Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1886-08-05

| b'oe ioSto VI tho PoOpic. we therefore
favor the use of all such surplus in excess
of SlOo,0O0,00O as reserve fund to the pay
ment Of the national debt.
IL. We believe the national government
alone should exercise the high prerogative
of issuing the currency Of the country and
this should be taken In payment of all
debts, public and private, and be redeema-
BILE in gold and silver at the option of the
holder.
10 The public lands are the heritage of
the people aud should be reserved for
actual settlers We are opposed to furth-
err grants of lands to corporations and to
the acquisition OF another acre by specula-
tors and alien absentees. Unearned land
grants should be speedily forfeited, and we
demand that all lands now held for spec
ulative purposes be taxed to their Full
value.
AS soon as the platform was read, M. Fl.
Walker, young Grand Rapids lawyer,
rose in the Kent delegation, literally pale
eleven and twelve, pertaining to the finan-
cial question, be laid on the table. "By
what right" he demanded, has any per-
son assumed to turn this into Greenback
conventions We have hard money men
here who do not believe In these blanks.
Why in the name of wisdom has that stuff
been put in Prohibition platforml That
platform is utterly inconsistent. One
plank grandly denounces any kind of
fusion or compromise, and right against it
10 piuhh DluulHR iOT but oTetnDdcK vote.
Our Greenbcak friends are coming to US
fast enough. But let them come because
this is Prohibition party. Let us cling
to the overmastering question of suppress
sion of the liquor traffic.
The venerable Elias Woodman, of North
vile, got the eye of the chair. He, too,
was excited. ''rm surprised that the com.
mittee would bring such firebrand into
this convention" he said. 'The last
speaker expressed my views exactly. /
take no stock in the Greenbackers. /
come from the old Democratic party and
don't like it, I'm hard money man"
Mr.. Smart of Watrousville, said that he
opposed this matter in the committee not
because he was either hard or soft money
man, but because he was Prohibitionist
first 'Do not let us truckle. trade or
bargain. Let us not load our candidates
down with a mixed ticket"
1t looked as though the Objectionable
planks were going when d. p. Sagendorph
their behalf. This is not new a question"
said he, land the Committee ON Resolu-
tions has done no unusual thing. These
resolutions are identical with those we
had six years ago and which we have had
since until the last campaign. With that
platform we grew from !, 100 to $4,000. It
is not hard or soft money platform. It
is the enunciation Of a true principle. 1t Is
not bid for anybody. Strike out those
resolutions and you go back on your
record.n
An animated debate issued, when W. A.
Taylor, Secretary of the State Central
Committee, made strong speech for the
adoption OF the resolution. These resolu-
tions mean something most decidedly.
Should any other power than the general
government control the issue OF the cur
rencyl A redeemable currency is not the
Greenback idea. 1--we adopt this platform
my friend John Potter will ask me why
did you add in gold and slver' The Pro
hibition party should not be afraid to
speak the whole truth in Gods plain Eng
lish on any question:
Lemuel Clute, of Ionia, who bolted the
the Greenbackers, was very vigorous in
denouncing the planks. He said he, as an
cd Democrat, opposed giving the general
government any powers they did not
already possess. Concentration of power
thing not in the interests of the people
rshe government should never become q
banking institution. He did not believe
in one idea party, but this great step
tavoring concentration OF power should
not be taken.
A. d. Power Of Worthwhile in arguing
that the planks were educators, made a
strong Greenback speech.
Other speakers followed, the debate
growing in seriousness.
Ex-Mayor l.. S. Ellis, of Manistee, moved
to amend by striking out the twelfth
plank.
The convention began to cry for the
question. Dozens of delegates were seek
ing recognition. The Chair put the
amendment of Ellis. 1t was apparently
lost. division of the house was taken
during great excitement.
There was small majority against Ellis.
Walkers resolution laying the planks on
the table was then put. 1t was lost on
division OF the house, about three-fifths Of
the convention voting no. There was
hardly county in the state that did not
At the request of Chairman Dickie Sag
endorph withdrew his call for the previ
Gus question. Walker then offered as
substitute for the whole platform the one
adopted by the New Hampshire Prohibit
zionist, long reiteration of the Prohibi.
ton story. There was another long and
sharp discussion, in the course of which
one delegate yelled: 1--WE don't have to
go to New Hampshire for our brains" At
last the motion was put and lost on viva
voce vote. Another division resulted the
same. More trouble seemed to he in store
when f. S. Woodman demanded that the
| platform be considered plank by plank,
and A. o. Crozierowanted the labor planks
read The previous question prevailed
amid great cheering, although many dele
| gates looked on glumly. M. Il. Walker and
some Fifth district men left the conven-
ton soon afterward.
ANOTHER LABOR PLANK.
The following resolution was adopted
without opposition:
RESOLVED, That the saloon is the greatest
| enemy to the Advancement OF the labor
ing classes 1.-The Prohibition party is organ
lied to destroy the saloons; therefore, we
extend our sympathy to the toiling mass
es in all their Legitimate efforts to better
their condition and invite their co-opera-
ton with the only party that dare strike
at the root Of these evils-the Prohibition
party.
lowing resolution, which caused consider
able excitement:
Reso,ueg, That we deem the subject of
free trade of great importance and we
earnestly advise Prohibitionists to care
fully investigate it to the end that we may
be prepared to take such actions in regard
to tariff legislation as the true interests Of
the people demands.
Clute strongly advocated the adoption
of the plank. He said that it did not COM
init the party to free trade, but merely in
vited its attention to it. He said that the
party would get ten votes to one IL it add
ed this plank, The resolution was tabled,
and thus considerable discussion averted.
The nominating speeches were resumed.
They all favored Dickie. A Ninth district
minister brought down the house by say.
ing 1.-THE Lord has called Samuel" Dickie
himself addressed the conventio in favor
of the nomination of John Russell, whose
career he eulogized. But these remarks
only famed the Dickie flame. A moment
later DIR. Gordon withdrew Mr.. Russell's
name and both Mosher and Russell ad-
dressed the convention, thanking the body
for honors conferred on them and urging
| Dickie,s nomination He was nOmin a tad