Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1876-07-14
THE ST. LOUIS CONVENTION.
TIE FIRST DAY.

Il
The Convention met on Tuesday. The
hall in which it was held is better one, and
was more handsomely decorated, than that
in Cincinnati in which the Republican
National Convention was held. Otherwise
the arrangements of the Democratic pow
WOW are pronounced much inferior to those
of the Cincinnati Convention. Ii was
white mans convention. Among all its
| 700 delegates there was not q single black
face to be seen. 1t was a convention large
ly of the reconstructed Democracy, marked
| by the presence of such men as Fitzhugh
Lee. OF Virginia Gen. Pope Walker, of
Alabama, who was a Confederate Secretary
OF War; Col. Shorter, of the same State,
who has been in Democratic politics for 80
years Gen. John l. Morgan, also of Ala
bama ex-Gov. Smith, of Georgia, and old
ex-senator Clingman, of North Carolina,
who left the Senate to 90 into the rebellion.
in lS6l.
MIR. Augustus Schell, chairman of the
National Committee, called the delegates
to order, and with that plaintive eloquence
that 50 becomes a faithful. lifelong Tam
many leader OF the old school, pleaded for
administrative reform and paper money, and
asked for that harmony necessary to a res
toration to power Of the party whose latest
presidents were Franklin Pierce and james
buchanan. Mr.. Henry Watterson, of Ken
lucky, the Democratic member of that edi-
torial league that ST up the Greeley move
ment four years ago, the war eagle of the
Southern Democracy, was made TEN
porary chairman, and made a speech,
declaring in effect that the Republicans
are knayes and the Democrats fools. He
said &" With them the Republicans rest
the disgraces, with US the follies.' And
he styled the two parties " twin agents
of national mischance" Mr.. Watterson
proclaimed Home Rule - as the great
panacea for all the evils of the times.
Mr.. Smalley, of Vermont, offered a reso-
luton for call of States for the announce
ment OF the Committee on Permanent Organ
lzatlon and Credentials. This was agreed
to; and the members were directed TO hand
IN their credentials to the Secretaries.
A delegate from Pennsylvania, moved to
reconsider the vote, and, giving notice that
he was entitled to hold the floor for an hour,
proceeded to denounce the encroachment on
the sacred practice of Democratic Conyen-
tlOns. Ills point was that the Committee
on Credentials should be named and creden-
tlals handed to that committee, and as he
drew forth two or three thick volumes,
which proved to be proceedings of former
Conventions, 1t began TO be feared that he
might occupy the hour he claimed to be his
his right. Mr.. Smith NJ. Weed, of New
York, and other delegates, endeayored to
convince the positive Pennsylvania that it
was matter Of form, that the credentials
handed to the secretaries would be turned
over by them TO the Committee on Creden-
tlaIs. The gentleman from the keystone
State knew his rights, and knowing them
dared to maintain them. However, the
| Convention refused to reconsider the vote
and handed up the credentials to the chair
Before the proceedings of the Convention
had progressed far, Mr. Doolittle, of Wiscon-
sin, opened the first fight against the regular
| programme by suggesting that f. o. Perrin,
| the Clerk Of the New York Court of Appeals.
who had served in the last four Democratic
National Conventions as reading Secretary,
should be appointed to the same position. But
Mr.. Perrin was not quite Of the right stripe
on the question of candidates, and better
Illden man, with as much lungs, was made
reader. The business was interrupted in
order that representative of the Woman
Rights Association might be heard. Miss
| Phoebe C0zzens, a lawyer of ST. Louis, was
conducted TO the platform by Mr.. Smalley, of
Vermont, and Smith NJ. Weed, OF New
York. She addressed the Convention, say
ing that this was not only the great Centen-
NAL year but the great Centennial leap year.
and that the ladies had a right to be heard.
She then presented the memorial of the Ma
tional Woman Suffrage Association. The
committee on platform, composed Of one
from each State. James H. Williams being
the Vermont member, was announced. The
Convention organized permanently with
| ten. McClernand, of Illinois, As permanent
president. This gentleman was one Of the
political Generals" of the war, who dis
graced himself at Ficksburg by an outrage
Gus attempt to win a little independent
glory at the cost Of many precious lives.
lie made a fat and turgid speech, closing
with an expression of the opinion that the
Democratic Convention could make "hut-
ing Orpheus' Of itself, to be followed by
the American people wherever it chooses TO
lead
August Belmont, the New York agent Of
the Rothschilds, who has so often furnished
the money for Democratic campaign ex-
penses, offered a resolution and made a
speech. lie urged the Convention to avoid
a timorsome policy and, with an emphasis
that made the supporters of Tilden gnash
their teeth, demanded the nomination of a
candidate whose private character and pub
lie record would inspire confidence and en-
sure success. After the Convention had ad-
journed, the delegates fingered in the hall to
hear the popular Voorhees,, who took adyan-
tage Of the opportunity offered to make an
anti-Tilden speech The success of the
Tall Sycamore of the Wabash" encouraged
Sunset Cox to raise his voice against Tiden,
but the friends of that gentleman tdrned the
tables upon him 50 efectually that the in
fuence of the preceding speech was lost.
The day closed with minor victories for
Iilden, and no positive advantages gained
by his opponents.
grgONp