People's Pilot, Volume 6, Number 3, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 July 1896 — SILVER MEN WIN OUT. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

SILVER MEN WIN OUT.

MICHIGAN AND NEBRASKA CONTESTS DECIDED. Neceiiary Two-Thirds Majority Is Now Held by the Silyerites—Two Sessions of the National Democratic Convention Held Yesterday. Chicago, July 9. —Wednesday the democratic national convention resumed its work with a clear two-thirds majority for the silverites in sight. The convention was called to order at 10:15. Sub-committee on platform had agreed on draft, and it was being read to the full committee when the con-

vention met. The chairman called for the report of the committee on credentials, but there was no response. None of the committees were ready to report. The entry of the Bland marching club at this point was the signal for loud and continuous cheering. When the applause had subsided Gov. Hogg was requested to address the convention. He received an ovation as he took the platform. Gov. Hogg began his speech by appealing for friendliness of spirit among the delegates in the convention hereafter. Both gold and silver men applauded the sentiment. He said success was sure in November if the democratic party only worked harmoniously together, declaring the people would not tolerate the return of the republican party to power. The republican platform was referred to as a mass of glittering generalities to deceive the public: He denounced the policy of protection as only in the interests of the wealthy against the farmer and workmen. He made the assertion that a republican corruption fund was being formed for carrying Illinois, Ohio and other states. His first mention of free silver brought applause from the friends of the white metal. The governor proceeded to show how in his opinion the coinage of silver at the ratio of 16 to 1 was absolutely es sential to the welfare of the country, and denounced the financial plank of •the republican party as formed in the interest of foreign nations. Referring to the financial plank adopted by the republicans at Minneapolis in 1892, he said if it meant anything it meant gold and silver on equal terms. The speaker finished by asking that all sores be healed after the convention, and the party would march on to victory. There were cries for Hill, Altgeld and Blackburn.

Delegate Money of Mississippi moved that Senator Blackburn of Kentucky be requested to address the convention. The motion was carried unanimously. Senator Blackburn opened his speech by declaring the majority of the’American people were suffering and looked to this- convention to right their wrongs. “Class legislation” would no longer be submitted to. The platform, he thought, should be simple and have but one meaning: “Unlimited free coinage of gold and silver without discrimination.” There should be no idea of perpetuating the national debt or national banking institutions. He finished with a bitter attack on the men who had controlled the money power for many years. The convention renewed its cries for Bryan, Altgeld and Hill. It was announced that Senator Hill was not in the hall. Overmeyer of Kansas, addressing the convention, said the seat of empire was yesterday transferred from the Atlantic states to the great Mississippi valley. The credentials committee, not being ready to report, Gov. Altgeld, after reiterated appeals from all parts of the hall, proceeded to the platform. He said he had not come to the convention to make speeches, but to help formulate a policy for the benefit of Americans. Nearly everything in the country, he said, was mortgaged to English money-lenders, from farms to the sewing niachiiies of seamstresses. Bimetallism was the only hope, and the people expected that from the convention. He claimed the gold standard had lowered the prices of farm products, while the farmers have had to pay more for what they had to buy. The governor referred to gold democrats as wanting to put halters on Americans in favpr of English moneylenders. At the conclusion of the speech there were cries for Senator Tillman, but he did not respond. Williams of Massachusetts said the convention now is sectional. New England represented, and has as much at stake as west and south, and speaks for five million spindles now silent. He pleaded for harmony and doing away with sectionalism. The committee on credentials reported against seating the gold delegations from Michigan and Nebraska. It asked for further time to' consider the individual credentials of Michigan delegates, but asked that Bryan delegates from Nebraska be-seated. The part of the report as to seating Bryan delegates of Nebraska was declared carried amid much confusion. Russell of Massachusetts demanded

a roll call on report of committee on seating these delegates. He afterward withdrew his motion and the report of the committee stands. The Bryan delegates took their seats amid cheers. Repeated calls for Gov. Tillman met with no response. At half past 1 the convention adjourned until 5 o’clock. At 5:30 o’clock the committee on credentials, led by Senator Hill, came in. *Ten minutes after the committee came in Chairman Daniel called the convention to order and announced that the committee on credentials was ready to report, The reading elerk read the report, seating the delegates of four sildistricts in Michigan, which changed ! the complexion of the delegation, under the unit rule from gold to silver.. Ex-Congressman John C. CrosUy of Massachusetts, on behalf of the minority of the committee, protested against the decision of the majority. John H. Brennan, a Wisconsin gold delegate, followed with another protest. • ’ Delegate F. M. Taylor of Arkansas defended the course of the majority. Governor McLaurin of Mississippi was introduced by Chairman Danjel, and addressed the convention in a long speech favoring the committee’s report, and defending the election of silver men in Michigan. He was frequently interrupted by protests from the gold men. Following Gov. McLaurin the chair recognized Mr. Stevenson of Michigan, who went to the platform. Before Mr. Stevenson commenced to talk Mr. Saulsbury of Delaware asked permission to be heard, and Mr. Stevenson yielded the plaform to him. Mr. Saulisbury said: “Gentlemen of the I was elected to this convention as a free-silver man, to vote for free silver at 16 to 1. I expect to do it, but I cannot believe that thia convention will do an injustice to any state by unseating men legally elected, and I shall not vote for it. If Michigan men elected to their state convention .men who would sell out and vote against their instructions to send delegates here this is not the place to wash their dirty linen.”

Mr. Stevenson of Michigan then spoke. He explained how the delegates from Michigan been elected, claiming perfect honesty had ruled, and concluded: “By what right does this convention investigate the right to a seat in this convention of any delegate from Michigan? We had a committee appointed that did that work in our convention, and settled that question of gold and silvej-—it is a question of honesty and right. This is a question of whether the credentials committee of South Dakota, that has only eight votes, will resolve that they cannot go behind the returns—the credentials—but in Michigan, which has twenty-eight votes, they will go bemind the returns.” The chair next introduced ex-Gov. John C. Sheehan of New York. Mr. Sheehan made a powerful plea for the gold delegates from Michigan, saying he believed they had been properly elected. With the following impassioned words he concluded his speech: “I warn my friends from the south, I warn those who fought with me and with whom I fought four years ago, to hesitate before you commit this second unprecedented democratic act. I ask you, gentlemen of this convention — there are many people who believe in this country that the proceedings of this convention were begun in revolution—in God’s name do not end them in revolution.” The chair recognized Mr. Blake of Texas, who addressed the convention in behalf of the contestants. In his speech he said: “Democracy means the will of the people, and these gentlemen who are here upon this floor know that the reports in all the papers of this country told you that a majority of the counties of Michigan before that convention had assembled had declared for the free coinage of silver. The vote before us showed that to be the case, and that judgment of the people was overturned by federal officeholders manipulating the delegates, getting proxies, and voting them central y to law. I want to tell you right now that in my judgment this whole delegation from Michigan ought to be turned out if half the facts are true that were proven and stated before that convention.” Mr Mcknight of Michigan who was on the platform, was introduced to the convention to answer the speech of Mr. Stevenson. He made the charge of unfair treatment of silver democrats in the state convention, claiming that Mr. Stevenson had received his instructions so to do from democratic leaders at Washington. At this moment Mr. Stevenson mounted his chaip and yelled at the speaker: “There is not a word of truth in that.” This statement was received by a storm of hisses and howls, in the midst of which Mr. Stevenson climbed down off the chair and walked toward the rear of the hall. After the commotion subsided Mr. McKnight continued his appeal for the cantestants. He Concluded “Gentlemen we ask you in all fairness, in all justice, that you support here today the majority report, which is over 2 to 1, and by so doing you will carry Michigan next November by at least 25,000 majority.” The chair then recognized Judge Brucker of Michigan, who said: “I have always been a free silver man and I was a member of the committee on Resolutions in the state convention two years ago that nominated that honest old mar. Hsher on a free silver platform. But want to say this to you, my friends and fellow-delegates, we have got votes enough in this convention by a two-thirds majority without committing highway robbery. “You may ( take my head for a football if the twenty-eight votes from Michigan are not voted for a free tnd

unlimited coinage of silver man fqp president and vice-president, regard* less of what your vote may be here today. I thank you.” f _ Charles S. Thomas of Colorado then spoke for the minority report*, saying: “I wtrn .you fellow-delegates <of the south and west, that we cantiot afford tt> strike the sovereignty of the state of Michigan squarely in the forehead simply for the purpose of obtaining a two-thirds majority for our candidate. Gentlemen, I hope, therefore, that this report of the minority committee will be sustained by the vote which you shall take.” Judge O. W. Pow’ers of Utah then made a plea for the adoption of the majority report. Thomas F. Grady made a bitter attack upon the silver forces, saying they were manipulating the convention in an unfair manner. His ’speech contained a covert threat of a bolt by the New York gold delegates. Upon the close of this speech a call for a vote was made. The chair loudly called oh Delegate-at-Large T. W. A. Weadock of Michigan. Mr. Weadock denied that office holders had dominated the state convention and asked that in fairness and honesty the gold men should be allowed to retain their seats. On the conclusion of Mr. Weadack’s, speech the chair said: “I beg leave to state to the convention that the last speech on this subject is now about to be made and debate ‘ closed by the gentlemaiL.from Colorado, -Mr. O’Donnell.” Mr. O’Donnel said he spoke by the direction of the committee on credentials. He said the fiiajority report was correct an’d just and asked for its adoption. The chair put the question whether the previous question should be ordered, and it was carried by a working majority. Mr. Stevenson of Michigan demanded a roll call on the question. The secretary called the roll of the states, with the following results: Yeas, 558; nays, 368; absent,4. The chairman announced the result of the vote, and this produced a grand outburst of cheering, which extended to the galleries, and was longer in duration than anything of the kind that had yet occurred during the course of the convention. The delegates from New York and Pennsylvania were conspicuously silent. The uproar continued over a duration of twenty minutes, when the business of the convention was at last allowed to proceed. The question recurring on the adoption of the majority report of the committee on credentials, it was carried with about 150 votes in the negative. The report of the committee on credentials being disposed of, the next business in order was the report of the committee on permanent organization. The report of this committee was presented by Gen. Finley of Ohio. It was adopted.

When the committee, consisting of Gen. Finley of Ohio, Judge McConnell of Illinois and Senator Vest of Missouri, escorting the new chairman to the platform had arrived Temporary Chairman Daniel turned to the convention and matfe a short address introducing Chairman White. Mr. White made a short speech wdbn he assumed the gavel. Then Mr. Clark of Montana obtained the floor, and, holding aloft a solid silver gavel, the product of the silver mines of Montana, addressed the chair as follows: “I desire in behalf of Butte City—the greatest mining camp on the face of this globe—to present this gavel to chairman of this democratic national convention.” Senator Jones of Arkansas announced that there would be a meeting of the committee meetings today. Adjournment was taken until 10 o’clock today on motion of Mr. Goldthwaite of Maine.

MAY NAME BLAND. Gov. Stone Say« “Sliver Dick" Will Be Nominated Today. Chicago, July 9.—Governor William J. Stone said last night: “Richard Parks Bland will be nominated for president of the United States by the national democratic convention tomorrow.” He further said that Bland had more than a majority in the convention now and that no man had ever been defeated by the two-thirds rule in a democratic convention who had reached a majority. Missouri’s governor made, this prediction in the face of a flerqp under-the-surface fight against his candidate. The Bland sentiment in Illinois, Nebraska, Arkansas, Tennessee and Michigan was roughly handled yesterday. The opposition worked tooth and nail to form a combination against the Missouri candidate, but the other candidates appear to be reluctant to enter openly into the combat. The democratic two-thirds rule has always been held to mean that twothirds of the delegates voting should make the nomination. The decision of the gold men to refrain from voting puts Bland in a long lead ahead of the other candidates and makes him much closer to the desired two-thirds vote than if the entire convention should record its vote for the nomination. Recognizing this, Boies, Mathews and Teller forces are straining every energy to get the gold men to participate in the nomination. Particularly is this true of the senatorial syndicate, headed by Jones and Harris, who are pledged to Bland, but who, it is said, are really working for the Colorado senator. None of the other candidates has yet dropped out of the race, although the Matthews and McLean men say their only hope lies in some - entanglement in the convention, which will force the Bland men away from their candidates. Vice-President Stevenson is • more talked of as a (lark horse than any other democrat. This sentiment is being’ cultivated and distributed by the Teller and Boies forces.

SENATOR WHITE.