The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1884-07-09
The DemOct ats at Chicago Settling
Down to Work.
Ex-Gov. Hubbard Made Temporary
Chairman.
AN EFFORT TO BREAK DOWN THE
UNIT RULE DEFEATED.
CIeveland's Chances for the Nomination
Not she Best.
Special to the Press.)

mule" notoriety. Ex.Gov Hubbard, gooG
man who weighs more than $50 pounds, wa
made temporary chairman. He made very
good speech, so far as oratory is concerned
but made the usual Democratic blunder in
describing the Republican party as an organ
lied band of thieves and cut-throats, and the
Democracy as band of white-robed saints
He worked in the name OF Tilden a couple Of
times, and by so doirg created more en-.
thusiasm than the convention will create by its
| probable nomination of Grover Cleveland
Beyond the choice of temporary chairman
| and the election of committeeman nothing
was done except to defeat Tammany on close
| vote in its effort to break down the unit rule
by which the New York delegation is bound.
The debate on this proposition lasted about an
hour, and was very spicy. 1t paved the way
for the letting out of a large quantity
OF had blood. John Kelly conducted his case
very adroitly and with unexpected good ma
ture. By giving out that he was sincerely for
Bayard, he drew good many Southern dele.
gates to his aid, and succeeded in doing away
with much of the prejudice which the South
ern Democracy have had for him. The mar
only % votes, if New York had not been
allowed to vote on its own case-shows that
tue Cleveland men have not a very strong grip
on the nomination. The New Yorker will un-
doubleday lead on the first ballot, and NAV
gain something on the second, but he ia not
yet sure of the nomination by any means 1t
is now Cleveland against the field, and it is
among the probabilities that finally Cleve-
lands only contestant will be Mcdonald or
Bayard. Both factions of the New York dele
cation hold firm, and while the anti Cleveland
men continue to assert that Cleveland cannot
possibly carry New York, his friends as conf
IDENTIFY predict that he will sweep the State
from end to end.
Ben Buffers absence from the convention
caused much anxiety to the more thoughtful
Democrats. His absence tonight from the
meeting of the committee on resolutions of
which he is member, has increased that anx-
iety. Evidently the old fellow has made up
his mind not to commit himself at present.
Thus far be has done nothing to indicate that
he is any more of Democrat, or any less of
Butler man than he has been for some years
past. The fear that in addition to making
colossal bluDder in the nominations
the convention may get into a bad snarl
on the tariff question is growing apace. The
committee on resolutions could not elect a
chairman tonight, so bitter is the feeling.
Converse, who wants to straddle, got Is votes,
and Bill Morrison, who wants to horizontalize,
got the same number.
To the Associated Press)
CHICAGO July 8,--The day opened auspi.
ciously. The air was cool and bracing.
Crowds began to gather in the vicinity of the
great ball at an early hour in the day. The
door tenders and ushers reported for duty at
approach to chaos. LaooIers were stlII an
gagged in giving finishing touches. after having
been employed during all of the preceding
night. They did net desert the main platform
where the decorations we're being hung till
within half an hour of the time announced for
the opening of the convention, when the work.
men left the building. The scene presented
was majestic, and truly so when the hall was
filed by 1900 auditors. Every seat in the
vast amphitheatre appeared to be occupied,
and many ladies were present.
1t is conceded that in picturesque effect,
arrangement and adornment the hall excels
that of the convention of four weeks ago.
The great vista of the old hall has been lost by
placing the main st6ge at one side and mid
way instead of at one extreme OF the hall, but
the arrangement brings the entire audience
the delegates. The decorations ara not pro-
fuse, but are striking and pleasing to the eye.
The national colors preponderate. The only
weak feature is the main platform, which is
dWarfed in comparison with the magnificent
proportions of the hall.
The delegates are seated in square imme-
diately fronting the speakers platform on the
dead level of the convention hall. Between
the delegates and the platform are quarters
assigned to the press representatives, who have
.L,l rfc nd
ing the working army the most complete view
imaginable of any incident likely TO occur
during the session.
To the right and left of the delegates are the
seats for spectators, sloping upward easily to
point 80 feet from the floor level. The only
additional description is that the lighting of
the vast hall is complete, as it is fanked and
crowned with great windows which throw
food of light upon every portion of the audi
torium, even with dull leaden sky overhead.
The Convention Assembling.
At 113O this morning the scarlet coated
band of the LIST Illinois Regiment took its posi-
ton above the speakers platform and burst
forth with martial air, which also proved
signal for the arrival of the first of the dele
gates the Tennessee men leading the van. The
crowd then STEAMED in without ceasing until
the hall had its full complement of people.
The approach of the hour for the assembling
of the convention was marked by the arrival
of delegates in large bodies, and great crush
of people at the doorways provoked confusion.
The arrival of the California delegation,
carrying banner at their head, occasioned
the first outburst of applause in the body of
the audience and the cheering was hearty.
The presence of distinguished leaders among
the delegates did not appear to be observed by
the crowd, and there was no applause to marx
their arrival. This held true until the familiar
features of Senator Thurman OF Ohio were
discerned, when cheers arose which swelled
into roar as the audience came to know the
occasion of the applauding. While the ex-
element was at its height, a California dele
gate named M. 7. Tompkins, addressing the
chairman, who was not yet in his place, said :
1.-THE California delegation, after travelling
$500 miles, catches its first glimpse of paradise
in the person Of Allan G. Thurman Of Ohio"
(Cheers.)
Among the United States Senators present
either as delegates, alternates or as simple
spectators. were Hampton, Vance, Beck, Will
liams, Mcpherson, German, Farley, Voorhees,,
Pendleton Jones of Florida, Ransom, Lamar,
Jonas, Call and Harris.
When the band struck up Dixie there was
another great shout proceeding from the
Southern delegations originally, and as the
import of the applause was understood it was
taken up by the audience.
Booming Bayard.
The breach in the ranks of the New York
| delegation, as indicated in dispatches last
| night, is being used as very effective weapon
by opponents of Cleveland and there Is now
everything to indicate that the present temper
| of The Southern delegates is toward Bayard OF
Mcdonald, and to this end those who have
| been startled at the size and character OF the
| Cleveland movement are now working. In
diana is strongly urged to stand by its favorite
| and not be tempted from its present line oil
| action by Vice Presidential offer.
Speaker Carlisle arrived from Washington
| this morning. He goes to swell the active
| force OF revenue reformerS now on the ground
| Calling to Order.
At 1910 p. M, Chicago time, the convention
| was called to order by ex-senator Barnum
| chairman of the Democratic committee.
Prayer was offered by Rev. DIR. ID. Q. Mar
quis of the Northwestern Theological Semin'
| arp.
The chairman said:
Gentlemen of the observation-disclosures
seems to be the sentiment of this convention
even the air seems saturated with desire or 9
determination 10 nominate ticket for Presl
dent and Vice President which will be salts
factory to the North and to the South, to the
East and to the West, ticket that will har
monte the Democracy throughout the Union
and insure victory in November. Harmony
prevailed in the deliberations of the natlona
committee No effort was made to nominate
temporary chairman in the interest OF any
candidate but on the contrary it was the desire
to nominate one who shall preside over th'
deliberations of this convention with absolute
impartiality. In that spirit and TO that end,
have been directed by the unanimous vote
1 NJ