The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1884-07-12

nously elected temporary chairman Of
his convention.
Btr Hubbard, In taking the chair, gave
hanks for the honor in q very neat
speech, The rest of the temporary or.
yanizatlon, having been eifectedco motion
to adopt the rules of the last National
uncovered John Kelly's
skirmish line and a general engagement
v as Immediately precipitated, SenAtor
Grady, Kelly's lieutenant, proposed an |
amendment, to the rules providing that
when any member of a delegation chal.
lenged the vote as announced BY the
chairman the delegation should be in-
dividually polled and the vote recorded
as cast by the delegates respectively.
This was deadly assault against the
unit rule and was Kelly's plan of battle
to make desperate and final struggle to-
break the solid Cleveland vote in New
York The field leaders were not ready
for so sudden call to battle on an issue
that very largely involved the choice for
President, and dilatory motions for post
ponement, for reference and to lay on
the table were unsucc-ssfully made, and
finally the question had to be met. Both
sides called their reserves into action
and it was practically the field against
Cleveland, with the field heavily weight
ed by being compelled to follow the lead
of Kelly.
1t was obviously the interest of the Sec
oudary candidates to weaken Cleveland
by the loss of twenty-three votes in New
York, which loss he would have suffered
had the INIT rule been broken. Indiana
voted solid with Kelley in the interest
of Mcdonald, as Delaware did in the
interest of Bayard, and Kentucky voted
nearly solid against the pet theory of
States rights to deal blow at Gleve-
land. Pennsy lvania divided with the
majority against Kelly ;but the CleYAland
and Randall men have not entirely
burnt the bridges between them, and
each hopes to pr fit largely if the other
drops cut of the race. Tue debate was
heard with interest, and especially when
Doolittle made it so hot that Kelly had
to take the floor himself, He.seemed to
scent defeat in the air and did not lead
with tho spirit and dash of the Kelly
who fought Tilden at St. Louis in 1876
He has grown visibly older since then.
His rosy freshness has given way to the
pale flAbbiness that marks decline and
his voice broke when he attem pied n
climax. In tact. be was not heard hall
the time and it was evident that some
who were forced to vote with him did
not relish their champion.
Fellows, who had opened the fight for
I he Cleveland men, follow ed Kelly and
Cocbrane aud blistered them with good
humored but scorchiug reminders. Kelly
rose twice 10 ward the blows by explain
ations. but he came up more groggy
every time and was hoared as fast as be
got within reach of his willy antagonist,
Fellows sqnelched the whole Tammany
tribe of the nation by forcing them to
admit that they favored the unit rule at
the Saratoga Convention and opposed
it only when they discov rad that they
had lost control Of the delegation and
couldn't vote it solid against Cleveland.
The vote was finally called by States,
New York wass passed by courtesy and
| Kelly was beaten twenty.three votes ont
side OF New York with all the aid the
field could give him. The vote of that
State was then added under the unit
rule and Kelly and the field were beaten
445 to $50, The New York delegation
voted 81 to 20 in favor of enforcing the
unit rule. so that had that vote been
recorded MS cast by tho individual mem
hers the field and Kelly would have beer
beaten by rs.
Col. Villas, of Wisconsin, was selecte {
by the Committee, for permanent chair
man of the Convention.
Wednesday was devoted mainly tt
euloglstic oratory of the regulation pat
tern. Any one reading the report OF th'
speeches must be convinced that th'
Democratic party contains ai this tint
an astonishing number Of statesmen o
the highest rank ,any one of whom woulC
be sure of triumphant election if mad
the party candidate. As II matter of fac
there is no scarcity of Presidential tim
Der in the party, ard good timber a
that. The array of names presented t
the convention is such NJ any party Oj
any nation may be proud of, and if The
task were simply 10 select man capa
BILE of discharging the duties OF tht
Presidency with ability and honor, thu
question might easily be settled b,
drawing lots with little danger of dis
satisfaction. Among men of such well
tried character, know ledge and expert
ence as Bayard, Thurman, Randall an(
the rest, any choice must be creditabl,
one. BUTT happens at the present tim
as it has happened 80 often at cfilicd
periods of political history, that circun
stances are more powerful than persona
preferences, and these ciTcu nstancet
point SO distinctly to the man of the oc
casion that all the iscusion of iudivid
nal merits seems but waste of time
Even the opposition to Cleveland ha!
strengthened his candidacy, if it has no
made his nomination inevitable Old
time Democrats are aghast that theii
honored leaders should haye to stanc
aside for this new man; but the country
is living in the present, not in the pas
and all the demands of the present poih
to Cleveland with irresistible force as th
candidate who most distinctly repiesent
the best desires Of all good citizens.
The only significant vote taken Wednes
day showed that the supporters OF Cleve
land have the control OF the convention
and they are using 1t with great discre
ton. They have given the opposition
every possible opportunity, Manninl
! even insisting that Grady should /
f heard in his attack upon Cleveland
which did that candidate no harm. Bn
whenever there has been test of sirengt
they have come out ahead. and even
= the opposition were numerically strnuge
an effective combination against Clev'
land does not seem possible. 1t
altogether probable that he will show 5
E much strength on the first ballot that hi
: nomination will follow spt ehily.
a The same tide that makes Cleveland
nomination probably seems likely
carry the convention safely through I'll
t tariff breakers. The committee on resol'
b tions is very nearly balanced, but M
Raudall's conservative iuhuenee wi
keep it from any free trade vagaries an
o the platform will doubtless square wit
# the candidate and will be adopted witt
. ont serious dispute. In this event Il
convention will proceed at once TO
ballot and the nominations may be col
o cluded Thursday afternoon.
n
!. -Oil-bearing strata exist in the neig
r borhood of Sibi, southern Afgbanistf
and the Government will begin boril