the space over the heads of the delegates and it was caught by a party in the opposite gallery with the expertness of a professional base-t™ player. After eighjßßinutes of bedlam Chairman Collins thoughurlie thing hod gone far enough, and thumped and pounded for order, but with every thump of the gavel arose a new section of yells from the assemblage, and Chairman Collins relinquished the job in despair. At this point Daniel Dougherty mounted a chair in the center of the New York delegation, and waved a flag. From all parts of the hall delegates gathered in about Dougherty, bearing the standards of their respective States, and formed in a circle about him, holding in a sort of canopy over his head the placards bearing the names of the States. In marked distinction from the scarlet bandanas the standards of Indiana and Kansas were decorated with strips of black silk, indicating the adherence of the parties who bore them to the cause of the present Commissioner of Pensions. Under the canopy formed by the standards a couple of United States flags were introduced, and the tableau thus completed was greeted with pandemoniac cheering and howls and yells. A young fellow in the upper gallery broke in on the uproar with the mellifluous strains of a melodeon, giving a still more infernal tone to the turmoil. Among the audience in the rear of the delegates a number of people produced a flock of big yellow eagles, which, by some arrangement, were made to flap their wings, and so for as any one knew in the terrific uproar they may have also screamed for the Democratic nominee.

When the demonstration nt last subsided Comparatively, John B. Castleman and A. G. Dejarnette of Kentucky carried the Kentucky standard on the platform and planted it beside the Chairman’s desk, to emphasize the second which Kentucky proposed for Grover Cleveland. Eighteen minutes of bedlam seemed to be enough to suit the delegates, and they sank back into their seats; but the audience was not satisfied with this allotment of time, and continued the uproar two minutes

longer, when it was finally brought to order. The call of States then progressed for nominations. Indiana was reached, and loud calls went up for Voorhees to respond, but he did not do so. Illinois offered a brief indorsement. Michigan waa called, and Byron Stout began a eulogy of Cleveland. He went over the same ground as covered in the previous speeches, and amid growing impatience, which broke into noise, his words were lost. Stout’s speech being howled down by cries of “Time,” he stopped amid great cheers. Loud calls for Senator Vest arose when Missouri was reached, but he didn’t respond. Fellows was shouted for when New York was reached, but no response was elicited. Scott was called for when Pennsylvania was called. Dawson, of South Carolina, said his State seconded Cleveland, the man and the message. Lightfoot responded for Texas. He also went over the ground covered in the preceding speeches. The convention was growing weary and there was a tendency to adjourn. The Chair—The question is upon the motion made by the gentleman from Kentucky [Mr. McKenzie] that the rules be suspended which require the calling of the States to vote upon a candidate for President of the United States and that Grover Cleveland of New York be nominated by acclamation. Mr. Waterbury of New York—l rise to a point of order. Mr. Roswell Flower, of New York, had been standing at the head of his delegation, and when Mr. Waterbury announced that he hod a point of order, Mr. Flower glided over to Waterbury and forcibly pulled him and his point of order down into a seat. Mr. Flower explained, with great vigor, to the unfortunate Waterbury that he

was the proceedings and must keep quiet, which Mr. Waterbury proceeded to do. While this little episode was on, the convention | was shouting a very loud, and, with a single ex-' ception, assent to the question put by the Chair. In the midst of the noise and confuston, Mr. Collins said: “The Chair declares that Grover Cleveland of! New York, having received the unanimous vote, I is the candidate of the Democratic party for the office of President of the United States.” The announcement was received with another 1 loud burst of cheering and waving of handker-' chiefs, hats and canes, which lasted for several minutes. The convention thereupon adjourned until 10 o’clock to-morrow morning.

GROVER CLEVELAND.

P. A. COLLINS.

JOHN W. DANIEL.

DANIEL DOUGHERTY.