The Abbeville press and banner. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, July 15, 1896, Image 10
The Press and Ban ner.
RYHUG1I \VI1 .SON "
~THE DEMOCRACY. "
FIRST DAY'S PROCEEDINGS OF THE
NATIONAL CONVENTION.
Senator Daulel, of Virginia. Kl?ctt<l Temporary
Chairman-The Proceeding*
Marked Willi Good Orikr Throughout.
An Kloquent Speech by Citairiuitu
Chicago, July 7.?The Democratic
National Convention met today a little
after noon. The gavel dropped at
ten minutes before 1 o'clock upon a
hall that had a dozen rows of empty
seats at the edges farthest from the
platform. The appearance of Chairman
llarrity as he stepoed forward to
the desk attired in a slaie colored summer
suit provoked a round of applause
r?ikaVicia,.,, reinforced
I rum buc ,
by many Southern and Western men.
When Mr. Harrity commanded the
convention to be in order his voice
easily carried over the tumult to the
farthest corner, testing the acoustic
qualities of the hall with most satislactory
results. The figure of the
chairman faced the assemblage for
several minutes while the ushers swept
the aisles clear of knots of conferring
delegates,
Ii/Y? /?nn*rf?Tltirin will
IXUllLigUiCU V/i tuv ?
rise for prayer," Chairman flarrity
sa;d, and there was a clatter of chairs
as the body of delegates in the centre
of the hall came up to its feet with
considerable confusion. The Chaplin,
Rev. Edward Stirs stepped forward
and delivered an eloquent invocation.
The Chaplin was a young man,
hardly thirty years old, with a smooth
shaven, clear cut face and wearing the
black clerical coat buttoned to his
chin. He held in his hand a roll of
typewritten manuscript which after a
? i /-\n ho Hcalr and nick
UiUUlCUb ug lam vu uiv mvmm r
ed up slip by slip, reading from it the
prayer as he could do without exciting
comment, as a representative of the
Episcopalian Church.
As the convention seated itself
Chairman Harrity stepped forward
and after a short rap of the gavel announced
in clear tones the selection of
Senator David B. Hill for temporary
chairman. This announcement was
what the gold men were waiting for
and with a shout they leaped to their
feet and with waving arms they shouted
out their approval. Among the
spectators also there was a cheer of
approbation. Some enthusiastic delegate
yelled: 4'Three cheers for David
B. Hill, and they were given with a
unll
Senator Sheerin, of Indiana for sec
retary and John Martin for sergeantat
arms were also announced.
When the convention had quieted
down, "What is the pleasure of ihe
convention?"asked Mr. Harrity, calmly
as if he did not know of the storm
which was follow. Mr. Clayton, the
members of the national committee
from Arkansas, arose. Every silver
man and every spectator in the hall
knew that the gage of battle was to be
thrown down and they rose to a man
and cheered. As soon as he announced
that he deemed it his duty to present a
minority report the demonstration that
followed the announcement of the
selection of Mr. Hill's name was a
breeze compared to a cyclone. The
600 odd delegates practically mounted
their chairs and cheered while from
the thousand throats in the audience
came a hoarse roar of approval that
J-J III 1 I EVw,.
suuuueu ii&t) a ruu ui wuuuuu. ?>
over three minutes the demonstration
continued and it was renewed at several
points as Mr. Clayton read the
minority report nominating Daniel of
Virginia. As he he concluded with
an emphatic demand for a roll call
the silver men again cheered wildly.
After considerable debate the vote
was taken. The convention was very
quiet when the roll call began. Breaks
were shown in two of the Southern
States, Alabama and Florida. The
chairman of the first announced that
but for the unit rule Alabama would
give five votes for Hill; and Florida
was equally divided between Hill and
Daniel with four ayes and four noes.
Tne announcement that Illinois and
Indiana cast solid voies lor me suosutute
were cheered. The vote of Iowa
was challenged and resulted in a
showing of seventeen ayes and nine
noes, so that the twenty-six were recorded
aye. This Iowa roll call necessitated
the announcement of the
name of Horace Boies who is accredited
as a delegate but the Boies men
missed the opportunity for a demonstration
and no cheer was heard. A
moment later the call of J. C. S.
Blackburn of Kentucky was followed
by an enthusiastic round for Kentuck's
favorite.
Mr. McKnight of Michigan challenged
the announcement that his
State voted no, and the roll call showed
twelve ayes and sixteen noes.
*TJ1 XT <r 1. ha
YY XltJU X1CW JLU1& WM icauuwi fcuo
chairman explained Senator Hill did
not vote, so New York cast seventyone
noes.
Senator Daniel of Virginia managed
to score a point upon nis opponent,
Senator Hill, for Congressman Jones,
the chairman of the Slate's delegation,
announced that all the votes of Virginia
were cast aye, with the exception
of John W. Daniel, who voted no.
The Virginia partisans were quick to
seize upon this act of chivalry and rewarded
it with a shrill shoutThe
roll call was completed at 3:25.
The announcement of the vote?550
to 449?was received with a brief demonstration
by the silver victors. Delegates
waved their hats and the spectators
in the galleries cheered.
Mr- Harrity announced that unless
objection was made he would regard
it as the sense of the convention that
the majority report had been rejected
and Mr. Daniel selected.
Senator Jones of Arkansas. R. P.
Keating of Nevada and Senator White
were appointed to escort Senator Daniel
to the platform.
As the committee appeared on the
platform with the Virginia Senator
the demonstrations of the silver men
were renewed Senator Daniel having
the appearance of an old-time states
man, smooth-face,long hair a d wear
ing the conventional frock coat, look
ed as if he had stepped out of some
picture of the Senate of the past. lit
oowed profoundly in response to the
itvatinn hft rpppirwl
Escorted by the committee, Mr,
Daniel passed to the platform, where,
when he appeared, he was receivec
with an immense eruption of cheers
and yells. The band helped the thin$
along with "Hail to the Chief," anc
there were more cheers.
triple infamy of Republican legisla-1
tion. The first was aimed not more
at the South than at the great cities of
the East and chief among them, the
great Democrscy of New York,with its
mapnificent patronage. That bill got
its death blow in the Senate but there
was not a single Democrat in New
York or New England to vote against
it.
No man, gentlemen, in this high
noon of our country's fraternity can
revive force bills now in this reconciled
and reunited republic. Our opponents
themselves have abandoned
i hom Thpr? iq tV-iof nan ctnn/1
' When order was restored Mr. Harritv
s^id: "Gentlemen of the convention,
I have the hono.- of introducing
as your temporary chairman the Hon.
John W. Daniel of Virginia."
While the delegates and everybody
else in the house were yelling and
cheering. Chairman Harrily passed
the gavel over to Mr. Daniel who took
it aud spoke as follows:
Mr. Chairman of the National Dem
ocratic Convention: In receiving from
your hands this gavel, as the tempo
rarv presiding otlicer of this convention,
I believe I express a sentiment
which I am sure is unanimous that
no national convention was ever presided
over with more ability or with
more fairness than by yourself.
(Cheers and cries of "Harrity 1" "Harrity!")
I can express no better wish
for myself than that I may be able in
some feeble way t? make my conduct
by your model and to practice by your
example. (Cheers)
The high position, gentlemen, to
which you have chosen tne, involves
both a great personal honor and a
keen responsibility. For the honor I
thank vou. The responsibility I would
wholly"be inadequate to bear did I depend
upon myself but your gracious
aid will make it easy and its burden
light. That aid I confidently invoke
from you for the sake of the great
cause under whose banner we have
fought so many battles and which
now demands of us such staunch devotion
and such loyal service. I regret
that my name should have been
brought in even the most courteous
and serious complication with that of
my distinguished friend, the great
Senator from New York, (anplause,)
but the very fact that I have permitted
it to be done refutes the suggestion
that has been improvidently made on
this floor that either I or those whom
I have the honor to represent, would
ever heap indignity upon that brave
and illustrious head. (Great applause.)
No candid man,no dispassionate judgment,
gentlemen, can ever misinterpret
your meaning. The Senator from
New York himseif knows as you
know and as I know that there is no
personality in the'preferment which
has been given to me. He must know
that the whole country watches these
proceedings and must know that it is
solely due to principle that this great
majority of Democrats stands for and
that they know I stand with them.
(Applause.) And that it is given in
the spirit of the instructions received
hv tJmqpi rpinrftsrantatives of the neople.
from the people, whom all Democrats
will ever bow to as the purest and
original source of all power. The
birth of the Democratic party was
coeval with the birth of the soverignty
of the people. It can never die
until the declaration of American independence
is forgotten and that sovereignty
is crushed out. (Great applause.)
"I am happy, gentlemen, to know
that as the majority in this convention
is not personal, neither in any
sense is it sectional. It blends the palmettoes
and the pines of Maine and
South Carolina. It begins with the
sun rise in Maryland and spreads into
a sun burst into Louisiana and Texas.
(Applause.) It stretches in one unbroken
column across the American
continent, from the Atlantic shores of
the Old Dominion and Georgia, and it
shows its silvery beams over the golden
gates of California, (Applause,) it
sends forth its pioneers from Plymouth
Rock and wavss over the golden
wheat fields of Dakota. It has its
stronghold in Alabama and Mississippi
and its outposts in Minnesota, Florida
and Oregon. (Applause.) It sticks
like atarheel, (applause,) down in the
old North State, and it writes sixteen
to one on the saddlebags of Arkansas
with the traveler. (Loud applause.)
It pours down its rivulets from the
mountains of West Virginia and
makes a great lake in New Mexico,
Arizona, Wyoming, Idaho, Utah, Nevada,
Montana and Colorado. It
stands guard around the national capitol
in the District of Columbia,
(cheers,) and it camps on the frontiers
of Oklahoma. It sweeps like a prairie
fire over Iowa and Kansas, and puts
up a red light on the confines of Nebraska.
It marshals its massive battalions
in Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and
Missouri. Last, but by far from least,
when I see this grand array and think
of the British gold standard that was
recently unfurled over the ruins of
Republican promises at St. Louis, I
think, too, of the battle of New Orleans,
of which it is said: There stood
John Bull in martial pomp, but there
was old Kentucky. (Applause.)
"Brethren of the East, there is no
South, there is no North, there is no
East, there is no West in this uprising
of the people for American emancipation
from the conspiracy of European
kings, led on by Great Britain, which
seeks to destroy one-half of the money
of the world and to make American
manufacturers, merchants, farmers
and mechanics mere hewers of wood
and drawers of water.
"There is one thing golden, which,
permit me, in the same good humor
which has characterized your conduct,
to commend to you here. It is the golden
rule to do unto others as you would
have them do unto you. Forget not
the greed of devils and that an absolute
acquiescence in the will of the
majority is the vital principle of the
pawMiV l^Qmnpyofc act vaII liflVG
beeVidemocrats as I trust you will ever
be, acquiesce gracefully in the will of
the great majority of your fellow
Democrats and only ask to go with
them, as they have often gone with
1 you. (Applause.j Do not forget,
gentlemen, that for thirty years we
ha?e supported the men that you have
named or President, Secretary SeymoUr,
Greely, Tilden and Hancock,
and twice Cleveland. Do not forget
that we have submitted cheerfully to
your compromised platform and to
your repeated disasters to their fulfillment.
To get at the last convention
of the Democratic party in 1892, you
proclaimed your services to be in favor
of the use of both gold and silver as a
standard money of the country, for
the coinage of both gold and silver
1 without discriminating against either
metal; and that the only question left
? ? ? ? ? ? Viot oruan t Via mflfolo
upcu was LUC 1 atiu kuu Uivvn'a.
1 Do not forget?and I refer to the fact
' in no inferior sense?that just four
i years ago in a Democratic convention
! in this city the New York delegation
stood here solidly and immovably for
a candidate committed to the free and
unlimited coinage of silver and gold
5 at a ratio of 16 to 1. And if we are
> still for it, let it not be forgotten 1 hat
i we owe it in some measure to their
teachings. (Applause.) That we owe
. you much, gentlemen of the East, is
, readily acknowledged and will be ever
i most gratefully remembered. We
5 owe you much, gentlemen of the conr
vention, and for what we owe you ol
I tht> Kant is the force bill and the Mc
1 Kinley bill, and the Sherman law, the
HUW1M. ? V biiot uau Obauu
between the union of hearts and
the union of hands that Grant
in his dying vi&ion saw coming on angels
wings to all the sons of our common
country. When Chicago dressed
Southern graves in flowers she buried
sectionalism under a mountain of fragrance.
When Southern soldiers yesterday
cheered the wounded hero of
the North in Richmond the South answered
back: 'Let us have peace;
peace, union and liberty now and for
ever.'
"As the majority of Democrats i&
not sectional neither does it stand for
any privileged or class legislation.
The active business men of this country,
its manufacturers, merchants,
farmers, sons of toil, in counting room
factory, field and mine, know that
contraction of the currency sweeps
away with the silent and resistless
force of gravitation the annual profits
of their enterprise and investments.
They know too that the gold standard
moans contraction and the organization
disaster. What hope is there for
the Democracy unless the views of the
majority here shall be adopted?Do not
the people know that it was not silver
legislation but legislation dictated by
the advocates of the gold standard that
has caused and now continues the financial
depression? Do they not know
that when their demands upon the
Democracy were complied with in 1893
and the Sherman law repealed without
a substitute that the very States of the
East that demanded it turned against
the Democracy who granted it and
swept away their majority in a torrent
of ballots? Had the silver men had
their way then instead of the gold
monometalists, what storms of abuse
would here today be emptied upon
fKaii* K11+ iVtCk nAr>nla annlcinff
WUUii UVt4Vta J l/UV UUW Auy^
the power of memory and analysis
alike to discover the causes of their ar
rested prosperity, need not go to find
them. They do not forget when De
mocracy came to power in 1893 it inherited
from its Republican predecessor
the tax system and the currency
system of which the McKinley law
and the Sherman law were the culminating
atrocities. It came to power
amidst a panic, which fitly followed
upon their enactment with strikes,
lockouts, riots and civic commontions,
while the scenes of peaceful industry
in Pennesylvania had become military
camps breakfast.
Besides manifold oppressive features
the McKinley law had thrown away
fifty millions of revenue derived from
sugar under the sceptral plea of a free
breakfast table and had substituted
bounties to sugar planters, thus decreaing
revenue and increasing expenditure,
thu j burning the candle at both
ends and making the people pay at
least for the alleged tree.
From the joint operations of the
McKinlev law and Sherman law an
adverse balance of trade was forced
against us in 1893, a surplus of one
hundred millions of dollars in the
Treasury was converted into a deficit
of seventy millions in 1894, and engraved
bonds prepared bv a Republican
Secretary to borrow money to support
the government, were the ill
omens of the pre-organized ruin that
awaited the incoming Democrats, and
a depleted Treasury. More significant
still, the very authors of the ill-starred
Sherman law maicesniit were aireaay
at confession upon the stool of penitence,
and were begging Democratic
help to put out the conflagration of
disaster that they themselves have
kindled.
- So far as revenue to support the
govenment is concerned the Democratic
party with but a slender majority
in the Senate was not long providing
it and had not the Supreme Court
of the United States reversed its settled
doctrine of the 100 years, the income
tax, incorporated in the tariff bill,
would long since have abundantly
supplied it.
The Republican party has now renounced
the creed of its platform and
of our national pledges gnd presented
to the country the issue of higher taxes
more bonds and less money. It has
proclaimed at last, throwing away the
disguises, the British gold standard.
We can only expect should they succeed,
my countrymen, a specimen of
nanir. and a loner nrotracted neriod of
depression. Do not ask us then to
join them in any of their propositions.
Least of all ask us not to join them
upon the money question and light a
sham battle over a settled tariff, for the
money question is the paramount issue
before the American people and it involves
Americanism more than any
economic issue that was ever presented
at a Presidential election.
We pray you, no more makeshifts
and straddles. Vex not the country
with your prophecies of smooth things
to come from the British-Republican
propaganda. (Applause.) The fact
that the European nation's are going
to the gold standard, renders it all the
more impracticable that we should do
so, for the limited stock of gold in the
world would have longer division ind
a smaller share for eacn nation. Previous
predictions have been punctual'
??4-J ?Uam ?\MAnnanUn TT7 n n ^
ly rtiiuteu WUOU piuopcuij m0.0 jjivypuecied
to come upon the unconditional
repeal of the Sherman law. Instead
of protecting the treasury ieserve, as
was prophecied it would do, an unprecedented
raid was promptly made on
it and two hundred and sixty-two millions
of borrowed gold have been inefficient
to guarantee it security. Instead
of causing foreign capital to flow
to us it has stimulated the flow of gold
to Europe and greenback notes and
Sherman notes which are just as much
payable in silver as in gold have been
used to dip the gold out of the Treasury
of the United States and to store it in
i the strong boxes of the war lords of
Europe. Instead of reviving business
this policy has further depressed it.
Instead of increasing wages this policy
* * 1 xl T A. 1
nas iuriner uepresseu mem. lusieau
of multiplying opuortunities for employment
this policy has multiplied
i idlers.
Instead of increasing the prices of
our products this policy has lowered
i them, and it is estimated at about 15
i per cent, in three years. Instead of
. Hnirinlnn nr\n fiflon 01* flia nnlioir lias
I^TlTlUg wuuvtvuwv ???w f/Viivj
i banished confidence. Instead of bringing
relief it has brought years of mis'
ery and for this reason it has contract
ed the currency of the United States
? lour dollars a head for every man,
\
woman and cbild since November 1,
1893. and with this vast aggregate
contraction the price of land and of
manufactured goods and of all kind
of agricultural and mercantile produce
has fallen. The pu blic revenues have
fallen, wages of labor have fallen,
and everything on the face of the
earth nas fallen but taxes and debts
which have burden, while on the other
hand their liquidation has been diminished.
No nation calls itself free
and independent that is not great
enough to establish and maintain a financial
system of its own. (Great applause.)
To pretend that this foremost and
richest and most powerful nation in
the world cannot coin its own money
without suing for an international
agreement at the courts of European
autocrats, who have none but primary
interests to subserve, has for many
years been held out at Presidential
election; have made use of such an
agreement and have failed afterwards
and we have never in our history had
an international agreement upon a
money system and none of the founders
of this republic ever dreamed that
such an agreement was essential. We
have bad three international conferences
in order to obtain it and to wait
longer upon them is to ignore the interest
of our own people and degrade
our national dignity and to advertise
to all mankind our impotence and our
folly.
The majority of this convention
maintain that this great American nation,
without dependence upon European
nations for anything that they
produce, and with European nations
dependent upon much that we produce
is fully capable of restoring this constitutional
money system of gold and
silver at pnnalitv with PAP.h other.
(Applause)
And as our fathers in 1776 declared
our national independeuce of all the
world, eo today has the great Democratic
party, founded by Thomas Jefferson
the author nf that declaration.
appeared here in Chicago to declare
the financial independence of the United
States of all other notions and'to
invoke all true Americans to assert it
by their suffrages at the polls, that our
country may be placed where she by
right belongs as the freest, as the foremost,
as the most prosperous and happy
nation that ever blessed the life of
mankind upon this globe.
When Mr. Daniel finished and announced
that the convention was
ready for business there was loud cnes
for Hill. The New York Senator was
quietly eating a sandwich and showed
no disposition to respood.
Senator Jones, of Arkansas, announced
that on behalf of the silver
delegates in the convention and at the
request of many of them, he would
move the adoption of the resolution.
The resolution extended the thanks of
the convention to Chairman Harrity
for the impartial manner in which he
had presided over the convention. It
was adopted unanimously as was another
resolution offered by Senator
White of California, making the rules
of the Fifty-third House of Representatives
govern the deliberationu of the
convention. '
Tna roll of States was called under
the customary practice and the selections
for membership on the various
committees were announced. The delegates
and spectators began leaving
rapidly at this juncture as it was well
understood that the convention would
immediatelv adjourn.
General E. B. Finley of the Ohio
delegation protested against the selection
of committee members by contested
delegations but Chairman Daniel
ruled that until the permanent organization
was perl ected the temporary
roll was respected.
At 4:43 p. m , on Senator Jones'
motion, the convention adjourned until
tomorrow morning at ten o'clock.
Changed AaaeflBnienta.
The following changes for 1896 in
the taxable value of railroad property
in the counties named, as compared
with 1895, have been made as a result
of the action of the Railroad Board of
Equalization as to railroad assessments;
Aiken, ifl,U22,76U; decrea3e, ^L,UUU.
Anderson, $532,850; decrease, $26,430.
Berkeley, $1,173,930; decease, 127,550.
Chester, $659,003; decrease, $19,0S7.
Clarendon, $336,000 ; decrease, $43,050.
Charleston, $678,130; iucreasa, $119,400.
Chesterfield, $53,725; increase, $9,100,
Colleton, $1,141,215; increase, $16,446.
Darlington $242,465; increase, $4,760.
Edgefield, $630,250; decrease, $15,150.
Hampton, $693,850; increase, $1,300.
Kershaw, $255,250; decrease of $400.
Lancaster, $237,965; decrease of $4,800.
Laurens, $746,175; increase of $6,100.
Marion, $667,910; increase of $5,310.
Marlboro, $267,930; increase of $23,720.
Newberry, $605,330; decrease of $38,200.
Oconee, $186,520; decrease of $24,600.
Orangebug, $1,461,785; increase of
$161,300.
Spartanburg, $1,128,725; increase of
$13,000.
Sumter, $1,003. 835; increase of $22,155.
Union, $393,910; increase of $35,320.
Williamsburg, $726,310; increase of
$1,000.
York, $889,497; decrease of $6,000.
Accidentally Killed.
Woodroff, S. C., July 8.?Saturday
Mat Lanford was passing along
tbe road with his gun in his hand endeavoring
to shoot at some crows that
appeared to be hovering or gathering
near by. While thus engaged John
Fleming with his wife and two chilJ?
U r? T llTrt 1 lr A/1
ureil uruvo uy . uauiviu natacu
along just behind the buggy, thinking
in that way to get near the crows.
He carried his gun in his hand which
probably was cocked ready for shooting
the crows when by some means
unknown to Lanford the gun was
discharged, sending the whole
load of shot into the back of
the head and jaw of Mrs. Fleming,
killing her instantly, lacerating and
tearing her head and face in a fearful
manner. Mr. Fleming nor the little
children were injured at all. All the
parties are respectable aud of pood
standing in the community and on
the best of terms with each other.
There is much sympathy in their behalf
and many regrets for this sad and
terrible affair.
GOLD VS. SILVER.
FIERCE STRUGGLE BETWEEN CHAMPIONS
OF THE TWO METALS.
The Oold Men Again Downed?Anuoucement
of the Vote 8eatlng the Silver Delegates
From Michigan Set* the Convention
Aflre?Wild Scenes.
Chicago, July 8.?After passing
through a listless morning session the
Democratic national convention witnessed
two scenes tonight which compensated
those *hose pent-up feelings
naa been given vent in the earlier
part nf the day. Men and women
joined in the demonstration for each
of the contending factions of the Democracy.
They shouted and cheered,
sang and stamped and fairly turned
the great convention hall into a pandemonium.
At a few minutes before 11 o'clock,
the temporary chairman called the '
convention to order and announced
that its proceedings would be opened
with prayer by the Rev. Thomas Ed
ward Green, rector of Grace church,
(EpiscopaJ) of Grand Rapids, la.
The temporary chairman announced
that the first business in order was the
report of committees, as no business
could be done except by unanimous
consent until committees reported.
He called the first committee in order,
the committee on credentials, and
there was no response, and after an interval
of about 10 minutes it was annonunced
that the committee on credentials
were about to reassemble after
their Ion? night's session.
At 11:12 ex-Senator Martin of Kansas
was recognized and moved an informal
recess of five minutes to permit
Governor Hogg of Texas to address
the convention.
The motion was adopted, but a stray
band in the gallery beyond the reach
of the chairman's bell, not hearing the
signals kept playing "Dixie" for near* i
ly 10 minutes before it could be stopped
And the governor given a chance. '
Governor Hogg's "five minutes"
were stretched into half an hour, but
still there were no tidings from the !
committee on credentials and amid i
vociferous cries for Hill, who was not
present, the chair recognized Senatorelect
Money of Mississippi, who moved
that Senator Blackburn of Kentucky 1
be invited to the stand. Mr. Blackburn,
the first pronounced candidate 1
to be heard, was received with tumultous
applause.
As Senator Blackburn sat down,
more cries were raised for Hill, without
response.
A motion to adjourn for half an
hour was voted down, and the band
was started up to drown the confusion 1
which prevailed.
Mr. Henry of Mississippi moved that
the Hon. Mr Bryan of Nebraska be
invited to the stand. This was received
with every demonstration of approval,
but the chair announced that
Mr Rrunri was nnt. in t.h? Via 11
Governor AltgeJd of Illinois was
then called for and rising in the hall,
indicated a desire to give way to Senator
Hill.
The chair stated that Governor Hill
was engaged with the committee on
resolutions and was not in the hall.
Governor David Overmeyer of
Kansas took the stand and declared
that yesterday the seat of empire was
transferred from the Atlantic States to
the Mississippi valley. The day of the
common people had dawned and the
"dollar of our daddies" would be restored.
This sentiment was received '
with unbounded enthusiasm. The
band once mors filled up the interlude
to kill time.
Governor Altgeld was again called !
in requisition as a stop gap. His swar- j
thy visage, as it appeared alongside the J
chairman, was greeted with cheers, to
which he responded by saying he did j
not come here to make a speech, but ,
to assist in nominating a President j
and preparing a platform which
should bring hope to the people. He
was listened to with attention, as he ,
proceeded to discuss the cause of the 1
existing conditions of distress, which he
summarized as the combined ac- j
tion or the moneyed interests 01 tne
world to make money dear and property
and labor cheap.
Mr. George Fred Williams of Massachusetts
was next called upon and
was greeted with aery of "threecheers ]
for George Fred Williams." He com- batted
the assertion that the seat of J
empire had been transferred from the 1
Atlantic coast to the Mississippi valley. 1
The seat of empire was where it ever '
was in all the States of the union and
the battle now being waged was for 1
the restoration of the union of the ]
States, ne begged there might be no
other word ?of sectionalism heard in ]
this convention. The fight was not to 1
transfer the seat of empire from the 1
east to the west, but to transfer the 1
control of the treasury and of your
money and mine from Lombard street :
to the centres of industry in the
United States. (Loud cheers.)
At this point, 1 p. m., the chair announced
a partial report of the committee
on credentials, recommending
that each of the territories and the 1
District of Columbia be granted six 1
votes. Second, after careful compari- '
son of the credentials as returned by i
the national committee, they found of
all them correct except from the States
of Nebraska and Michigan. In recard
to Nfthraska thf>v werA nlnasftd
to report that the delegates headed by
the Hon. W. J. Bryan should be admitted
to seats. In regard to Michigan
they asked further time.
The motion to adopt the report was
declared carried by a viva voce vote, a <
demand for a roll call which was at
first made by Governor Russell, being :
withdrawn on the statement of the
chairman of the credentials commit- '
tee, that the report was unamimous. I
At 1:10 the gold delegates from Ne- '
braska retired to a march tune by the
band, and their silver successors took
their places.
The Bryan men, as they marched in
headed by silver-topped spears and a
banner bearing Mr. Bryan s name in
silver letters, were vociferously ap- i
nlotulaH
Renewed calls for Tillman met with i
the reply that he was in attendance at i
the meeting of the committee on ere- j
dentials. ]
Governor Altgeld moved that the '
convention take a recess till 5 o'clock. ]
The proposition was met with loud
shouts of disapproval. ]
The motion was adopted. ]
The committee on credentials last <
night disposed of all the contests by i
voting to seat all of the silver men. i
In the Michigan case that action turned
the delegation, under the unit rule, 1
from a solid gold to a solid silver dele- ]
gation, and created a two-thirds silver <
majority in the convention. Before]l
the committee adjourned, however, a ]
motion to reconsider tbe action on the
Michigan case was adopted.
The convention reassembled at 5:15,
with a full attendance of delegates and
with crowded galleries. Senator Daniels
of Virginia was in the chair as
temporary chairman.
At 5:30 p. m., the committee on credentials
presented its completed report,
admitting to seats the contesting delegates
from the Fourth and Ninth congressional
districts of Michigan and
recognizing the right to their seats of
all the other delegates from Michigan.
The elt'ect is to transfer the delegation
to a silver delegation by 15 to 13,
and as the unit rule prevails, it gives
Michigan a solid silver vote of 23 in
the convention and creates a two-thirds
silver majority there.
A minority "report was presented in
favor of allowing the delegation to remain
as it was on the temporary roll.
Debate on the report was at once begun.
Mr. Brennan of Wisconsin advocated
the adoption of the minority report
and said be feared the effect of the
adoption ot the majority report upon
the country. He entered into details
of the facts involved in the contest
and said the report in this case if
adopted would establish the fact that
a majority in the first flush of success
might go into a sovereign State and
upset the action of a legal convention.
(Cheers.) Hefcharged that the contest
originated only three or four
weeks ago when certain facts became
apparent as to the majority in this
convention. He nad since become acquainted
with that majority, and he
appealed with confidence to their
sense of justice and fairness. (Loud
cheers.)
Governor McLaurin of Mississippi,
another member of the committee on
credentials, gave a history of the election
of delegates in Michigan} asserting
that there was a clear majority of
Democratic voters in that State in favor
of silver, so that there was no issue
here to throttle the will or stifle
the purpose of that majority of Demo
crats. Ho spoke of the orders issued
from Washington to Federal office
holders in Michigan to carry that
State at all hazards for gold, and he
said that it was a question for the convention
to decide whether the men
who represented the majority of the
Democracy of that State were to be
driven out of the convention.
The audience manifested impatience
at the length of Mr. McLaurin's ex- i
planation, and broke into constant
cries for a speech from Hill, but notice ,
was given that if these interruptions
were persisted in the galleries
would be cleared. The notice was of
little avail, for hardly had Governor
McLaurin taken up the thread of his
story again when the shouts for Hill
broke out afresh.
Mr. Stevenson, member of the national
committee from the Stete of i
Michigan opposed the m'aj jrity report
beginning his speech witn the statement:
"I am the man wha they say
stole Michigan. Even so (laughter) I
do not desire to discuss the financial
question now, but to assert the rights
of the delegates elected by a sovereign
State to sit in a Democratic national
convention. (Cheers.)
"The convention," he added, "has
no right to sit as a committee on credentials
oh a State convention. It
may answer its purpose now, but it
would be making a precedent which
will return to damn you some way.
(Cheers.) The only safe Democratic :
doctrine is to stand by precedents and
to seat the delegates who held the only <
credentials that have been issued from
those districts. {
Mr. McKnight of Michigan, a member
of the committee on credentials,
asked the support not only of the silver
men, but of the entire convention j
in support of the majority. The gen- j
tlemen of the committee, he said, had i
Sjiven this cajse careful consideration, j
and they were here to testify to some, ;
and only some, of the outrages perpetrated
on the Democrats of Michigan. ]
Se asserted that the State of Michigan i
sleeted a majority of 200 to the con- i
mention in favor of silver and when
the administration found this out, and
u. * Hif:?u:
ulli. uwYcuauu vvaci acut tu iiiiuuigau
to upset the will of the people. <
'''Acre L? not one word of truth in
ill that," said Mr. Richardson from
[lis seat.
As Mr. McKnight proceeded further
with his statement of alleged facts,
Mr. Weadock, one of the delegates at
large, seated in the front row immediately
facing the speaker, said in an
audible voice: "That's a lie." No notice
was tiken of this interruption.
Mr. Br acker of Michigan declared
that he had always been a free silver
man, and that there were enough sil- i
ver delegates in the convention to
nominate a President by a two-thirds
majority without the necessity of com- ]
miting hifihway robbery. (Applause
and laughter.) <
Mr. C. S. Thomas of Colorado, a i
member of the national committee, ]
next took the stand, but the audience
was becoming impatient and raised i
loud cries of "vote." He held it would
be a mistake to elect a Democratic (
President by overturning the express- ,
ed will of a?sovereign State. He warn- ,
ed them that they could not afford to
strike down the State of Michigan
simply for the purpose of obtaining a
two-third majority.
Mr. Powers of Utah, a member of
the committee on credentials, argued
in support of the majority report.
State Senator Thomas F. Grady of
New York spoke against the majority
report.
The vote was then taken on the minority
substitute of the credentials
committee, which retains the sitting j
(gold) members from the fourth and
ninth Michigan districts in their seats. <
The vote resulted in the rejection of j
the minority report, yeas 3(58, nays <
558, absent 4. The "noes have it," }
3aid the chairman, "and the amend- ,
meniisiosi." n was now luosiivci
men's turn, and they yelled and waved ]
hats and handkerchiefs and displayed {
Bland pictures and made the night j
hideous for nearly as long as the gold ]
men, the galleries, impartially assist- <
ing- <
The report of the committee on per I
manent organization was then pre- <
sented by Mr. Finleyof Ohio, naming s
Senator White of California as permanent
president of the convention, and I
rhomas J. Cogan of Ohio as perma- ]
aent secretary. I
A committee of three was then appointed
to escort Senator White, the
permanent chairman to the chair, the
committee consisting of Mr. Finlev of
Ohio, Mr. McConnell of Illinois and
Senator Vest of Missouri.
Senator Daniel, in retiring from the
temporary chairmanship, expressed 1
bis deep sense of the honor which he 1
snjoyed and introduced Mr. White as i
the "distinguished Senator from Cali- I
fornia." (Cheers.; <
Senator White, on taking the chair, . 1
spoke of the convention as an assem- ~?g|
blage of men from every State and
territory in the union, and said that j
he was prepared to extend fall, equal, |
absolute and impartial treatment to
Mr. Clark of Montana, rising in the |
body of the hall produced a silver
gavel from the mines of Montana, t
which he presented to the presiding' J j
officer in the name of the delegation 3
from that State. I
Senator Jones of Arkansas, chair
man of the committee on resolution*, j
announced that the committee on ' M
platform and resolutions would meet
tomorrow morning at 9:30 o'clock.
This was taken by the heated and excited
audience as an indication of an j I
immediate adjournment, and forth*
second time in the course of the day, .-Jjma
an incipient panic partially developed. .
People in the galleries began to vj? j
move out with a rush and a correspond*
ing movement was started on the. -3
floor. The means of exit from the -1i<m
building are so utterly insufficient
that trouble might have followed but .'JgM
f.Viof oonoMiAnf of.Q?ma vaiaincf hi. ?
big voice, commanded his deputies to Jig
"stop those men." , jj
When some degree of order had JSM
been thus restored, a meeting to ad- 'Wm
journ till 10 o'clock tomorrow mornlag
was put at 9:36 p. m. was declared
and the second day's convention end- JjP
A HOT WEEK'S RECORD. _JM
Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin 38
by Observer Baaer. 39
Columbia, July 8.?The following |
is the weekly bulletin of the condition t -Mi.
of the weather and the crops of the >*3-'
State during the past week issued yes- - '^ 5
terday by State Observer J. W. Bauer:
This bnllfttin r?/wAra t.Vi? waaIHaf and <$ '
crop conditions for the week ending -
Saturday, July 4. and in its preparation
were used reports from one or xsB
more correspondents in each county ' M
of the State.
WEATHER.
The week was a hot one. The mean ; oH
temperature was, however, but one* .
half degree in excess of the normal. 'ffaM
Highest mean, 87, at Shaw's Forks;
lowest, 75, at Reid. Average of 42 :'J|s
reports, 81.5, and the normal for th?
same period is approximately 81.
Highest temperature reported, 100 oil
June 28, 29 and 30th, and it oocufed
at 8 places; lowest, 64 on the 30th, at , jM
Clemson College.
Showers prevailed during the latter
part of the week over the State generally,
but in a few counties left spots -jig
very dry. The following heavy rains ;5ja
TffAM ?Anntifa^ triit PinAn/\lia 101 -'$9
TVOig icpvittu, V Lid X 1^1) V'Y?lM
Beaufort, 1.65; Charleston, 3.21; Lib- ' >.
erty, 1.00; Reid. 1.00; Loopers, 1.75;
Longshore. 1.05; Camden, 1.20; Ches- '3aB
terfield, 2.35; Gillisonville, 1.04; Mc- .^8
Coll, 1.00; Poverty Hill, 1.25; Allen- ' .-'JJ
dale, 1.44; Greenwood, L59; Kingstree,
1.38; 8t. George's, 1.29; 26 other
places reported amounts from 0.10 to
0.95, the average of 42 places being .
0.61, and the aproximate normal for
the same period is 1.29.
Note?Since correspondents' reports
were closed heavy rains have fallen -jg
over the western portions of the State. 3
Early in the week the winds wen
hot ana drying, and injurious to vegetation,
but during the latter portion
more humid conditions prevailed.
The sunshine was about normal, '<:$m
except in the eastern counties, notably
Berkeley, where the cloudiness was
greatest, with about half the average
percentage of sunshine.
In general all the crops' are doing
well, look promising and are much in
advance of an average season. There
ire local exceptions, due to want of
rain, or, in places, an excess of raintall.
Thus while it is dry in Aiken.
Edgefield and over portions of the
iraofnun aaiih4ioo /vonawolltr fit A waino
vrtowiu wvuubigo aiijy tuo ACUUO
have been more copious than crops
needed in Chesterfield, Berkeley and
the eastern counties generally.
Farmers are generally up with their
work, and such fields as are being laid
by are in a well cultivated, clean condition.
Old corn is about made and promises
good yields, except that locally in
a few counties, notably Anderson,
Newberry, Aiken, Edgefield, Union,
Clarendon, York, Spartanburg, Lancaster
and Lexington, it has been too 'A
dry, and in a few of the lower coun- i!
ties it is firing badly on sandy land*.
Later planting has generally a good,
healthy color and is beiiig lftfd by free
from grass and weed in fine growing
condition. The corn crop, as a whole,
is now in a better condition than it
was a week ago.
Cotton, as a rule, contir ued the improvement
noted a weak ago. There
was a few localities where it has not
lone well, but generally it is growing
and fruitinesatisfactorily. In Ches
terfield, owing to too much rain, the
lower leaves are turning red and dyin
g. V|
Rain was needed in a number of
counties. Lice have about all left
cotton, but it is apparent that they did
considerable damage, especially in
Darlington and Orangeburg. In
Pickens, and the western counties
generally, it looks wonderfully green
and healthy. In portions of Greenville
it is beginning to bloom on top.
There was to little sunshine in Berkeley
where it has a yellowcolor, blooming
too early. The plant is large in
York, and fruiting proportionately.
There are local reports of poor cotton, ^
but on the whole its condition is very
promising. Sea island cotton is in
food condition and growing rapidly.
Tobacco has improved and is now
Joing well. Jt is in all stages of growth
in Kershaw; curing has begun in a
small way in Williamsburg, Florence
ind Darlington and will be quite genjral
in a week or so.
Melons are generally reported a
poor crop; quantities of tnehi but
small and of inferior taste. The vines
ire reported dying in Marlboro, Darlington,
and Hampton, which, in adiition
to the places heretofore reportid,
indicates that the fungus disease
las a firm hold on almost the entire
jastern portion of the State and is
jpreading. ^
Peas are doing well everywhere.
Sweet potatoes growing well and
premise to be a very large crop from
sresent indications.
Fruit prospects are worse than ever,
[n Oconee there are some apples; no
peaches. In Union apples are wormy
is a rule. Grapes promised to be
plentiful, but are rotting oacuy in various
sections. -j
Gardens are improving generally, j:
but are poor in portions of Barnwell.
Pastures have also improved. .Cane
ind rice are in most excellent condition.
Garden truck is flourishing in
Charleston county.
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