New-York tribune., 1884-12-08
"REMINISCENCES or THE PLATFORM
now MORRISON AND HURD DEALT WITH IT BEFORE
THEIR CONSTITUENTS.

fBY TELEGRAPH To IlE IklBDNEl
WASHINGTON, Dec. THE elections having
turned n their favor Democrats feel that they afford
osreak freely about the National plafcrno Of their party.
IN the room uf the ways and Means Committee, day
or two ago Messis Morrison aud Iurd amused several
listeners with "reminiscences that subject. Colonel
Morrison who reported the resolutions to the National
Convention, said "Oh. II was q blahh of platform
The nest morning after n adurtn received ds.
patch nm the editor uf one nf pur newspapers east uf
the Alice lhonius asAiusl What about tho platform
ara We nauan,d 4 never answered that dispatch,
irtti Hupn nt,tNait received letter num lidelse,
ul Nulilan who wanted tn know Waat thn platform
meant wtole hhNh ai'lang hm nfrai it on, u was
ruil document, aud a preparation was hn easy task
fol the runmilt,o Was evenly di, dod the ain Tho
thrrWrs man the other side Was inike of iousiann
,o5 lo while he would shoVe Ia htte piece OF the
ohio piIiuliu ANA then would have tO work and ia
% that Il would do nu harm. The NewJersey member
of The committee begged hard 10 have certain phrase
changed tiat We consulted Alter IL had been done
asked linn II he Thought 10 meant anything different from
what 1t dill before. lilo said he was NOT sure
about that bat It meant the nino electoral votes
OF NcN Jrr-cy or tho Democratic Ticket and that WAS
enough for him."
Mr. iiurd said: "Wcu was pretty wcn satisfied with
the platform, although gopd many ONO Democrats IN
sisted that my exposition oil II lost them the state
dO not know 0s 10 tndt, buJ KNOW my district was
lost for some reason Henry b. Payne wrote letter 20
my district saying that he did not suppose that would
invite hm 10 speak there put II ne shoiu doso nc would
feel compelled 10 say that my views on the arh were not
in accord win The platform and that would be entitled
Democratic support only on the ground that had re-
ccvod The regular party nomination The districts rep
resented By Gcdles and eeney border any and
th,y kept pretty busy. In fact they gave peace
depended more upon what took place III The Committee
Resolutions at Chicago than upon the language or
the platform itself 1 made speech In my district at a
place which is divided only by "a river from town III
Gcdde>s district dwelt especially upon the
adverse vote in tho committee on motion
to strike ont the word 'oXcuslvey.' A few
days aiterwaId GoGdes made speech on tine
opposite side of the river in which he took the ground
that wa a wrong aud.that the National platform
in harmony with the Ohio platform. Somebody IN the
audience Interrupted MIN, and gave my version OF the
National platform. Geddes after some hesitation. re-
pc that De stood upon the Ociae xpvession OF the con-
ventiou which must be the guide OF all good
Democrats GedJes declined to behind the returns,
tO speak.
>eucy had Converse I'm his district 20 help him and they
both vigorously attacked position on the tarn They
would make speeches lust across the border OF my dis
'rlct ian Soney'. and Of course was obliged 10 reply 70
them As for Converse pointed ont that as member
Of the Committee on Resolutions, at Chicago ne had
offered the tariff resolutions Of the ClO platform and
they nad been rejected 10y decisive majority, and that
tho Democrats OF his own district had repudiated him
and nominated man who supported the tdIlH policy or
the National Democratic party