The Manning times. (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, July 15, 1896, Image 1
___ - - - - -- M~ANNIN q C. j WEINESI)AYJL 5 st.____________N
THE DEMOCRACY.
FIRST DAY'S PROCEEDINGS OF THE
NATIONAL CONVENTION.
Senator Danle). of Virginia. l-lected Tern
porary Chalrnu -The Proceedizng
Marked With Good Order Throughout.
Au Eloquent Speech by Chairinan Daniel.
CHcAoO, July 7.-The Democratic
National Convention met today a lit
tle after noon. The gavel dropped at
ten minutes before 1 o'clock upon a
hail that had a dozen rows of empty
seats at the edges farthest from the
platform. The appearance of Chair
man Harrity as he stepped forward to
the desk attired in a slate colored sum
mer suit provoked a round of applause
from the Eastern delegates, reinforced
by many Southern and Western men.
When Mr. Harrity commanded the
cohvention to be in order his voice
easily carried over the tumult to the
farthest corner, testing the acoustic
qualities of the hall with most satis
lactory results. The figure of the
chairman faced the assemblaae for
several minutes while the ushers swept
the aisles clear of knots of conferring
del)cpates,
"&entlemen of the convention will
rise for prayer," Chairman darrity
said, 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 Chap
lin, Rev. Edward Stirs stepped for
ward and delivered an eloquent invo
cation.
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
moment he laid on the desk and pick
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 aftera short rap of the gavel an
nounced 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 tL:ir
feet and with waving arms they shout
ed out their approval. Among the
spectators also there was a cheer of
approbation, Some enthusiastic dele
tgae yelled: "Three. cheers for David
, and they were given with a
Senator Sheerin, of Indiana for sec
reary and John Martin for sergeant
at-arms were also announced.
When the convention had quieted
down, "What is the pleasure of the
convention ?"asked Mr. Harrity, calm
lyas if he did not know of the storm
which was follow. -Mr. Clayton, the
members of then'atioal committee
from -Arkansasrose.E Every. silver
man and every in the hall
knew- was to be
thrown dow 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
sounded like a roll of thounder. For
over three minutes the demorstration
continued and it was renewed at sev
eral points.as Mr. Clayton read the
minority report nominating Daniel of
Virginia. As he he concluded with
an empatic demand for a roll call
the s-lver men again cheered wildly.
Alter considerable debate the vote
was taken. The contention 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 Florid2
was equally divided between Hill and
Daniet with four ayes and four noes.
The announcement that Illinois and
Indiana cast solid votes for the substi
tute 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 re
corded aye. This. Iowa roll call ne
cessitated the announcement of the
name of Horace Boies who is accred
ited as a delegate but the Boies men
missed the opportunity for a demon
stration and no cheer was heard. A
mement later the call of J. C. 5.
Blackburn of Kentucky was followed
by an enthusiatic round for Ken
tuck's favorite
Mr. McKnight of Michigan chal
lenged the announcement that his
State voted no, and the roll call show
ed twyelve ayes and sixteen noes.
When' New York was reached the
chairman explained Senator Hill did
-nat1te-so. ew York cast seventy
one noes.
Senator Daniel of Virginia managed
to score a point upon his opponent,
Senator Hiul, for Congressman Jones,
the chairman of the State's delegation,
announced that all the votes of Vir
ginia 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 re
warded it with a shrill shout
The roll call was completed at 3 :25.
The announcement of the vote-556
to 449-was received with a brief dem
onstration by the silver victors. Del
egates waved their hats and the spec
tators 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 Dan
iel to the platform.
As the committee appeared on the
platform with the Virginia Senator
the demonstrations of the silver men
were renewed Senator Daniel havingi
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. lHe
nowed profoundly in response to tfle
ovation he received.
Escorted by the committee, Mr.
Daniel passed to the platform, where.
when he appeared, he was rece-ived
with an immense eruptionl of cheers
and yells. The band helped the thing
along with "Hail to the Chief," andc
there were more cheers.
When order was restor-d Mr. lHar
ritv said: "Gentlemen of thle conven
uii, I have the hionof of introducing
as your temporary chairman the lion.
John W. D~aniel of \Virginia."
W Mie the delegates and every body
else in the house were yeling anud
cheering, Chairman Harrity passed
the gavel over to Mr. Danie! who took
it and spoke as follows:
Mr. Chairman of the National Dem
.ccratic Convention - In receiving f rom
your hands this zavel, as the tempo
rary presiding officer of this conven
tion, I believe 1 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 * -lHarrity !" "Har
rity ") I can ..express no better wish
for myself than that I may be able in
some feeble way t9 make my conduct
by your model and 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 de
pend 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 de
votion and such loyal ser vice. I re
gret that my name should have been
brought in even the itost courteous
and serious complication with that of
my distinguished friend, the great
Senator from New York, (aoplause,)
but the very fact that I have permit
ted 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 judg
ment, gentlemen, can ever misinter
pret your meaning. The Sevator from
New York himseif knows as you
know and as I know that there is no
Dersonality 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 Demecrats stands for and
that they know I stand with them.
(Applaje.) And that it is given in
the spirit of the instructions -ceived
by these rapresentatives of the people,
from the people, whom all Democrats
will ever bow to as the purest . and
original source of all power. Tie
birth of the Democratic party was
coeval with the birth of the soverign
ty of the people. It can never die
until the deciaration of American in
dependence is forgotten and that sov
ereignty is crushed out. (Great
plause.)
"I am happy, gentlemen, to know
that as the majority in this cotnven
tion is not personal, neither in any
sense is it sectional. It blends the pal
mettoes and the pines of Maine and
Soutti Carolina. It begins with the
sun rise in Maryland and spreads into
a snn burst into Louisiana and Texas.
(Applause.) It stretches in one un
broken column across the American
continent, from the Atlanticeabores of
the Old Dominion and Georgia, and it
show.3 its silvery beams over the gold
en gates of California, (Applause,) it
sends forth its pioneers from Plym
outh 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 atareel, (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 Irom the
mountains of West Virginia and
makes a great lake in New Mexico,
Arizona, Wyoming, Idaho, Utah, Ne
vada, Montana and Colorado. It
stands guard around the national cap
itol in the District of Columbia,
(cheers,) and it camps on the fron'tiers
of Oklahoma. It sweeps like a pr'airie
fire over Iowa and Kansas, and puts
up a red light on the confines of Ne
braslta. it marshals its massive bat
talions in Ohio, Indiana, Iliinois and
Missouri. Last, but by far from least,
when I see this grand array and think
of the British gold standard that was
rt"ntly unfurled over the ruins of
Republican promises at St, Louis, I
think, too, of the battle of New Or
leans, 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 emancipa
tion from the conspiracy of European
kings, led on by Gr-ieat Britain, which
seeks to destroy one-half of the money
of the world and to make American
manufacturers, merchants, farmers
and mechanics mere he .vers of wood
and drawers of water.
"There isone thing golden, which,
permit me, in the same good humor
which has characterized your conduct,
to commend to you here. It is the gol
den rule to do unto others as you would
have them do unto you. lForget not
the greed of devils and that an abso
lute acquiescence in the will of the
majority is the vital principle of the
republic. D~emocrats as you have
been, Democrats as 1 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
you. (Applause.) D~o not forget,
gentlemen, that for thir-ty years we
nave supported the men that you have
named or President, Secretary Sey
mour, Greely, Tilden and Hancock,
and twice Cleveland.- Do not forget
that we have submitted cheerfully to
vour compromised platform and to
your repeated disasters to their fulfill
ment. To get at the last canvention
of the Democratic party in 1892, you
proclaimed your services to be in favor
of the use oh both gold and silver as a
standard money of the country, for
the coiziage 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 fac1
in no inferior sense-that just foui
f ears ago in a D~emrocratic 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
at a ratio of 165 to 1. And if we are
still for it, let it not be forgotten t hai
we owe it in some measure to theit
teachings. (Applause.) That we OWE
you nmuch, gentlemen of the E-ast, is
readily acknowledged and will be evem
most ~grate fully remem bered. WE
owe you much, grentlemen of the con
venuonm. and for what we owe you oJ
-h E 1 st is~ the orce bill and time Mc
b-ie 1l, and the Sherman law, th~
triple infamy of Republican legisla
jion. Ihe iirst was aimed not morE
at the South than at the great cities o1
the East and cbief among them, thE
.ra Demoracy of New York with itb
nasitiiflent pa!ronage. That bil got
its deati olow in the Senate but there
was uot a single Democrat in New
York or Ne w England to vote against
it
No man, gentlemen. in tii high
nooT) of our country's fraternity can
revive force bills now in this rtcou
ciled ard reunited republic Oar op
ponents themselves have abandoned
them. There is none that can stand
between the union of hearts and
the union of hands that Grant
in his dying vision saw coming on an
gels wings to all the sons of cur corn
mon country. When Chicago dressed
Southern graves in flowers she buried
sectionalism under a mountain of fra
grance. When Southern soldiers yes
terdy cheered the wounded hero of
the North in Richmond the South an
swered 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 coun
try, 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
means contraction and the organiza
tion 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 ;ilver
legislation but legislation dictated by
the advocates of the gold standard that
has caused and now continues the tin
ancial 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 majoi-ity in a torrent
of ballots? Had the silver men had
their way then instead of the gold
nionometalists, 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
rested prosperity, need not go to find
them. They do not forget when De
mocracy came to power in 1893 it in
herited from its Republican predeces
sor the tax system and the currency
system of which the McKinley law
and the Sherman law were the cul
minating 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 and increasingexpen
diture, thu3 burning the candle at both
ends and making the ~ people pay at
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 en
graved bonds prepared by a Republi
can Secretary to borrow money to sup
port the government, were the ill
omens of the pre-organized ruin that
awaited the incoming Democrats, and
a depleted Treasury. More significant
still, tne very authors of the ill-starred
Sherman law makeshift were already
at confession upon the stool of peni
tence, 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 Demo
cratic party with but a slender majori
ty in the Senate was not long provid
ing it and had not the Supreme Court
of the United States reversed its settled
doctrine of the 100 years, the indome
tax, incorporated in the tariff bill,
would lang since have abundantly
supplied it.
Tne Republi'3an party has now re
nounced 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 has
proclaimed at last, throwing away the
disguises, the British gold standard.
We can only expect should they suc
ceed, 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.
Least 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 in
volves 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
so, for the limited stock of gold in the
world would have longer division and
a smaller share for each nation. Pre
vious predictions have been punctual
ly refuted when prosperity was proph
ecied to come upon tne unconditional
repeal of the Sherman law. Instead
of protecting the treasury reserve, as
was prophecied it would do, an unpre
cedented raid was promptly made on
it and two hundred and sixty-two mil
lions of borrowed gold have been in
elicient to guarantee it security. In
stead of causing foreign capital to tlow
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
the strong boxes of the war lords of
Europe. instead of reviving businezs
this policy has further depressed it.
Instead of inceasing wages this policy
has further depressed them. Instead
of multiplying opoortunities for em
ploymnent 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
per cent, in three years. Instead of
reviving confideuce the policy has
banished confidence. Instead of bring
ing relief it has brought years of mis
erv and for this reason it has contract
ed the currency of the United States
four dollars a head for every man,
woman and child since November 1,
193, and with this vast aggregate
contraction the price of laud and of
manufactured goods and of all kind
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 oth
er hand their liquidation has been di
minished. No nation calls itself free
and independent that is not great
enough to establish and maintain a fi
nancial system of its own. (Great ap
plause.)
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 found
ers of this republic ever dreamed that
such an agreement was essential. We
have had three international confer
ences in order to obtain it and to wait
longer upon them is to ignore the in
terest 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 na
tion, without dependence upon Euro
vean nations for anything that they
produce, and with European nations
dependent upon much that we produce
is fully capable of restoring this con
stitutional money system of gold and
silver at equality with each other.
(Applause.)
And as our fathers in 1776 declared
our national independence of all the
world, so today has the great Demo
cratic party, founded by Thomas Jef
ferson, the author of that declaration,
appeared here in Chicago to declare
the Linancial independence of the Unit
ed States of all other notions and.to
invoke all true Americans to assert it
by their sufrages at the polls, that our
country may be placed where she by
right belongs as the freest, as the fore
most, as the most prosperous and hap
py nation that ever blessed the life of
mankind upon this globe.
When Mr. Daniel finished and an
nounced that the convention was
ready for business there was loud cries
for Hill. The New York Senator was
quietly eating a sandwich and showeu
no disposition to respond.
Senator Jo nes, of Arkansas, an
nounced 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. IL
was adopted unanimously as was. an
other resolution offered by Senator
White of California, making the rules
of the Fifty-third House of Represeu
tatives govern the deliberations of the
convention.
The roll of States was called under
the customary practice and the selec
tions for membership on the various
committees were announced. The del
egates and spectators began leaving
rapidly at this juncture as it was well
understood that the convention would
immediately adjourn.
General E. B. Finley of the Ohio
delegation protested against the selec
tion of committee members by contest
ed delegations but Chairman Daniel
ruled that until the permanent ergan
ization was perlected the temporary
roll was respected.
At 4:13 p. in., on Senator Jones'
motion, the convention adjourned un
til tomorrow morning at ten o'clock.
Changed Assessmkents.
The following changes for 1890 in
the taxable value of railroad property
in the counties nimed, as coonparedt
with 1895, have been made as a result
of the action of the Railroad Board of
Equalization as to railroad assess
ments:
Aiken, $l,022.700J; decrease, $21,000.
Anderson, $532,850; decrease, $26,
430.
Berkeley, S L,173,930; decease, 127,
550.
Chester, $659,003; decrease, $19,087.
Clarendon, $336,000; decrease, $43,
050.
Charleston, $078,130; increase, $119,
400.
Chesterfield, $53,725; increase. $9,
100,
Colleton, $1,141,215; increase, $10,
446.
Darlington $242,465; increase, $4,
760.
Edgefield, $63o,25o; decrease, $15,
150.
Fairfield, $710,155; increase,$19,680.
Greenville, $573,025; increase of
$550
Hampton, $693,850; increase, $4,
30.
Kershaw, $255,250; decrease of $400.
L ancaster, $237,965; decrease of $4,
Laurens, $740, 175; increase of $0,
100.
Mariou, $607, 910; increase of $5,
310.
Marl boro, $267,930 ; increase of $23,
720.
Newberry, $C05,330 ;decrease of $38,
200.
Oconee, $IS6, 520; decrease of $24, -
600.
Orangebug, $t,401,785; increase of
$61,300.
Spartanbur-g, $1,128.725; increase of
$13,000.
Sumter, $1,003. 835; ine rease of $22,
155.
Union, $393,910; increase of $33,
320.
Williamnsbur;g, $720,310; i ncr-ease of
$1 ,000.
York, $889,497; decrease of $6,000.
Wild Wnd Work.
MouI~Il, Ala., July 8.-Later reports
to The Register by wire say that the
wind at Pensocola at 11:30o a. m.,
reached 72 miles, then lulled and
shifted to the northwest and raised to
100 miles an hour. Nearly every bus
iess house in Pensacola was unroofed
and the contents damaged. The Mer
chants' hotel, on Palfox street, and
the Methodist church were unroofed.
Some small houses were blown down,
and trees uprooted everywhere so that
the streets are impassible and last
night were in darkness. -In the har
bcr vessels dragged their anchors, and
were drawn hither and thither against
wharves and other craft. The steam
ers kept nway by using their steam.
The Sweedishi bark Svea an~d the Nor
wegian bark JTohan Lud wig and the
Italian brig Deadeni are ashore hard
and fast. The yacht Annie M. lies
one mile from shore in eighteen feet
of water- The tug Nellie Keyser is
sunk near her wharf. The damage in
the city is about $200,000 but no jives
were lost. The Louisville and N ash
ville railroad east to Jacksonville is
washed up in places. The nearest tel
gah office is F'loaton.
(6OLD VS. S IINER.
FIERCE STRUGGLE BETWEEN CHAM
PIONS OF THE TWO METALS.
The Goid Men3 AgAin Downed---Annoice
ment of the Vote Seating the Silver Dele.
gatet From Michigan Sets the Conveu
ilon Atire--Wild Scenes.
CHICaO, July 8.-After passing
through a listless morning session the
Democratic national conventlon wit
nessed two scenes tonight which com
pensated those v hose pent-up feelings
had been given vent in the earlier
part of the day. Men and women
joined in the demonstration for each
of the contending factions of the Demo
cracy. They shouted and cheered,
sang and .stamped and fairly turned
the great convention hall into a pan
demonium.
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,
(Episcopal) of Grand Rapids, Ia.
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.
le called the first committee in or
der, the committee on credentials, and
there was no response, and after an in
terval of about l minutes it was an
nonunced that the committee on cre
dentials were about to reassemble after
their lone night's session.
At 11:12 ex Senator Martin of Kansas
was recognized and moved an infor
mal recess of five iminutes to permit
Governor Ilog of Tex is to address
the convention.
The motion wasadopted, but a stray
band in the gallery beyond the reach
of the chairman's bell, not hearing the
signals kept playing "Dixie" for near
ly 10 minutes before it could be stop
ped and the governor given a chance.
Governor Hoggs "Five minutes"
.were stretched into half an hour, but
still there were no tidings from the
committee on credentials and amid
vociferous cries for Hill, who was not
present, the chair recognized Senator
elect Money of Mississippi' who moved
that Senator Blackburn of Kentucky
be invited to the stand. Mr. Black
burn, the tirst pronounced candidate
to be heard, was received with tumil
tous applause.
As Senator Blackbara sat down,
more cries were raised for Hill, with
out response.
A motion to adjourn for half an
hour was voted down, and the band
was started up to drown the confusion
which prevailed.
Mr. Henry of Mississippi moved that
the Hon. Mr Bryan of Nebraska be
invited to the stand. This was receiv
ed with every demonstration of ap
proval, btit the chair announced that
Mr. Bryan was not in the-hall.
Governor AIltgeld.of Illinois was
then called'for and risine in the hail,
indieated a desire to give way to Sena
tor 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
coinmon people had dawned and the
"dollar of our daddies" would be re
stored. This sentiment was received
with unbounded enthusiasm.- The
band once more- filled up the interlude
to kill time.
Governor Altgeld was again called
in requisition as a stop gap. His s war
thy visage, as it appeared alongside the
chairman, was greeted .with cheers, to
which he responded by saying he did
not come here to make a speech, but
to assist in nominating a President
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
existing conditions of distress, whbich
he~ summarized as the combined ac
tion of the moneyed interests of the
world to make money dear and prop
erty and labor cheap.
Mr. George Fred Williams of Mas
sachusetts was next called upon and
was greeted with'a cry of "three cheers
for George Fred Williams." He com
batted the assertion that the se-at of
empire had been transferred from the
Atlantic c.oast to the Mississippi valley.
The seat--of empire was where it ever
was in all the States of the union and
the battle now being waged was for
the restoration of the union of the
States. He begged there might be no
other word of sectionalism tieard in
this convention. The fight was not to
transfer the seat of em pire from the
east to the west, but to transfer the
control of the treasury and of your
money and mine from TLombard street
to the centres .of industry in the
United States. (iboud cheers.)
At this point, 1 p. mn., the chair-an
nounced a partial report of the conm
mittee on credsntials, recommending
that eatch of the territories and the
District of Columbia .be granted six
votes. Seeond, after caretal compari
son of the credenti-als as returned by
the national committee, they found of
all them correct except from the States
of Nebraska and Michigan. In re
gard to Nebratska taey were pleased
to:-eport that the delegates headed by
the Hon. W. J. Bryan should be ad
mitted to seats. In regard to Michi
gan they ask-ed further time.
The miotion to adopt the r-eport 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~he credentials commit
tee, that the report was uinamimous.
At 1:10 the told de-leg-ates from Ne
braska retired to a ma-rch tune by the
band, and their silver suic'essors took
their places.
The Brysn inh, as they mua-ched in
headed by silver topped spears and a
banner bearing Mr. lBryan's name in
silver letters, were vociferously a p
plauded.
Renewed calls for- Tfiiman met with
the reply that he was in attendance at
the meeting of the commnittee on cre
dentials.
Giovernor Aligeid moved that the
convention take a recess till 5o'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
voting to seat all of the silver men.
In the Michigan case that action turn
eui the delegation, under the unit rule,
from a solid gold to a solid silver dele
gation, and created a two -thirds silver
majority in the convention. Before
th committee adjourned, however, a
motion to reconsider the action on the
Michigan case was adopted.
The convention reassembled at 5:15.
with a full attendanceof delegates and
with crowded galleries. Senator Dan
iels of Virginia was in the chair as
temporary chairman.
At 5:30 p. i., the committee on cre
dentials presented its completed report,
admitting to seats the contesting dele
gates from the Fourth and Ninth con
gressional districts of Michigan and
recognizir:g the right to their seats of
all the other delegates from Michigan.
The effect is to transfer the delega
tion 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 re
main as it was on the temporary roll
Debate on the report was at onze be
g'In.
Mr Brennan of Wisconsin advocat
ed the adoption of the minority report
and said lie feared the effect of the
adoption of the majority report upon
the ccuntry. 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.) He 'charged that the con -
test originated only three or four
weeks- ago when certain facts became
apparent as to the majority in this
convention. He nac since become ac
quainte:1 with that majority, and be
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 elec
tion of delegates in Michigan, assert
ing that there was a clear majority of
Democratic voters in that State in fa
vor of silver, so that there was no is
sue here to throttle the will or stille
the purpose of that majority of Demo
crats. He spoke of the orders issued
from Washington to Federal oflice
holders in Michigan to carry thit
State at all hazards for gold, and he
said that it was a question for the con
vention 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 i!n pat ieuce
at the length of Mr. McLiurin's ex
planation, and broke into constant
cries fora speech from lull, 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 na
tional committee from the Stete of
Michigan opposed the majority report
beginning his speech wita the state
ment: "I am the man who they say
stole Michigan. Even so (laughter) I
do not desire to discuss the inancial
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 cre
dentials 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
credentiais that have been issued from
those districts.
Mr. McKnight of Michigan, a mem
ber of the committee on credentials,
asked the support not only of the sil
ver men, but of the entire convention
in support of the majority. The gen
tlemen 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 perpe
trated on the Democrats of Michigan.
He-asserted that the State of Michigan
elected a majority of 200 to the con
vention 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 is not one word of truth in
all that," said Mr. Richardson from
his 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 immedi
ately facing the speaker, said in an
audible voice: "That's a lie." No no
tice was taken of this interruption.
Mr. Bracker of Michigan declared
that he had always been a free silver
man, and that there were enough sil-'
ver delegates in the convention to
nominate a President by a two-thirds
majority without the necessity of corn
miting his hway robbery. (A pplause
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." ie held it would
be a mistake to elect a Democratic
President by overturning the express
ed will of asovereign State. IQe 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 mi
nority substitute of the credentials
committee, which retains the sitting
(gold) members from the fourth and
ninth Michigan districts in their seats.
Tne vote resulted in the rejection of
the minority report, yeas :;WS, nays
558, absent 4.- The -"noes have it."
saiid the chairman, "and the armend
mnent is lost." It was now. the silver
mn's turn, and they yelled and watved
hats and handkerchiefs and displayed
Bland pictures and made the night
hideous for nearly as long as the gold
men, the galleries, imnpartially ass.st
mng.
The report of the coLIunittee on per
manent organization was then pre
sented by Mr. Finley of Ohio, namiing
Senator White of California as perma
nent president of the convention, and
Thomas J1. Cogan of Ohio as perma
nent secretary.
A committee of threce was then a p
pointed to escor-t Senator White, the
permanent chairman to the chair, the
committee consisting of Mr. Finy of
Ohio, Mr. McConnell of Illinois and
Senator Vest of Missouri.
Senator Daniel, in retiring from the
temporary chairmanship ex .'presseu~
his deep sense of the honor which he
enjoyed and introduced Mr. White as
the "distinguished Senator from Cali
Senator White, on taking the chair,
spoke of the convention as an assem
blage of men from every State and
territory in the union, and said that
lie was prepared to extend full, equal,
absolute and impartial treatment to
all.
Mr. Clark of Montana, rising in the
body of the hall produced a silver
gavel from the mines of Montana,
which he presented to the presiding
oflicer in the name of the delegation
from that State.
Senator Jones of Arkansas, chair
man of the committee on resolutions,
announced that the committee on
platform and resolutions would meet
tomorrow morning at 9:30 o'clock.
This was taken by the heated and ex
cited audience as an indication of an
immediate adjournment, and for the
second time in the course of the day,
an incipient panicpartially developed.
People in the galleries began to
move out witharush anda correspond
ing movement was started on the
floor. The means of exit from the
building are so utterly insufficient
that trvuble might have followed but
that the sergeant at-arms, raising his
big voice, commanded his deputies to
"stop those men. "
When some degree of order had
been thus restored, a meeting to ad
journ till 10 o'clock tomorrow morn
ing was put at 9:36 p. m. was declared
and the second day's convention end
A HOT WEEK'S RECORD.
Weekv Weather and Crop iulletin Miaucd
by (bserver Bauer.
'OLUMia, July .-The following
is tl M weekly bulletin of the condition
of the weather and the crops of the
State during the past week issued yes
terday by Sutte Observer J. W. Bauer:
This bulletin covers the weather and
crop conditions for the week ending
Saturday, July 4, and in its prepara
tion were used reports from one or
more correspondents in each county
of the State.
WEATHER.
Tne week was a hot one. The mean
temperature was, however, but one
half degree in excess of the normal.
flighest mean, 87, at Shaw's Forks;
lowest, 75, at Reid. Average of 42
reports, 81.5, and the normal for the
same period is approximately 81.
Highest temperature reported, 1(0 on
June 28, 29 and 30th, and it occured
at 8 places; lowest, G4 on the :0th, at
Clemson ColleZe.
Showers prevailed during the latter
part of the week over the State gener
ally, but in a few counties left spots
very dry. The following heavy rains
were reported, viz: Pinopolis, 121;
Beaufort, 1.55; Charleston, 3.21; Lib
erty, 1.00; Reid. 1.00; Loopers, 1.75;
Longshore. 1.05; Camden. 1.20; Ches
tertield, 2.35; Gillisonville, 1.04; Mc-.
CoIl, 1.00; Poverty Hill, 1.25; Allen
dale, 1.44; Greenwood, 1.59: Kings
tree, 1.38; St. George's, 1.29; 26 otler
places reported amounts from 0.10 to
0.95, the average of 42 places being
0.61, and the aproximate normal for
the same Deriod is 1.29.
Note-Since correspondents' reports
were closed heavy rains have fallen
over the western portions of the State.
Early in the week the winds were
hot and drying, and injurious to vege
tation, but during the latter portion
more hurnid conditions prevailed.
The sunshine was about normal,
except in the eastern counties, notably
Berkeley, where the cldudiness was
greatest, with about half the average
percentage of sunshine.
In generat all the crops are doing
well, look promising and are much in
advance of an average season. There
are local exceptions, due to want of
rain, or, in places, an excess of rain
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
the eastern counties generally.
Farmers are generalIly up with their
work, and such fields as are being laid
by are in a well cultivated, clean con
dition.
Old corn is about made and promis
es good yields, except that locally in
a few counties, notably Anderson,
Newberry, Aiken, Edgetield, Union,
Clare nd on, York, Spartan burg, Lan
caster and Lexington, it has been too
dry, and in a few of the lower coun
ties it is firing badly on sandy Ig nds.
Later planting has generally agood,
healthy color and is being laid by free
from grass and weed in tine growing
condition.- The corn crop, as a whole.
is now in a better condition than it
was a week ago.
Cotton, as a rule, contin ued the im
provement noted a week ago. There
was a few localities where it has not
done well, but generally it is growing
and fruiting satisfactorily . In Ches
tertield, owing to too much rain, the
lower le aves are turning red and dy
mg~.
Iain 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
gener-ally, it looks wonderfully green
and healthy. In portions of Green
ville it is beginning to bloom on top.
There was to little sunshine in Berk e
ley where it has a yellow color, bloom
ing 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
good condition and growing rapialy.
Tobacco has imp1ro\-ed and is now
doing well. It is in all stages ofigrowth
in Kershaw; cur-ing has begna in a
small way in Will iianms burg, Florence
and D~arlhngton and will be quite gen
eral in a week or so.
Melons are generally reported a
p)oor crop; quantities of themn hut
small and of inferior taste. T'he vines
are reported dying in Marlboro. Dair
iington, and Hampton, which. in ad
dition to the places her-etofore report
edl, indicates that the funguis diseatse
has a tirm hold on ahmost ine entire
eastern portion of te A and is
spreatiing.
Peas are doing well everyw here.
Sweet potat.>es growing wveli and
prcmiisecto bte a veiry large cirap from
prest-nt indwations.
Fernit prospects are worse than ever.
In <>.-:nce thecrce are some apples; no
peaches. In i nion~ apples are wormy
as a rulke. Grapes pr nse to oe
plenItiful , but are -ot I ag badly in va
riOns sections.
;ardens are inproving generally,
b:. are poor in potons of Barn well.
Pastures have also improved. Cane
autt rice are in most excellent condi
tion. Garden truck is flourishing in
TIHE PLATFORM ADOPTED.
SENATOR TILLMAN OPENS THE DE
B ATE FOR THE SILVERITES.
The Platform Adopteda by a Vote of Ges to
301-The Convention Refuses to Endorse
the Administration by 54 to i51-Can
didates Nominated.
CHICAGO, July 9.-The convention
was called to order today at 11 o'clock.
After prayer Representative Richard
son was called to the chair by Presi
dent White. SenatorJones, chairman
of the committee on resolutions, read
the platform as published elsewhere,
which was adopted. As he finished
the platform, Senator Jones said that
at the request of the minority of the
committee on resolutions he would
now present certain amendments that
were proposed by the minority, also
two amendments that would be pro
posed by Senator Hill of New York.
All of them would now be read, after
which by agreement, two hours and
forty minutes would be allowed for de
bate. He hoped the convention would
listen patiently to what was to be read
and said. The minority report was
thereupon read by one of the secreta
ries of the convention, as follows:
THE MINORTY REPORT.
To the Democratic National Conven
tion: Sixteen delegates, constituting
the minority of the committee on res
olutions, find many declarations in
the report of the majority to which
they cannot give their assent. Some
of these are wholly unnecessary, some
are ill-considered and ambiguously
phrased, while others are extreme and
revolutionary of the well recognized
principles of the party.
The minority content themselves
with this general expression of their
dissent without going into a specific
statement of these objectionable fea
tures of the report of the majority.
But upon the final question, which
engages at this time the chief share of
public attention, the views of the ma
jority differ so fundamentally from
what the minority regard as vital
Democratic doctrine as to demand a
distinct statement of what they hold
to as the only just and true expression
of Democratic faith upon this impor
tant issue, as follows, which is offered
as a substitute for the financial report
of the majority.
"We declare our belief that the ex
perience on the part of the United
States alone of free silver coinage and
a change in the existing standard of
value independently of the action of
oth6r great nations would not only
imperil our fiuances, but would retard
or entirely prevent the establishment
of international bimetallism, to which
the etforts of the covernment should
be steadily directed. It would place
this country at once upon a silver ba
sis, impair contracts, disturb business,
diminishing the purchasing power of
the wages of labor and inflict irrepar
able evils upon our nation's common
sense and industry.
"Until international co-operation
among leading nations for the coin
age of silver can be secured, we favor
the rigid maintenance of the existing
gold standard as essentiary to the
preservation of our national credit,
the redemption of our public pledges,
and the keeping inviolate of our coun
try's honor. 'We insist that all our
paper currency shall be kept at a par
ity with gold. The Democratic party
is the party of hard money and is op
posed to legal tender paper money as
a part of our permanent financial sys
temn and we therefore favor the grad
ual retirement and cancellation of all
United States notes and treasury notes
under sueh legislative provisions as
will prevent undue contraction. We
demand that the national credit shall
be resolutely maintained at all times
and under all circumstances.
"The minority also feel that the re
port of the majority is defective in fail
ing to make any recognition of the hon
esty, economy, courage and fidelity of
the present Democratic ad-ninistration
and tney therefore, offer the follow
ing declaration as an amendment to
the majority report:
"We commend the honesty, econo
my, courage and fidelity of the pres
ent Democratic national administra
tion.
"David B. Hill of New York, Win.
F. Vilas of Wisconsin, George Gray
of Delaware, John Prentiss Poe of
Maryland, Irving W. Drew of New
Hampshire, C. 0. Holman of Maine,
P. J. Farrell of Vermont, Lynde Har
rison of Connecticut, David N. Baker
of Rhode Island, L. C. Weadock of
Michigan, James O'Brien of Minnesota
John E. Russell of Massachusetts,
Robert E.- Wright of Pennsylvania,
William R. Steele of South Dakota,
Allan McDermott of New Jersey."'
The amendment endorsing the ad
ministration of Cleveland as read by
the secretary was cheered.
Mr. Whitney rose with the New
York delegation and joined in the
cheering, but Mr. Hill retained his
seat.
The amendments proposed to be of
fered by Senator Hill were then read
as follows:
First amendment: "But that it
should be carefully provided by law
at the same time that any change in
the monetary standard should not ap
ply to existing contracts.
Second amendments: 'Our advo
cacy of the independent free coinage
of silver being based on the belief that
such coinage will efect and maintain
a parity bet ween gold and silver at the
ratio of 16 to 1, we declare as a pledge
of our sincerity that if suen free coin
age shall fail to etfect much parity
within a year from its enactment by
law, such coinage shall thereupon be
susuended."
The chairman then announced that
Seflator Tillman of South Carolina
wouid now' otfer an amendment and
would be neard for 5) minutes. This
statement met the favor of the audi
ence and at 11:30 Senator Tillman
mounted the plotform amid much ap
plause. A striking tigare he was as
he faced his audience. With no pre
tensions in dress, shabby coated, wear
ing a heavy silver chain across his
breast lie instantly drew the eyes of
the Z0,U00 people present. They turn
ed toward him as if he were an antag
onist. His thick-set, commanding
form was full of defiance. His head,
thrown back, was rounded and com
pact. The teatures, strong and power
ful, were cast in a classical mould.
and compressed, the jaw square and
pugnacious, but the sunken cavity
which marked his left eye gave to his
face a sinster expression. It was a
face once seen never to be forgotten.
On one lapel of his coat he wore a
Cuban tiag, on the other a pitchfork.
(\N': mUD oN PAGE FOUR.]j