The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1876-06-02

AANsiNu, way 81 1osOs
The Democratic State Convention
met at the Opera House in this city, at
noon today, the hall Of the House of
Representatives, which was first named
as the place of meeting, being too small
to accommodate the delegates. DIR.
Foster Pratt, chairman Of the State
Central Committee, called the conven.
ton to order at 1915 p. m. He stated
that the apportionment for the oonven'
tion would be that under which repre-
sentatives would be elected next fall,
and read table showing the number of
delegates to which each county is emit
tied. lie nominated VIM. l.. Weber,
of Saginaw, for temporary chairman,
who was elected with applause. The
latter, on taking the chair, spoke as fol-
lows
SPEECH or MIR. WEBER.
GENTLEMEN OF THE CONVENTIONAL
desire to return you my thanks for the
honor which you have done me in choos.
ing me to preside over your preliminary
deliberations, and also for the kind man.
ner in which you have expressed your
approval of the choice thus announced
by the chairman of the State Central
Committee. We meet here to-day as
representatives of great party-repre'
scntatives of the Democracy Of Michigan,
of the party of the people. Political
parties are organized to give the people
an opportunity of expressing their will,
They should have for their sole motive
to carry out the will of the people and
to act for the good of the people. If
any party uses the power entrusted to 1T
to further partisan purposes, against the
will of the people, it is time that it was
discarded. Political parties are only
means to an end, and when they fail to
subserve that end they must be set aside.
Our Government is founded on the idea
of trust in the people. Monarchical
governments place all the power in the
crown, but our theory reverses this idea,
and has decreed that the power resides
in the people. Because the Republican
party has forgotten that principle, the
people have determined to overthrow
the Republican party. Mr.. Weber
closed by expressing the hope that the
convention would bear in mind that
their main object should be to carry out
the will and effect the good of the whole
people.
Allen B. Morse, Of Ionia, was then
elected temporary secretary.
A. p. Swineford moved that the chair
appoint committee of two from each
Congressional district on Credentials and
Permanent Organization.
THE STANDING COMMITTEES.
Il. S. Woodman moved to amend by
making the committee consist of but one
from each district and to be Commit
tee on Credentials only. The amend
ment was adopted and the motion as
amended was carried,
Mr.. Woodman moved that commit
tee of one from each Congressional dis
trict be appointed to report permanent
officers, which was adopted.
Hon. Charles Little, of Saginaw, in
quired if it was in order for Commit
tee on Resolutions to be appointed be-
fore the permanent organization was eff
fected. He said that although the Re.
publicans charged that there were no
soldiers in the war from the Democratic
party, there we're many here who want
ed to attend the soldiers convention at
Detroit tomorrow, and in order to do
so wanted to get through with the work
this evening
The chair said that this was the usual
practice.
! Mr.. Little then moved that a Com.
mittee on Resolutions, consisting of two
from each district be chosen by the sew.
eral district delegations, and that all
resolutions be referred to that committee
without reading or debate. This was
} the shape which the motion finally as.
sumed, after suggestions from several
gentlemen. The motion was adopted
whereupon the convention Immediately
| resolved itself into caucusses, and, after
some delay, Committee on Resolution:
was announced
The convention then, at one p. m.
took recess until halfpast two O'Clock
, p. NJ.
AFTERNOON SESSION.
at 2:30 Mr.. Weber called the con
r vention to order, but announced tina