The Abbeville press and banner. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, July 15, 1896, Image 9
/
The Press and Banner.
BY HUGHWI1 .SON".
AKKKVII'I.K. ?. i.:. '
THE DEMOCRACY.
FIRST DAY'S PROCEEDINGS OF THE
NATIONAL CONVENTION.
Seuator Daniel, of Virginia. Kleote?l Temporary
Chairman?The Proceeding"
Market) With Good Order Throughout.
- - ... Ilu.iinl.
An Kloquent >i>e?cn nytnsiri'iou ?
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 i
platform. The appearance of Chairman
Harrity as he stepped forward to
the desk attired in a slate colored summer
suit provoked a round of applause
from theEistern delegates, reinforced
by many Southern and Western men.
When Mr. Harrity commanded the
convention to be in order his voice i
* % * ' -li * ~
easily carried over trie lumuu LU LUC I
farthest corner, testing the acoustic .
qualities of the hall with most satis- <
factory results. The figure of the
chairman faced the assemblage for j
several minutes while the ushers swept 1
the aisles clear of knots of conferring /
delegates, 1
"Gentlemen of the convention will j
rise for prayer," Chairman Harrity 1
sa;d, and there was a clatter of chairs {
as the body of delegates in the centre I
of the hall came up to its feet with t
considerable confusion. The Chap- |
lin, Rev. Edward Stirs stepped for- I
ward and delivered an eloquent invo- ]
cation. (
The Chaplin was a young man, j
hardly thirty years old, with a smooth ]
shaven, clear cut face and wearing the 1
black clerical coat buttoned to his ]
chin. He held in his hand a roll of
typewritten manuscript which after a 1
' * ~ ' ? -J ?
moment he laid on tne aesic ana piu&- i
ed up slip by slip, reading from it the 1
prayer as he could do without exciting t
comment, as a representative of the j
Episcopalian Church. s
As the convention seated itself i
Chairman Harrity stepped forward t
and after a short rap of the gavel an- (
nounced in clear tones the selection of t
Senator David B. Hill for temporary j
chairman. This announcement was t
what the gold men were waiting for y
and with a shout they leaped to their <
feet and with waving arms they shout- 1
ed out their approval. Among the c
spectators also there was a cheer of t
approbation. Some enthusiastic dele- i
gate yelled: "Three cheers for David c
win i moM i?iwon with a t
X>. mil, HUU IUCJ TTWW 6..v~ .
will. I
Senator Sheerin, of Indiana for secretary
and John Martin for sergeant t
at arms were also announced. t
When the convention had quieted s
down, "What is the pleasure of ihe i
convention?"asked Mr. Harrity, calm- ?
ly as if he did not know of the storm s
which was follow- Mr. Clayton, the j
members of the national committee (
from Arkansas, arose. Every silver I
man and every spectator in the hall c
knew that the gage of battle was to be t
thrown down and they rose to a man s
and cheered. As soon as he announced e
that he deemed it his duty to present a g
minority report the demonstration that <
followed the announcement of the t
selection of Mr. Hill's name was a s
breeze compared to a cyclone. The j
600 odd delegates practically mounted f
' i ?L:i. / i
tUeir chairs ana cneerea wmio iruui j
the thousand throats in the audience (
came a hoarse roar of approval that t
sounded like a roll of thounder. For >
over three minutes the demonstration ]
continued and it was renewed at sev- i
eral points as Mr. Clayton read the i
minority report nominating Daniel of i
Virginia. As he he concluded with y
an emphatic demand for a roll call s
the silver men again cheered wildly. i
After considerable debate the vote (
was taken. The convention was very <
quiet when the roll call began. Breaks f
were shown in two of the Southern i
States, Alabama and Florida. The \
chairman of the first announced that t
but for the unit rule Alabama would J
give five votes for Hill; and Florida i
was equally divided between Hill and <
Daniel with four ayes and four noes. ]
The announcement that Illinois and ]
Indiana cast solid votes for the substi- i
tute were cheered. The vote of Iowa j
was challenged and resulted in a ,
showing of seventeen ayes and nine 1
noes, so that the twenty-six were recdrded
aye. This Iowa roll call ne- !
cessitated the announcement of the J
name of Horace Boies who is accred- <
ited as a delegate but the Boies men i
nnnAnhinittr for a dcmnn- I
mittigu VUU HMUiBJ ~ ?
stration and no cheer was heard. A
moment later the call of J. 0. S.
Blackburn of Kentucky was followed
by an enthusiastic round for Kentuck's
favorite.
Mr. McKnight of Michigan challenged
the announcement that his j
State voted no, and the roll call showed
twelve ayes and sixteen noes, i
When New York was reached the (
chairman explained Senator Hill did
not vote, so New York cast seventyone
noes.
Senator Daniel of Virginia managed
to score a point upon his opponent,
Senator Hill, for Congressman Jones,
the chairman of the State's delegation,
announced that all the votes of Yir
gmia were cast a^e, wiiu iuceAw;puiiii
' 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 shout.
The roll call was completed at 3:25.
The announcement of the vote?r?5C
to 449?was received with a brief demonstration
by the silver victors. Delegates
waved their hats and the spsctators
in the galleries cheered.
Mr. Ilarrity announced that unless
objection was made he would regard
it as the sense of the convention that
-? - -* 1 i 1 i
me majority repon iiau ueeu rcjeiaeu
and Mr. Daniel selected.
Senator Jones of Arkansas, It. P.
Keaung of ftevadaand Senator White
were appointed to escort Senator Daniel
to the platform.
As the committee appeared on the
platform with the Virginia Senator
ihe demonstrations of the silver men
were renewed Senator Daniel having
the appearance of an old-time statesman,
smooth-face,long hair a d wearing
the conventional lrock coat, lookf
V>o/1 otanmi/1 nnf r\f cnmp
CU iXS 11 uo iiau wv?w v* mwmw
picture of the (Senate of the past. He
Dowed profoundly in response to the
ovation he received.
Escorted by the committee, Mr.
Daniel passed to the platform, where,
when he appeared, he was received
with an immense eruption of cheers
and yells. The band helped the thing
along with "Hail to the Chief," and
there were more cheers. t
/
When order was restored Mr. Harritv
said: "Gentlemen of the convention,
I have the bono.- of introducing
as your temporary chairman the Hoii.
John W. Daniel of Virginia."
While the delegates and everybody
else in the house were yelling and
cheering. Chairman Harrity passed
the gavel over to Mr. Daniel who took
it and spoke as follows:
Mr. Chairman of the National Democratic
Convention: In receiving from
your hands this gavel, as the tempo
rarv presiding officer of this convention,
I believe I express a sentiment
which I am sure is unanimous that
no national convention was ever pre
sided over with more ability or with
more fairness than by yourself.
(Cheers and cries of "Harrity!" "Har
rity!") I can express no better wish
for myself than that I may be able in
snmfl wav to make my conduct
by your model aDd to practice by your
example. (Cheers)
The high position, gentlemen, to
which you have chosen me, involves
both a great personal honor and a
keen responsibility. For the honor I
thank you. 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
3ause under whose banner we nave
fought so many battles and which
nrtw HftTnands of us such staunch de
motion and such loyal seivice. I regret
that my name should have been
brought in even the most courteous
ind serious complication with that of
my distinguished friend, the great
Senator from New York, (applause,)
Dut the very fact that I have permit,ed
it to be done refutes the suggestion
;hat has been improvidently made on
ihis floor that either I or those whom
[ have the honor to represent, would
jver heap indignity upon that brave
ind illustrious head. (Great applause.)
No candid man,no dispassionate judgnent,
gentlemen, can ever misinter
sret your meaning. The Senator irotn
tfew York himseif knows as you
enow and as I know that there is no
personality in the preferment which
las been given to me. He must know
hat the whole country watches these
proceedings and must know that it is
lolely due to principle that this great
najority of Democrats stands for and
hat they know I stand with them.
Applause.) And that it is given in
he spirit of the instructions received
>y these representatives of the people,
'mm tViA rkonnlp whom all Democrats
r?r??
vill ever bow to as the purest and
>riginal source of all power. The
>irth of the Democratic party was
:oeval with the birth of the soverigny
of the people. It cau never die
mtil the declaration of American inlependence
is forgotten and that sovireignty
is crushed out. (Great ap>lause.)
"I am happy, gentlemen, to know
hat as the majority in this convenion
is not personal, neither in any
tense is it sectional. It blends the palnettoes
and the pines of Maine and
South Carolina. li begins with the
;un rise in Maryland and spreads into
i sun burst into Louisiana and Texas.
Applause.) It stretches in one un>roken
column across the American
iontinent, from the Atlantic shores of
he Old Dominion and Georgia, and it
ihows its silvery beams over the goldsn
gates of California, (Applause,) it
tends forth its pioneers from PJym1
J lU.
>Uin rtOCK anu wavss over tuo ^uiuou
vheat fields of Dakota. It has its
itronghold in Alabama and Mississippi
md its outposts in Minnesota, Florida
tnd Oregon. (Applause.) It sticks
ikeatarheel, (applause,) down in the
>ld North State, and it writes sixteen
o one on the saddlebags of Arkansas
vith the traveler. (Loud applause.)
!t pours down its rivulets trom the
nountains of West Virginia and
nakes a great lake in New Mexico,
Arizona, Wyoming, Idaho, Utah, Nevada,
Montana and Colorado. It
itands guard around the national captol
in the District of Columbia,
cheers,) and it camps on the frontiers
>f Oklahoma. It sweeps like a prairie
ire over Iowa and Kansas, and puts
ip a red light on the confines of Nejraska.
It marshals its massive batalions
in Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and
Missouri. Last, but by far from least,
ffhen I see this grand array and think
>f the British gold standard that was
recently unfurled over the ruins of
Republican promises at St. Louis, I
;hink, too, of the battle of New Oreans,
of which it is said: There stood
John Bull in martial pomp, but there
svas old Kentucky. (Applause)
"Brethren of the East, there is no
South, there is no North, there is no
tftkc* tho?o io Watt in iliis iinriainc
3f 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
af 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
republic. Democrats as you have
> ?* T . ?: il
oeen,.uemocrais as i irusi you win cvo?
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 wilh
you. (Applause.) Do not forget,
gentlemen, that for thirty years we
ha7e 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
oion/loK/l mAnfiTT nf f.VlA PH11 n t.1*V ff~>r
otauuai v* IUVUUJ v* vuv }
the coinage of both gold and silver
without discriminating against either
metal; and that the only question left
open was the ratio between the metals.
Do not forget?and I refer to the fact
in no inferior sense?that just four
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 01 saver anu goiu
at a ratio of 10 to 1. And if we are
still for it, let it not be forgotten lhat
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
most gratefully remembered. We
owe you much, gentlemen of the convention,
and for what we owe you of
the East is the force bill and the McKinley
bill, and the Sherman law, the
triple infamy of Republican legislation.
The first was aimed not more
at the South than at the great cities of
the East and chief among them, the
great Democracy of New York, with its
maerniGcent patronage. That bill got
its death blow in the Senate but there
was not a sinele 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 op
nonents themselves have abandoned
them. There is none that can stand I
between the union of hearts and
the union of hands that Grant
in his dying vision saw coiring on angels
wings to all the sons of our common
country. When Chicago dressed
| Southern graves in llowers 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 is
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
onroir to if h (ho oilorit onH rpeifttlp.QS
force of gravitation the annual profits
of their enterprise and investments.
They know too that the gold standard
means contiaction 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
T)amrv<rai>v urora f?r?nrmlipfl 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? Dad the silver men had
their way then instead of the gold
monometalists, what storms of abuse
would here today be emptied upon
their heads; but the people, applying
the power of memory and analysis
alike to discover the causes of their ar
- i _ J 1.
resiea prosperity, neeu -aoi gu tu uuu
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 de*
creaing revenue ana increasing expenditure,
thus burning the candle at both
? j j
anus HQU Luaniug lUC pcupio ?ia.jr ut
least for the alleged free.
From the joint operations of the
McKinley 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 makeshift were already
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
government is concerned the Democratic
party with but a slender majority
in the Senate was not long providing
ir 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 and presented
to the country the issue of higher taxes
more bonds and less money. It haa
proclaimed at last, throwing away the
disguises, the British gold standard.
We can only expect should they succeed,
my countrymen, a specimen of
panic and a long protracted period of
depression. Do not ask us then to
join them in any of their propositions,
lieast of all ask us not to join them
upon the money question and fight 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 nations are going
to the gold standard, renders it all the
more impracticable that we should do
? *? ?!.? limitarl ct/v>lr nf irnlrl in thA
SU, 1UI IUQ HUilb^u ?wvn Vi gvtvi ?u
world would have longer division ind
a smaller share for each nation. Previous
predictions have been punctually
refuted when prosperity was proph-;
ecied to come upon the unconditional
repeal of the Sherman law. Instead
of protecting the treasury reserve, 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
" -? 1 1- ,1
to fiitxrope anu grtwuuttun uuk? auu
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
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
has further depressed them. Instead
of multiplying opDortunities for employment
this policy has multiplied
idlers.
Instead of increasing the prices of
our products this policy has lowered
them, and it is estimated at about 15
"o* in thxoa naarc fnctARrl of
pet J" ?
reviving confidence the policy has
banished confidence. Instead of bringing
relief it has brought vears of misery
and for this reason it lias contracted
the currency of the United States
four dollars a head for every man.
t
woman and child since November 1,
1893. and with this vast aggrppatp
contraction the price of laud and of
manufactured goods and of all kind I
of agricultural and mercantile produce
has fallen. The public 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 fi- .
nancial system of its own. (Great applause.)
To pretend that this foremost and 1
richest and most powerful nation in I
the world cannot coin its own money
without. snincr fnr an international ]
agreement at the courts of European j
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 had 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 ana to aaveruse
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 equality witti each other.
(Applause )
And as our fathers in 1776 declared
our national independence of all the
world, so today has the great Democratic
party, founded by Thomas Jefferson,
the author of 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 tbe polls, that our
country may be placed where she bv
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 cies
for Mill. The JNew Yorlc Senator was j
quietly eating a sandwich and showed
no disposition to respoad. t
Senator Jones, of Arkansas, an- (
nounced that on behalf of the sil ver
delegates in the convention aDd at the j
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 j
had presided over the convention. It c
was adopted unanimously as was an- .
other resolution offered by Senator j
White of California, making the rules
of the Fiftv-third House of Represen- ?
tatives govern the deliberationu of the [
convention. t
Tne roll of States was called under
the customary practice and the selections
for membership on the various *
committees were announced. The del- 1
egates and spectators began leaving ,
rapidly at this juncture as it was well *
understood that the convention would J
immediately adjourn.
General E. B. Finley of the Ohio
delegation p rotes! ed against the selec- ,
tion of committee members by contest
ed delegations but Chairman Daniel s
ruled that until the permanent organ- ?
ization was perfected the temporary '
roll was respected.
At 4:43 p. m., on Senator Jones' .
motion, the convention adjourned un- 1
til tomorrow morning at ten o'clock, t
c
Changed Assessments. \
The following changes for 1896 in i
the taxable value of railroad property t
in the counties named, as compared a
with 1895, have been made as a result s
of the action of the Railroad Board of ^
Equalization as to railroad assess- F
ments: e
Aiken. $1.022.760: decrease. $21,000. 1
Anderson, $532,850; decrease, $26,- t
430. i
Berkeley, $1,173,930; decease, 127,- e
550.
Chester. $669,003; decrease, $19,087. a
Clarendon, $336,000; decrease, $43,- ^
050. f
Charleston, $678,130;increase, $119,- t
400. e
Chesterfield, $53,725; increase, $9,- i
100, 1
Colleton, $1,141,215; increase, $10,- i
446. - t
Darlington $242,465; increase, $4,- t
760. ?
Edgefield, $630,250; decrease, $15,- c
150. t
Hampton, $693,850; increase, $4,- 4
300.
Kershaw, $255,250; decrease of $400. c
Lancaster, $237,965; decrease of $4,- 1
800.
Laurens, $746,175; increase of $6,- '
100.
Marion, $667,910; increase of $5,- 1
310. ;
Marlboro, $267,930; increase of $23,- ;
720. J
Newberry, $605,330; decrease of $38,- y
200. ;
Oconee, $186,520; decrease of $24,- 1
600. f
Orangebug, $1,461,785; increase of v
$101,300.
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
the road with his gun in his band endeavoring
to shoot at some crows that
appeared to bs hovering or gathering
near by. While thus engaged John
Fleming with his wife and two children
drove by. Lanford walked
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
can/1 i n rr thA wlioln C
ui* uuai %iw ?w.w
load of shot into the back of 1
the head and jaw of Mrs. Fleming, s
killing her instantly, lacerating and 1
tearing her head and face in a fearful
manner. Mr. Fleming nor the little i
children were in jured at all. All the a
parties are respsctable and of good 1
standing in the community and on c
the best of terms with each other, f
There is much sympathy in their be- ?
half and many regrets for this sad and i
terrible affair. " t
' "
(iOLD VS. SILVER.
FIERCE STRUGGLE BETWEEN CHAMPIONS
OF THE TWO METALS.
The Gold Men Again Downed?Annoucement
of the Vote Seating the Silver I)ele.
gates From Michigan Sets the Convention
Afire?Wild Scenes.
Chicago, July 8.?After passing
through a listless morning session the
Democratic national convention witnessed
two scenes tonight which compensated
those whose pent-up feelings
had been given vent in the earlier
aart of the day. Men and women
joined in the demonstration for each
>f the contending factions of the Demo:racy.
They shouted and cheered,
iang and stamped and fairly turned
;he great convention hall into a panlAmnninm
At a few minutes before 11 o'clock,
he temporary chairman called the
;onvention to order and announced
;hat its proceedings would be opened
with prayer by the lie v. Thomas Edward
Green, rector of Grace church,
^Episcopal) of Grand Rapids, la.
The temporary chairman announced
hat the first business in order was the
eport of committees, as no business
jould be done except by unanimous
ionsent until committees reported.
He called the first committee in orler,
the committee on credentials, and
here was no response, and after an in?rval
of about 10 minutes it was anlonunced
that the committee on crelentials
were about to reassemble after
heir long night's session.
At 11:12 ex-Senator Martin of Kansas
was recognized and moved an infornal
recess of five minutes to permit
Governor Hogg of Texas to address
he convention.
The motion was adopted, but a stray
>anrl in thfi cftllflrv hpivrinrl rpj?v>n
>f the chairman's bell, not hearing the
lignals kept playing "Dixie" for neary
10 minutes before it could be stop>ed
and the governor given a chance.
Governor Hogg's "five minutes"
vere stretched into half an hour, but
itUl there were no tidings from the
committee on credentials and amid
rociferous cries for Hill, who was not
)resent, the chair recognized Senatorsleet
Money of Mississippi, who moved
;hac Senator Blackburn of Kentucky
>6 invited to the stand. Mr. Black
)urn, t&e iirst pronounced candidate
.0 be .heard, was received with tumulous
applause.
As Senator Blackburn sat down,
nore cries were raised for Hill, with>ut
response.
A motion to adjourn for half an
lour was voted down, and the band
vas started up to drown the confusion
vhich prevailed.
Mr. Henry of Mississippi moved .that
he Hon. Mr Bryan of Nebraska be
nvited to the stand. This was receivsd
with every demonstration of ap>roval,
but the chair announced that
tlr. Bryan was not in the hall.
Governor Altgeid of Illinois was
hen called for and rising in the hall,
ndicated a desire to give way to Senaor
Hill.
The chair stated that Governor Hill
vas engaged with the committee on
^solutions and was not in the hall.
Governor David Overmeyer of
Kansas took the stand and declared
hat yesterday the seat of empire was
ransferred from the Atlantic States to
he Mississippi valley. The day of the
:ommon people had dawned and the
'dollar of our daddies" would be retored.
This sentiment was received
vith unbounded enthusiasm. The
>ana once mori nnea up me lnieriuue
o kill time.
Governor Altgeld was. again called
n requisition as a stop gap. His swarby
visage, as it appeared alongside the
shairman, was greeted with cheers, to
irhich he responded by saying ?e did
lot come here to make a speech, but
o assist in nominating a President
ind preparing a platform which
hould bring hope to the people. He
vas listened to with attention, as he
>roceeded to discuss the cause of the
listing conditions of distress, wbicn
le summarized as the combined acion
of the moneyed interests of the
vorld to make money dear and propirty
and labor cheap.
Mr. George Fred Williams of Masachusetts
was next called upon and
vas greeted with aery of4'three cheers
or George Fred Williams." He com>atted
the assertion that the seat of
impire had been transferred from the
Atlantic coast to the Mississippi valley.
Che seat of empire was where it ever
vas in all the States of the union and
he battle now being waged was for
he restoration of the union'of the
3tates. He begged there might be no
>ther word ?of sectionalism neard in
his convention. The fight was not to
ransfer the seat of empire from the
>ast to the west, but to transfer the
iontrol of the treasury and of your
noney and mine from Lombard street
o the centres of industry in the
"T __ _ _1 r*i i. /T J \
jmteu Diaies. ^lkjuu uueera.;
At this point, 1 p. m., the chair anlounced
a partial report of the comn
it tee on credentials, recommending
hat each of the territories and the
District of Columbia be granted six
rotes. Second, after careful companion
of the credentials as returned by
he national committee, they found of
ill them correct except from the States
)f Nebraska and Michigan. In regard
to Nebraska they were pleased
o report that the delegates headed by
he Hon. W. J. Bryan should be adnitted
to seats. In regard to Michigan
they asked further time.
The motion to adopt the report was
leclared carried by a viva voce vote, a
lemand for a roll call which was at
irst made by Governor Russell, being
withdrawn on the statement of the
:hairman of the credentials commitee,
that the report was unamimous.
At 1:10 the gold delegates from Ne>raska
retired to a march tune by the
>and, and their silver successors took
heir places.
The Bryan men, as they marched in
leaded by silver topped spears and a
>anner bearing Mr. Jiryan's name in
ilver letters, were vociferously ap>lauded.
Renewed calls for Tillman met with
he reply ihat he was in attendance at
he meeting of the committee on crelentials.
Governor Altgeld moved that the
ionvention take a recess till 5 o'clock,
["he proposition was met with loud
houts of disapproval.
["he motion was adopted.
The committee on credentials last
light disposed of all the contests by
roting to seat all of the silver men.
!n the Michigan case that action turnid
the delegation, under the unit rule,
rom a solid gold to a solid silver deleration.
and created a two-thirds silver
najority iu the convention. Before
be committee adjourned, however, a
! rpi
Senator White, on taking the chair, "-^jj
spoke of the convention as an assemblage
of men from every State and J
territory in the union, and said that - v3j
he was prepared to extend fall, equal,
absolute and impartial treatment to ?
motion to reconsider the 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.
1 The effect 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-thirdf
silver majority there.
A minority "report was presented in
favor of allowing the delegation to re
Train as it was on the temporary roll
Debate on the report was at once be
gun.
Mr. Brennan of Wisconsin advocat
ed the adoption of the minority repori
and said lie feared the effect of the
adoption of the majority report upon
the country. He entered into details
of the facts involved in the contes
and said the report in this case il
adopted would establish the fact thai
a majority in the firsflt flush of success
might go into a sovereign State and
upset tne action of a legal convention
(Uheers.) He [charged that the con
test originated only three or foui
weeks ago when certain facts became
apparent as to the majority in thif
convention. He Had sinc?5 become ac
quainted with that majority, and he
appealed with confidence to then
sense of justice and fairness. (Loud
cneers.;
Governor McLaurin of Mississippi,
another member of the committee or
credentials, gave a history of the elec
tion of delegates in Michigan, assert
ing that there was a clear majority ol
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. lie 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
flt th? larifirth nf Mr. WfTianrin's ft*
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
Michigan opposed the majority report
beginning his speech witti the statement:
,JI am the. man who 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
on 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
in support of the majority. The gentlemen
of the committee, he said, had
given this case careful consideration,
and they were here to testify to some,
and only some, of the outrages perpetrated
on the Democrats of Michigan.
He asserted that the State of Michigan
elected a majority of 200 to the convention
in favor of silver and when
the administration found this out, and
Mr. Stevenson was sent to Michigan
to upset the will of the people.
''There i? not one word of truth in
all that," said Mr. Richardson from
his seat.
JlS 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
]: ~ . 1CT1L.41 II- 1) "NT~ ? ^
ttuuiuie vuiuc; luaisu 11c. nu uutice
was Uken of this interruption.
Mr. Br acker of Miohigan declared
that he had always been a free silver
man, and that there were enough silver
delegates ia the convention to
nominate a President by a two-thirds
majority without the necessity of commiting
hichway robbery. (Applause
and laughter.)
Mr. C. S. Thomas of Colorado, a
member of the national committee,
next took the stand, but the audience
was becoming impatient and raised
loud cries of "vote." He held it would
bo a mistake to elect a Democratic
President by overturning the expressed
will of a^sovereign State. He warned
them that tfiey could not afford to
strike down the State of Michigan
simply for the purposs 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
(gold) members from the fourth and
ninth Michigan districts in their seats.
The vote resulted in the rejection of
the minority report, yeas 308, nays
558, absent 4. The "'noes have it."
said the chairman, "and the amendment
is lost." It was now the silver
men's turn, and they yelled and waved
hats and handkerchiefs and displayed
Bland pictures and made the night
hideous for nearly as long as tne goiu
men, the galleries, impartially assisting.
The report of the committee on permanent
organization was then presented
by Mr. Finleyof Ohio, naming
Senator White of California as permanent
president of the convention, and
Thomas J. Cogan of Ohio as permanent
secretary.
A committee of three was then appointed
to escort Senator White, the
permanent chairman to the chair, the
committee consisting of Mr. Finley of
Ohio, Mr. McConnell of Illinois and
;
senator v est or Missouri.
Senator Daniel, in retiring from the
temporary chairmanship, expressed
his deep senea of the honor which he
enjoyed and introduced Mr. White as
the "distinguished Senator from California."
(Cheers.)
all. . . ...
Mr. Clark of Montana, rising in the
body of the hall produced a silver ^
gavel from the mines of Montana, j|
which he presented to the presiding
officer in the name of the delegation
' from that State. .
Senator Jones of Arkansas, chair* -la
man of the committee on resolution!, Jj
announced that the committee on -i
t platform and resolutions would meet ri
tomorrow morning at 9:30 o'clock. 5
; This was taken by the heated and excited
audience as an indication of an ^jjs
i immediate adjournment, and for the ~ ?
second time in the course of the day, 'M
an incipient panic partially developed* jla|
People in the galleries began to
move out with a rush and a correspond.
ing movement was started on the -Jj
t floor. The means of exit from the rii '
, building are so utterly insufficient
L that trouble might have followed but
, that the sergeant at-arms, raising his |
t big voice, commanded his deputies to J
f | "stop those men." ?&
t wnen some degree of order had ' '^|
j been thus restored, a meeting to ad- j'Jm
[ journ till 10 o'clock tomorrow morning
was put at 9:36 p. nu was declared . -mm
and the second day's convention end- * /ffl
A HOT WEEK'S RECORD.
Weekly Weather and Crop Bnlletia ln^|i.jaj
by Observer Bauer. ' S
Columbia, July 8.?The following
, is the weekly bulletin of the conditioa 1
i of the weather and the crops of the
State during the past week issued yee- "-;||
t terday by State Observer J. W. Bauer: ,V*^|
xma yuucnuuuvoru tuc wctttUQrAUUj.
- crop conditions for the week ending .
| Saturday, July 4, and in its prepara-'
[ tion were used reports from one or ' ,|h
i more correspondents in each county : J9
of the State.
I WEATHER.
The week was a hot one. The mean -J3
temperature was, however, bnt one* . -3E
half degree in excess of the normaL ^9 ;
i Highest mean, 87, at Shaw's Forks; . ;|? |
lowest, 75, at Reid. Average of 4$ ja|
reports, 81.5, and the normal /or the.
same period is approximately 8L '
Highest temperature reported, 100 on
June 28, 29 and 30th, and it occu^ed
at 8 places; lowest, 64 on the 30tk, at
Clemson College.
Showers prevailed during the latter ?1|
part of the week over the State generally,
but in a few counties left spots 1 |l
very dry. The following heavy rains ^
were reported, viz: Pinopolis, 121: 'M
Beaufort, 1.65; Charleston, 3.21; Lib* jia
erty, 1.00; Reid, 1.00; Loopers, 1.75;
Longshore. 1.05; Camden, 1.30; Ohes- : 5a*|
terfield, 2.35; Qillisoaville, 1.04; MoColl,
1.00; Poverty Hill, 1.25; Allen* sd&A
dale, 1.44; Greenwood, 1.59;. Kingstree,
1.38; 8t. George's, 1.29; 26 other ^
places reported amounts from 0.10 to -.s-JB
0.95, the average of 42 places being
0.64, and the approximate normal for
the same period is 1.29.
Note?Since correspondents1 reports }M
were closed heavy rains have fallen ...J
over the western portions of the Stateu $31
Early in the week the winds were ' ^
hot and drying, and injurious to vege^
tation, but during the latter portion ' 'J
more humid conditions prevailed.
The sunshine was about normal,
except in the eastern counties, notably
Berkeley, where the cloudiness was
greatest, with about half the average ' ~|j|
percentage of sunshine.
xu geuertu. an cut? uuuig
well, look promising and are much in v-sa
advance of an average season. There i
are local exceptions, due to want of X5yffl
rain, or, in places, an excess of rain- "n
tall. Thus while it is dry in Aiken, !
Edgefield and over portions of the
western counties generally, the rains
have been more copious than crops
needed in Chesterfield, Berkeley and '.laH
the eastern counties generally.
Farmers are generally up with their
work, and such fields as are being laid i
by are in a well cultivated, clean con- ; ||n
dition. ~
Old corn is about made and promis- 'M
es good yields, except that locally in
a few counties, notably Anderson, is
Newbarrv. Aiken. Edgefield. Union. ^9
Clarendon, Ydl'k, Spartanburg, Lancaster
and Lexington, it has Men too
dry, and in a few of the lower counties
it is firing badly on sandy land*. \
Later planting has generally agocxT, "
healthy color and is wing laid by free ja
from grass and weed in fine growing
condition. The corn crop, as a whole,
is now in a better condition than it v'
was a week ago.
Cotton, as a rule, continued the im- -",a
provement noted a week ago. These
was a few localities where it has not
done well, but generally it is growing ^
and fruiting satisfactorily. In Ghee- - ^
tarfield, owing to too much rain, the
lower 16 aves are turning red and dyRain
was needed in a number of
counties. Lice have about all left
cotton, but it is apparent tnat iney tua .-3
considerable damage, especially in ^
Darlingten and Orangeburg. In . ^
Pickens, and the western countiea Y
generally, it looks wonderfully green *3
and healthy. In portions of Greenville
it is beginning to bloom on top.
There was to little sunshine in Berkeley
where it has a yellow color, blooming
too early. The plant is large in
York, and fruiting proportionately. 3
There are local reports of poor cotton, ^j
but on the whole its condition is very ' ]
promising. Sea island cotton is in
good condition and growing rapidly.
Tobacco has improved and is now
doing well. It is in all stages of growth
in Kershaw; curing has begun in a
small way in Williamsburg, Florence
and Darlington and will be quite geno
nrnalr AF OA
Ciai iu a nvw? vt wvt
Melons are generally reported a
poor crop; quantities of tnem but
small and of inferior taste. Ihe vines
are reported dying in Marlboro, Darlington,
and Hampton, which, in addition
to the places heretofore reported,
indicates that the fungus disease
has a firm hold on almo3t the entire
eastern portion of the State and is
spreading.
Teas are doing well everywhere.
Sweet potatoes growing well and
premise to be a very large crop from
present indications.
Fruit prospects are worse than ever. j
In Oconee there are some apples; no -1
peaehes. In Union apples are wormy
as a rule. Grapes promised to be 4
plentiful, but are rotting badly in various
sections. '3|#
riipdens are improving generally, 4
but are poor in portions of Barnwell.
Pastures have also improved. Cane
and rice are in most excellent condition.
Garden truck is flourishing in
Charleston county.