The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-07-26

~ THO1UsFubIu. II EUT1F DUe DEE
mauded the putting OF the previous question on
q motion TO adopt the report. c.. q.
johnson. Of Chicago. said tho men from
Chicago IN the convention were opposed to any
gag law. and X 1t was 10 prevail they would 60.
Everybody in the house wanted TO speak at once.
but W. Il. Streeter. OF Ohio. was recognized.
he said he came 20 the convention at the call Of
j. Milton Turner. and IL Clark was going to take
the bull By the horns he could be counted out.
The demands for the previous question were
lost in the uproar. and a cross fire
Of speech-making that lasted for
hours began. Chairman Shelton, who
was a pronounced black man, said emphatically
that the majority should rule. and II the Turner
men did not like the result, they could pack up
and leave. j. Milton Turner mounted a chair
near the chairman and attempted 10 speak. but
his enemies would not permit him to be heard.
They applied renegade Republican" and other
epiihess to him until he was compelled to sit
down.
do you propose to throttle free speech herel'
asked Mr.. Turner.
Eve propose &c throttle you" said Edward
Jones, of Ohio. The friends Of Turner became
very indignant over the way he was being treat
ed, and for a time 1t looked like the delegates
would resort TO blows. Quietness was partially
restored, however. and G. II. j. Taylor, of Kan
sas City. was given the floor. He made q
lengthy speech against Turner. No man, he
said. loved Turner better than he, but it was
not right that men new in the Democratic ranks
should come TO the convention and seek TO carry
away all the honor. IL the young recruits were
to be put to the front what encouragement was
there for a man to be an old soldier.
At the conclusion of Taylor's address Turner
was given the floor. He made in the main q
pleading speech, but at times be grew very sar-
castle, ana referred to his enemy Taylor in any
thing but complimentary terms. His life, he
said, had been one of disappointments. and he
would have been surprised had he not been dis
appointed in this last movement. In the whole
OF his twenty-five years Of puolic life he had
mover attempted to lead q public movement
tefore. He had said before. and he
repeated, that be had no personal ambition to
crafty. He intended to do the right as God
showed him the right. and his enemies seemed
intent on doing the way Of the devil as the devil
showed it 10 them. He had read of men
back. and now be had experiences Of that
kind himself. Two months ago there
was a conference among prominent
Democrats at Washington to see what should
be done here. In that conference Peter H.
Clarke agreed no. to aspire to lead the move
ment. He could produce two letters Clark had
written 10 the national Democratic
in which he agreed not to interfere with his
whether those present were men or the things
some people charged them with being.
This remark brought several delegates to their
feet. Mr.. Fortune said that it was impolite for
a man to indulge in blackguardism in a public
meeting. Mr.. Turner began q retort, aEd
another general row ensued. Turner then made
some personal remarks about Taylor. and that
man gave Turner notice be would chew him
up" before the convention was over. The men
were prevented from coming together, aud after
order was restored, Z. Thomas For tune
spoke briefly. He favored a compromise
and the tenor of his remarks indicated that he
would like to be president himself. w. T.
Scott, of Illinois. thought Turner was the
greatest negro living or dead, and wanted to
know who was responsible for the meeting il it
was not Turner. His praise of Turner was
stopped short by several men coming TO their
senses and demanding to know what was be-
fore the house." The chairman said they were
speaking for harmony. Mr.. Scott, resumine,
said the Republicans were wanting the meeting
TO set down on Turner. There were q number
or trained men present for the purpose Of
Scott moved the previous question on the former
motion to adopt the minority report. Chairman
Shelton refused to put the question because, as
he said. he wanted to say something himself.
He then called Taylor. of Missouri, to the chair,
and attempted TO speak. Then the convention
became sn ungovernable rabble. Mr. Scott
insisted that bis demand for the previous
question could not be ignored, and
Taylor said It would be. Scott then appealed
from the decision of the chair, but there was
such disorder that no vote could be taken. Sew
eral of Turner'S friends threatened to throw
Taylor out of the chair by force. Taylor dared
them to touch him, remarkine, "You fellows
can't bulldoze me-" The delegates began to
SotaO okOAh0 ~ Shoik "a . aOGht ia dEl
there was going to be trouble, Mr.. Fortune
moved that the meeting adjourn until 10
o'clock to-day. Taylor declared the
motion was carried. but Shelton,
who went back to his position as
presiding officer said it was not. The disorder
became so great that the chairman called atten-
tion to the fact that there were quite a lumber Of
ladies in the room. and if the delegates had no
respect for themselves they should have some
for the women. d. d. Dawson. OF Illinois,
agsin demanded the previous question, and the
chairman agreed that it should be put In order
that there might be no funny business" as he
explained, Mr.. Fortune moved that each State
be called. and it's representatives personally an
nounce their preference.
When the taking Of the vote began the con-
troll OF the convention went clear out OF the
hands of the chairman. He threatened to have
the hall cleared by police force unless he was
obeyed, but his threat bad no effect. There
was a continuous quarrel as to the identity OF
those who were voting. Illinois cast sixteen
votes for Turner. aud Clark's friends charged
that meu had been voted who bad no
a man named Grant, which led the latter to say,
Il give You to understand, sir, that l can prove
that | am Grant" There was q very spirited
quarrel over the vote Of Cooper, OF this city.
The chairman declared he was a Republican.
and said the vote should not be recorded
for Turner unless Cooper would de-
clare he was q Democrat. This
Cooper refused to do so, and when Turner's
Irienus threatened 10 clean out the whole con-
vension unless Coopers vote was recorded" it
was put down. Again, when a Michigan man
attempted to vote for Turner, Chairman Shelton
declared the man had sailed on him, and said he
was a Republican. The delegate told Mr.. Shell
ton he lied. and Shelton backed down from his
position. When New York was called, T. Thomas
Fortune voted for Clark.
BY the time the votes were all taken. the ex-
element and il-feeling were at a white heat,
and tho spectators saw there must be trouble
ahead. no matter what the result was. The del
egates began to gather around Clifford II.
Plummer, the temporary chairman, and the two
tellers, and make inquiries how the vote was.
called, and said he would wait and sec what the
result was before voting. The friends of Clark
thought they saw In Turner'S act q scheme to slip
in by fraud, and they all gathered close
around the secretaries and tellers. After the
vote had been footed up, the secretary took the
footing Of W.. 7. Scott. Of Illinois. the teller who
had all along supported Turner. From the
sheet he announced that Turner had received
rhlrty-two votes and Clarke thirty-two. Turner.
as a part Of his scheme. announced that he had
not voted. and proposed to cast the deciding
vote in his own favor. The greatest excitement
prevailed. The other teller declared, and cor
rectly, too, that Clark had received thiriytwo
votes, and Turner out thirty. Teller Scott said
1t was a lie. Charles Oglesby, an employee in
the Pension Office al Columbus. O., rushed into
the crowd and declared that Secretary Plum
mer and Teller Scott were both thieves and
scoundrels. Scott responded with some epithet,
which could not be understood on account of
the uproar. but it WAS resented by a blow from
OeIesoy. Instantly a dozen fists were striking