The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1876-07-06
The st. Louis Convention.
Full Representation from Every State.
Enthusiastic and Harmonious Convention.
TILDEN and HENDRICKS THE STAN.
DARD BEARERS.
VICTORY AND REFORM ASSURED.

On the morning of the 9th of June,
the Convention of the National Demo
cratic party assembled at noon in the
Hall of the Chamber of Commerce in the
city of st. Louis, for the purpose of NOM
mating candidates for President and
Vice President of the United States.
The hall was handsomely decorated, and
every convenience for the officers and
members of the Convention and for the
reporters and visitors was arranged for
the occasion. The delegates were
promptly seated and the Convention was
called to order at 1920 p. NJ, by Angus
tus Schell. In doing so, he submitted
some brief remarks upon the purpose of
this Convention to nominate candidates
whose election shall change the govern
ment and overthrow corruption, and pro-
duce the administration reforms de-
manded by the people. Applause
He then nominated Henry Watterson, of
Kentucky, as temporary chairman. Ap-
plause.
This was unanimously agreed to-
Mr.. Watterson was conducted to his
seat amid great applause, and said: Gen
tlemen of the Convention, we are called
together to determine by our wisdom
whether honest government, administered
by honest men, shall be restored to the
American people, or to decide by our
folly that it is the destiny of our country
to pursue an endless, ever-revolving
circle of partisan passion and corruption,
until with the loss of our material we'll
being we lose the poor mans last hope,
civil liberty itself Every citizen of the
Republic, be he of one party or ,e
other, feels and has felt for many day
the depressing influence Of what are
called hard times. We look about and
see neglected fields and vacant houses,
the factories closed, furnace doors shut.
There aro myriads of idle hands. The
happy activity of prosperous life is no.
where to be found. Loyalists fatten
whilst honest. men starve. Empty is the
mart and shipless the bay. What is it
that has wrought so great change in a
land that under the rule of an intelligent,
progressive, constitutional party ad-
vanced within half a century from a con-
dition of a huddle of petty aud squalid
provincial sovereignties to a foremost
place among the nations of the earth ?
The reason of men must answer: "Parti-
san misrule and sectional misdirection." "
The Republicans, my friends, are not
alone responsible. With them rest the
disgrace; with US, the follies. These
twin agents of national mischance, work.
ing under the miserable rule of contra.
ries, have kept the people of the north
and south apart and have supplied sus-
tenance to corruption. They have dis
turbed values; they have unsettled
prices they have made our whole fnan-
cial system cheat and snare; they have
driven the best elements of political
society into exile, and have organized
charlatanism into a sort of public
policy, enabling the rogue to get cheap
advantage of his dupe, and sacrificing
every popular interest to the last of that
oligarchy which has become so encrusted
with power as to believe it self-entitled
to rule by the sheer force of its own
wrong-doing. So much let US set down
to the convenient pretext of war; so
much to the long account of damages be-
tween North and South. 1t is for you to
say whether the same conflict, with con-
sequences multiplied and magnifed, shall
by any act of yours be inaugurated be-
tween East and West. Ishall not under
take, on an occasion of this kind and in
presence so imposing, to enforce the
familiar lesson Of mutual forbearance.
Entreating you to direct your energies to
the common enemy, 1 ask indulgence
only on my own behalf. You have
called me to place of not mere distinc-
ton, but of difficulty place which re-
quires the best training of better man
than I am. In taking it I trust to your
confidence and good nature. The work
before us should relate to ideas rather
than to individuals. 1t is the issue, not
the man, that should engage US. We
have come here to make the peoples
fight, not ours for free, no less than
honest government; for the reform of the
public service and the regeneration of
public morals; for administrative relief
embraced in the simple creed of Home
Rule, reduced taxes, and living chance
for the South as well as North, for both
the East and West. If anything comes
of our proceedings, it must spring from
the spirit of association and fellowship.
The followers of Andrew Jackson and
Silas Wright, of Henry Clay and Daniel
Webster, meet together on common
ground at last to wrest the government
of their affairs from the clutch of rings
and robbers-Federal, State and munich
pal. They mean to extirpate these,
wherever they are found, and whether
they be Republican or Democratic.
Applause.
After prayer by the Rev. Mr.. Marvin,
the chair announced as temporary secre-
tary, Fredik G. Prince, ofMassachusetts,
with T. O. Walter, of Iowa, and S. K.
Donovan, of Ohio, as assistant secreta-
ries, and Dan Abel, of Missouri, as SER
geant-at-arms.
A resolution was offered adopting the
rules of the last National Convention,
until otherwise ordered.
Littlejohn,e Of New York, inquired if
this includes tue two-thirds rule
Voices, Eyes yes!"] If so, all right.
[Applause:
The chair. It does.
The resolution was then adopted.
The roll was then called and commit
tees on credentials and permanent organ
ization were appointed. Mr.. ]. G. Shep-
pard, of Edgefeld, represented South
Carolina on the last named committee.
A committee was also appointed on reso-
lutions, composed of one delegate from
each State, to whom all resolutions re-
lating to the platform are to be referred
without debate. Gen. Samuel Me- cGowan,
of Abbeville, represented South Caro-
lima upon this committee.
The chairman said that delegates from
the National Woman's Suffrage Associa-
ton were present, asking a hearing.
[Cries of. 'Hear themw There being
no objection, the chair announced that
they would be heard. Messrs. Weed, OF
New York, and Smalley, of Vermont,