Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1884-06-05
THE OPENING DAY
OF THE GREAT CONVENTION.
ExcitiRg Contest Over the klectiOE
OF TempOrs Y Chairman.
Ex Congressman Lynch OF Missis-
sippI Chosen.

Il y.
of high tight of the imagination. Th'
working body of the Convention, tn
greatest in point of numbers OF an.
national political assemblage. occupied
Unly a small portion of the auditorium
The remaining body of the hail Wa
filled by an audience which occupied
every point of vantage, and nsde :
picture, as viewed from the press stand
lOt an almost uneHding sea of faces. o1
black and uncovered heads, relieved by
tue rich colors and huttering toilets Of
the ladies. who weie present In greal
force.
The hail is the largest and has been
! termed the Host complete ever thr0 VI
open for the work of vast deliberatiyt
body. 1t is in one sense temporary. nav
ing been constructed within the walls OF
the exposition building, situated on the
east line OF the city on the shore "f l. Ike
Michigan. Its seating capacity approx
mates 1900.
| At tli:24 p. NJ. the Chair announced that
the hour having arrived for the meeting
or the eighth Republican Convention the
convention would now be opened by
,rayer by the Rev Frank Bristol, OF
| chicago. PRAYER MAS then offered by
I
| Rev. Mr.. Bristol.
The cal for the convention was read by
Hon. J. A. Martin, Secretary Of the Na
ltional Committee.
| Chairman Sab.n, on behalf of the Re
publican Committee, called the Conyen
| ton to order in its name. He SAID Chi
c;sgo Was known ~ the Convention City
| It was the feii oi itepub.ican victory
| Here it Was that tkat Immortal patriot
| abraham Lincoln WAS chosen. here Tie
party chose that great c;.IeItaIn, General
Grant, here Mo- nominated that honorsd
soldier, that great statesman, that repre-
sentative citizen, james A. Garfield
| Cheers. Every artion of the party on
this historic ground has 'een followed by
| victory. Having Succeeded against It's
io,ponents on all former occasions 1t was
about to put its house In order for an
other conflict. As consequence of the
vote adopted by the last convention the
present body was largely made up Of men
Instructed by their own constituents, and
| it was therefore TO be hoped that the
voice of the people would be largely
puissant in its deliberations. Applause
He closed with an expression iof "ope
| for yict. .ry, and ro.,Jsod Tor temporary
chairman, HoH. Powell Clayt n, OF Ar
kansas. When the chairman had con
clud.d. and mentioned the name OF Clay
ton, III. G. Lodge. of Massachusetts,, rose
and prop sed the name of John K. Lynch,
| OF Mississippi tie said they recognized
the claim of the South, and therefore he
had proposed this name as one acceptable
to the Republican convention. Si.as L
/ CAnnnh.zI
nomination of Lynch. At this point d
great sensation was "re..tcd by speech
| from w. W. Morrua. OF Calf, rnia. He
said that harmony Was essential, that
pear.e was to be secured by not raising
| fractional issues 1t had been the prac-
tict for forty years for the National COM
mi tee to select d temporar, chairman "1
tie convention, and The departure could
not now be made from the custom with
out creating a bitterness Of feeling.
LIVELY SCENE.
There /, several delegates on their
| feet TO repi. ar chairman recos-
niZsd George William Curtis, of New
York. The announcement was greeted
with the widest applause. Mr.. Curtis
said this was the supreme council OF the
party. The representatives were met L.
open the campaign of 1884. Ii had heeii
unquestiunably customary for the Ma
tiunal Com inittee to maine the temporary
chairman and for the cons sentiOn To rat
ify it, but il the party ~ here represent
ed, 50 desired. it also uuQuestionably had
| d; @ right to revise the action of the M
| al Committee IN this matter and
make the chairman Of its own choosing
Mr.. Drum, of Maine. moved that when
the so.e was taken it be by call of the
| roll by States. ME. Stewart. Of Pennsyl
| vania, susi Aimed the action OF the COM
nittee in The selection of MIR. Clayton in
sp eloquent appeal. which was greet led
| with applause. Mr. Hnrr, of Michigan,
argued that the question: should be SET
! tied, not 10y call OF the roll, but by ii
cali of the States.
| Prentiss. of Missouri. could not under
stand the object of the prnp''sition Ia
ignore the action of the National CON-
lfnittee. A refusal TO endorse the NOM
| isalion would go forward as Il stigma on
the man who has honored as a citizen, II
soldier anh statesman. Powell Clay
ton bore the mark of his love for the
| National flag.
Theodore Roosevelt, of New York
favored the motion of Lodge, and said
that it was not without p; ecedent 10 sci
aside the action of a COMMITTEES. There
were but two delegates to The convention
who held seats in the National Commit
tee, and the convention should not TIE
governed in such important matters by
the action of body of outsiders, and tr
hoped that he vote would be taken 10y a
call of the delegates. 1t was a fittin1
thing for the convention tu select Il man
of its own choice, snd he hoped that
Lynch would be elected Temporary chair
man of the convention.
Carr, of Illinois argued that the QueS
ton to be considered was whether or not
the action of the National committee had
been y ise. prudent and in the interest oil
th,. Republican party. II the National
committee had failed in thus it should steI
aside. ntherw Sc it should be susr aimed
Was Clayton q fit man for temporary
chairman? lie was known to many OF
them and they were unwilling that d
stigma should be placed on his great and
grand Maine. Appiause.
CoPIAH AND DANvILLE.
Winston, of North Carolina, supposed
that the action of the National committee
had no more force than mere commen
da' ion, and with all courtesy to the COM
4 mittee he aould 5aS that he preferred
somebody else Applause. lie honore
clayton for having served his country, bul
there were eight millions of colored mel
in the country who deserved recognition
at the bands of the convention. Copi,f
and Danville appealed tn the Nation OIL
their be alf and wonld not appeal il
vain. Applause.
Benjamin, of Arkansas, sustained t..
nomination OF Powell Clayton as mal
who had done more than any other south
ern Republican t. elevate the Republics.
cause in the South. The z ntlema
quoted approvingly the decision of Sena-
tor Hoar in the last convention to the [, 2,
feet that in the absence of any rule til,