Democratic Sentinel, Volume 20, Number 28, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 July 1896 — BRYAN AND SEWALL [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

BRYAN AND SEWALL

Democratic Candidates Nominated at Chicago. SILVER THE SLOGAN. End of the Most Remarkabe Convention in History. More than a Dozen Contestana for the Honor of Heins the Nebraska Ontor'i Running Mate—Comparatively Little Intereat Taken in the Selection of the Ticket’s Tail-Sen-ator Jonca Succeeds Harrity as Chairman of the Democratic National Committee. William Jcnningo Bryan, of Nebraska, was nominated for the Presidency by the Democratic national convention amid scenes of the wildest enthusiasm. The result was reached Friday afternoon on the fifth ballot When the result of the deciding bnllot was anuouneed the vast concourse tha*. filled the Coliseum burst into a storm of cheering and applause fiiat made the great g-rders of the building tremble. .Standing on chairs and climbing on one another's shoulders, the people yelled and shrieked and waved hats, canes nud handkerchiefs. Swept away by such enthusiasm, nearly all the delegates joined in the wonderful demonstration, whether they had voted for the "boy orator of the Platte” or not. Shortly be'ore 11 o'clock Thursday morning the convention came to order. Rebellion hung like a nail above the great body, and 20,<J00 people ranged the sloping hills that overlooked the arena to watch the battle of the wrestling giants. The silver leaders entered with light and buoyant- step. The faces of the gold leaders wore grim, grave and defiant. The managers of the several candidates were marshaling their

forces. Chairman White was so hoarse ho could scarcely speak, and he handed the gavel over to Congressman Richardson of Tennessee, who announced that the committee on resolutions was ready to report, and calle-l to the platform Senator Jones of Arkansas to make the committee report. The platform as reported by the committee declares for the free and unlimited coinage of silver at the ratio of 10 to 1. The issue of bonds in time of peace is denounced. National banks to be deprived of the power of issuing notes. A tariff for revenue only is demanded and the declaration made that a revival of the McKinley law would be disastrous to the country. An income tax law is declared for, to be effected by constitutional amendment. Sympathy for the Cubans is expressed. It is demanded that pauper immigrants be excluded. Liberal pension appropriations are favored. Senator Hill’s bill prohibiting punishment in contempt cases is approved. The Pacific railroad refunding bill is denounced. The third term idea is opposed, and the declared extravagance of the last Republican Congress is denounced. The platform concluded, the report for the minority was read by J. H. Wade, of Ohio, and (he gold people rose and cheered, bill their efforts were faint. The indorsement of the Democratic administration which Senator Hill had made a losing fight for in the committee on resolutions, brought down a yell from the galleries. New York delegates stood and waved their hats. The issue was drawn. Senator Tillman, of South Carolina, opened the great d.bate in behalf of free coinage.

Senator Joner followed Tillman. Then came Senator Hill, who began by saying, “I am a Democrat, and South Carolina with all hot - power cannot drive me out of the party. We are here to unite, not to divide Democracy, but we. cannot safely ignore the monetary systems of other nations. 1 know, indeed, that it is the way of the majority that we care not what other countries may do; but I say to you that you might as well do away with all international agreements.” A sensational wave of enthusiasm for cx-Congressninr William J. Bryan, of Nebraskn, was aroused by his brilliant speech on the adoption of the platform. When the debate was finished the convention came to the real vote of the day. The motion to adop* the majority report making the Democracy a free silver party was before the house and the roll was called, with the following result:: States. Yeas.Xnys. States. Ycas.Xav« Alabama ....22 ..INew York V> Arkansas .... 16 ~|X. Carolina -« California ... IS ..(X. Dakota it " Colorado .... 8 . ,|Olilo 4u Connecticut . .. 12|<)regou 8 Delaware .... 1 r>| Pennsylvania ... 64 Florida 5 3;lt. Island 8 Georgia 26 ~|a. Carolina.... 18 .. Idaho 6 ..IK. Dakota 8 Illinois 4S ~ | Tennessee ... 24 Indiana ..... Ml ..:Texas 80 .. lowa 26 ..[Utah 6 .. Ivanjas 20 ..’Vermont s Kentucky .... 26 .. Virginia ...... 24 .. Louisiana .... 16 .. Washington ..5 3 Maine 2 10 W. Virginia ..12 .. Maryland.... 4 12! Wisconsin 24 Jjtassachust's . 3 27; Wyoming 0 .. Michigan . ... 2S .. Alaska 6 .. 6 11 Arizona 6 .. .Mississippi .. is .. I)l8t. of Col.. . 6 .. Missouri 34 .. | New Mexico.. 6 .. Montana 6 ..Oklahoma .... 6 .. Nebraska .... 18 . .Indian Ter.... 6 .. Nevada y .. I N. Hampshire .. s| Totals 828 301 New Jersey 201 •One not voting. A recess was then declared until S o’clock. At the night session, in the presence of fully 25,000 people, the nominating speches were made, and there was a repetition of the exciting scenes of the afternoon. The Bryan enthusiasm continued. The galleries west frantic at every mention of his name, und.the wild demonstration of the afternoon was duplicated when lie was placed in nomination by H. T. Lewis, of Georgia, nnd seconded by W. G. Klutz of North Carolina, George Fred Williams c f JLvssf.ehusetts, nnd Thomas J. Kernan of Louisiana. Senntqr Vest placed the Missourian in nonlination, and Gov. Overmeyer of Kan* •as seconded the bodubaUob. The name

of Gov. Claude Matthews of Indiana was presented by heuator Turpie of Indiana, and seconded by Delegate Trippett of Colorado. Fred White of lowa placed Hbies in nomination, and the Waterloo statesman owed a magnificent ovation to ;be enthusiasm of Miss Winnie Murray, a young woman from Nashua, lowa, who ied the Boies demonstration as Mrs. Carson Luke did the Blaine demonstration at Minneapolis four years ago. Senator Joe Blackburn of Kentucky was placed in nomination by John S. Rhea, a brilliant Kentucky orator, and seconded by Gen. St. Clair of West Virginia, and W. W. Foote of California, and McLean of Ohio was nominated by Delegate Patrick of the Buckeye State. The crowd of the evening was the largest probably ever seen at a national convention. Jt seemed ur great as the enormous multitude which gathered at the dedication of the World’s Fair in the Manufactures Building. It completely tilled the hall, and the effect of the bright rays of the electric lights upon the upturned faces and the swaying bodies as some incentive the playing of the baud, the arrival of a prominent mail or the display of a familiar lithograph— moved the crowd to a nervous outburst was most curious, and at times extremely disquieting, for no one could escape apprehension lest a sudden fear should send this great mass tumbling across the amphitheater. Long after 'the hall was crowded until the walls threatened to burst at their joints a turbulent and angry crowd raged at the doors. The hour named for reassembling was S o clock, but it was half an hour later before the man of feet and the roar of voices iu the galleries subsided sufficiently to pc:mit Mr. McClellan, who again occupied the chair in the place of the permanent chairman, Senator White of California, to compel order. At the adjournment, halt an hour after midnight, all arrangements had been completed for *he balloting to begin at 10 o’clock the following morning. There were but few demonstrations before the convention was rapped to order Friday morning. The leaders came in quietly. At 10:57 Chairman White of California called the convention to order. Rev. Dr. Green offered prayer. Chairman White then announced that the convention was still on the call of States for

nomination::. Thereupon Mr. Harrity of I’ennsylvania placed in nomination exGov. Robert E. I’altison. This evidence that Pennsylvania would stand by the platform and participate in the nominu'r tion drew a cry of delight from the silver niea, and Pattison’s name got a swinging round of applause from the galleries. Mr Mattingly of the District of Columbia seconded the nomination of John K. McLean of Ohio. Delegate Miller of Oregon added to the list of nominations the name of Sylvester Pennoyer of Oregon. Such a family of favorite sons as the convention showed up after the first ballot has rarely been equaled in a national convention. L'ntii the roll was nearly finished there were thirteen of them and somebody put in an extra vote for Hill. That made fourteen and their relative seniority in point of strength was as follows: Bland, Bryan. Pattison. Boies. Blackburn, McLean. Tillman. Pennoyer, Teller. Stevenson, Russel). Campbell and Hill. The convention proceeded to ballot, with the following result: FIRST BALLOT. Bland 223 Pennoyer 10 Bryan lU5| Tillman 17 Pattison t». r >,Russel! 3 Boles SO;Campbell 2 Matthews 27 Hill 1 McLean 50 Teller 8 Blackburn ....... S 3; Not voting 185 Hteveusou 3; SECOND BALLOT. Bland 281 Matthews 34 Bryan HIT. Pennoyer 8 Pattison 100 Stevenson 10 Black 41 Teller ... 8 Boles 87jH(U 1 McLeau 53 THIRD BALLOT. Bland 21)1 , McLean ...j...... 54 Bryan 210 Matthews 34 Blackburn 27 Stevenson p Pattison U7j Hill ~ 1 Boies '36! Not voting .103 FOURTH BALLOT. Blaml 241 Blackburn 27 Boies 38 McLean 47 Bryan 275fStevenson 8 Matthews 35 Hill 1 Pattison !H5 Not voting 101 On the fifth ballot Bryan received 560 votes, 4S more than the required twothirds. Tlie convention did not decide Friday night who would be placed on the ticket with Bryan. The body had hardly been brought to order Indore a motion to adjourn was offered, and the delegates gladly postponed tjie task of completing the ticket to the fifth day. On the fifth day of the,Chicago convcn : tion and on the fifth ballot, Arthur Sewali of Maine was named as the Deiuocrat-

ic candidate for Vice-President. A.ifew minor motions were speedily disposed of, the gave! fell announcing adjournment and one of the most noted political conventions ever held in this country had passed into hislory. The eud was like the beginning. It was the South and West against the North and East on the first day, when Chairman Harrity rapped set order. It was the Souti and West agaitt'st the North auj East through four long, toilsome days over committee reports, platforms and nominations. And Saturday afternoon it was the South and West against themselves to placate the North and East in the nomination of a Candida le for Vice-President. Geography made Sewall the nominee. It was the most remarkable political gathering of a generation and it laid the foundation for a new volume of history. The national anthem, rolling through the great amphitheater, pronounced its benediction. The convention* met Saturday for its Inst day’s work depleted iu members, tired in body and mind and listless in spirit. There were no eager thousands in the galleries to encourage ambitious speakers with applause. Among the delegates there was no desire to punctuate the day’s proceedings with pyrotechnics. The convention did not get under way until after 11 o’clock. The delegates were slow in arriving and tlie public apparently bad had a sufficiency of convention amusement. The smallest crowd of the week, probably less than 5,000, was ranged on the shelving sides of the amphitheater. Sound money delegates from the East nearly all had departed. Silver delegates were absent by the score, leaving the delegations to pick for them a vice-presiden-tial candidate out of the mass of uncertainty. The small attendance was due to lack of interest. There was no limitation on admission to the hall. Before the convention began business Senator Bon Tillman of South Carolina pried open the doors with liis famous pitchfork and allowed all who wished to enter. In detail, lie offered a motion, which was passed, that the hall be opened to the public without restriction. This was received with much enthusiasm. Despite ail apparent lack of enthusiasm the contest for second place would have stood out as a notable convention struggle had it not been overshadowed by

wliat had been done before. Thirteen candidates were pineed in nomination: Williams of Massachusetts, McLean of Ohio, Clark of Norik Carolina, Fithian of. Illinois, Pennoyer of Oregon, Sewall of Maine. Sibley of Pennsylvania, Bland of Missouri. Dauie! of Virginia, Boies of lowa, Blackburn of Kentucky, Harrity of New York and Pattison of Pennsylvania. Nominal ions scarcely were epiiipfeted when withdrawals began and the contest finally narrowed down to Sewall und McLean. Everybody expected’ a nomination on the fifth ballot, but before roll-call was finished a telegram was read announcing McDan’s withdrawal and the proposition w is made that Sewall be declared the nominee by acclamation, and it was done. Thu chairman laid down his gavoi and the Democratic national convention of 1806 was over.

ARTHUR SEWALL.

WILLIAM JENNINGS BRYAN.

SCENE WHEN BRYAN’S NOMINATION WAS ANNOUNCED.