Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1880-06-23
Called to Order.
SPEECH OF JUDGE HoADLY,
On Being Called to Preside Over the Tenn
porary OrganIzation-An Eloquent Ex-
position Of the Democratic Situation.

pOrary OrRanlHatlOn-hn bOQucul t1-
position of the Democratic Situation.
Mr. Chairman and Gentlemen of the Ma
ti0aal Executive COmmiHoc.
obey this call to the chair OF this
Convention with grateful acknowledge
ment OF the confidence repOsed in me-.
1t shall be my sedulous care to prove
worthy of your nomination. Fellow-del.
cgates, felow-Democrats, thanks for
your welcome, Your generous welcome,
my best response to which will be-my
only adequate response can be-the
strctest impartiality in the exercise OF
power during the brief period it is COM
mitted to me.
know 1 Shall Make Mistakes
l trust you will forgive them. | am
sure you will as soon as satisfy you
that although a delegate, am the
Jealous friend even in the partisan OF
my favorile candidate. As your officer |
shall know neither friend no foe of any
candidate, but discharge my duty with
absolute fairness and fidelity of pur-
pose; OF this you have my pledge.
Gentlemen of the Convention, our
fathers, distrusting the popular choice,
established in each State an electoral
college, to whose unpledged action they
sought to cntrust the election OF the
chief magistrates of the Republic. Their
children, taught by experience, have
wisely modified the constitutional
scheme bv an unwritten amend
ment, which combines the
advantages Of the electo-
raj system with the direct popular vote,
while il possesses to each State its Just
right OF influence upon the result.
Conventions OF delegates chosen by
the people OF two or three more parties
have already presented
Candidates for Popular Acceptance
at the coming election; and another
great college OF electors is now assem-
bled in this hall. The office you thus
fill, though not defined by law, is OF
transCendant legal consequence. l need
not say that in this assembly it will
not be doubted that you are
not delegates from the Congressional
districts, but. representatives OF those
indestructible units OF our indestructi.
bile Union-the States. Custom has de-
fined your duties. They are to construct
a platform and to nominate candidates.
You are not, however, called together
to create a creed, but to apply known
principle to the present public affairs.
Democracy Imperishable.
The Democratic principle does not
date its birth from your assembling, and
will not perish with the success OF, or
the defeat of, the candidates you nomi-
nate. Its eternal and divine fire is
burning in the hearts OF men. 1t
uuickens the thought OF the statesman,
nerves the arm OF the soldier, and
doubles the energy of the toiler. 1t is
founded in the Roman preCept, Stmnun'
cirque tribune, and in the self evident
truth OF the American patriot, that all
men are created equal. 1t is the unre.
lenting foe of despotism and of com
munism, whether open or sought to be
hidden under the disguise OF paternal
government. Its benifcent office in po.
litical affairs is to secure to every man
the
Utmost Possible Liberty of Action,
consistent with equal liberty to every
other. Yours Is not, therefore, the
office OF invention, but OF PRONUNCIATION
not to discover. but to declare and 10
apply the Democratic principles to the
changing affairs OF human society, and
that this principal may have living force
in public concerns You will nominate
candidates for election and will insure
its iull iruition during the next presi'
Dental term. These duties no Demo
crat doubts that you will worthily per,
| form; but you are called to their dis
charge this day under circumstances oi
no common moment circumstances
which God, in His mercy grant, shall
in the history OF our republic, never
| reCur.
The Great Fraud.
Four years ago the Democratic party
in convention assembled at st. Louis
announced TO the country its platform
and nominated as its candidates two o
the foremost statesmen OF the nation
both then and now men worthy OF tn,
most enthusiastic political devotion anC