The Democratic advocate., 1888-06-09
The National Democratic Convention.
EVERY STATE LARGELY REPRESENTED
RI TEnR.M
TIE PLATFORM
Nomination of Cleveland and Thur
man for President and Vice
President.
GREAT ENTHUSIASM.

Tuesday, June 5th, was the day named for
the assembling of the National Democratic
Convention at St. Louis. For at least week
preyious the heads of the various delegations
arrived, followed later by numerous Demo
cratic clubs and organizations. Maryland 5
Headquarters were considered to be the most
REALISTICALLY decorated, and hospitality was
dispensed with lavish hand. ltzels Band
gave several open-air concerts, which were
enioyed by the vast throngs that assembled
around the hotel.
The convention met in Exposition Hall,
which has seating capacity of $4,000. AT
8 o'clock the doors leading to the galleries
were thrown open, and in short time all the
available space was filled.
CALLED TO ORDER.
About 1885 p. M, ex-senator Barnum,
Chairman of the National Executive Com
mittee, arose and said 1.-THE convention
will piease come to order. Bishop j. Z.
CRANBERRY, of ST. Louis, will open the pro-
ceedings with prayer
At the conclusion of the prayer Mr.. Barnum
arose and said "Gentlemen of the conven,
ton: By the unanimous vote of the national
committee the chair has been directed to
present to this convention as the list of tenn
porary officers the following, which the secre-
tary will read" Mr.. Prince then read the
list, as follows: Stephen M. White, OF Cali
| fornia, for chairman. [Applause.l Tempo
rary Secretary, Frederick o. Prince, OF Mas; !;
sachusetts. Assistant Secretaries, Alfred
Orendorf. of Illinois; W. l.. Scott, of Virginia.
T. E. Barrett, of St. Louis; Leopold Strauss,
of Alabama; o. NJ. Hall, of Minnesota; John
Triplctt, of Georgia; l.. Z. Rowley, of Mich
| ipan; Oliver Newell, of Coloradoi ]. D..
! Tynele, of Missouri; 7. l.. Merrill, of Ne
brasSa. Reading Secretary, Hon. Thomas
Petit, House of Representatives. Assistant
Reading Clerks, Michael I. Barrett, Of New
Jersey; I. o. Walker, of Iowa; r. Fl. Henry,
of Mississippi; John W. Kern, of Indiana; j..
P. Carr, of Missouri; Z. D. Sawyer, of Ohio;
VIM. P. Bentley, of Missouri. Official stem
ographer, Edward B. Dickinson, of New York.
Sergeant -at-A Arms, Richard }. Bright. Chiet
Doorkeeper, Daniel Able, of St. Louis,
The convention unanimously ly adopted the
list as read by Mr.. Prince, after which the
chairman said: 81 will appoint the Hon.
Arthur P. German, of Maryland; the Hon.
Calvin S. Bryce, of Ohio, and Hon. Frank
| W. Dawson, of South Carolina, a committee
TO wait upon Mr.. White and escort him to the
chair" [Applapse. The committee es-
corted Mr.. White amid greet enthusiasm to
the chair, and Mr.. Barnum then introduced
him to the convention in the following words
"Gentlemen of the convention: have the
pleasure and honor to presentto this conven'
ton the Hon. Stephen M. White, OF Cali
fornia.'
SPEECH OF THE TEMPORARY CHAIRMAN.
Mr.. White said "Gentlemen of the Con-
vention-Profoundly grateful for the dlstlnc-
4 ton Just conferred upon me, am nevertheless
conscious that / have been chosen for this
position because of your appreciation OF the
important section of our common country
from which / come. can assure you that
those whom | in part represent will regard
with satisfaction the recognition which they
have Just received, not because of any I'M
common ability or influence Of mine, but fol-
the reason that this is the only occasion iH
the history of our national cOnEenti0ps IN
which the Pacific slope has been accorded
such an honor. California was acquired under
Democratic rule. 1t became commonwealth
under Democratic auspices. 1t is, therefore,
fitting that the bestowal of this favor should
emanate from the organization whose patriot
ism and courage gave her to the American
/ Union, and that party should be the first to
press forward with parental fondness the
| children of those WHO knocked and did not
knock in vain for adrlissioH 70 the privileges
of statehood. | congratulate you not merely
as Democrats, but as American citizens, on
the encouraging circumstances which attend
the Inauguration of our proceedings, For the
first time for period covering more than Q
quarter of century the Democratic national
convention is held while the affairs of gov
ernment are conducted by Democratic
administration. Up to the late Presidential
election the Republican party declared that
Democratic success naaRt pauonai rum, and
that whatever might be said of the crimes and
transactions ofthOse then in authority, yet to nc
other keeping could the welfare of the United
States be safely con6ded. This doctrine was
repudiated at the polls, and the experience
| of almost four years has demonstrated that
those assertions and charges were unwar'
ranted, and that the people were right In de-
manding and compelling radical change.
The platform of principles adopted at our last
national convention prescribed with accuracy
the rules of conduct which should coDtro
governmental action.
"Grover Cleveland was selected by thai
convention as man whose frmness, ability
integrity and statesmanlike qualities pre-
eminently fitted him to undertake the task Of
carving out the great reforms thus suggested
by the organization to whose tenets he had
ever been ready to yield compliance. Nc
public servant ever responded to the call o
duty more fully or in better faith than oul
honored President. transformations in the
discharge of his trust, he has never failed tc
: apply to affairs of state those sound business
maxims, the observance of which is ever
more necessary IN public than in private
station.
'For years it had been generally conceded
that it was necessary TO reform the tariff
The existing law on the subject had beer
called into being during excitement and be
cause of the exigencies OF war. The Repub
lican party, while not denying the necessity
for reform, has ever failed to suggest any
remedy and hes universally thwarted tht
efforts of the Democracy TO afford the needet
relief. The present Administration has real
lied the promises made by the Democratic
convention of 1884. 1t has sought to reduce
taxation and tighten the burdens of the people
and TO reduce the revenue so as to preven
undue accumulation ip the treasury, and ha:
at the same time taken the requisite steps tt
foster and protect domestic indastFles. j
has discouraged the Capitalization Of wealth
and has enabled, so far as circumstances
would permit, those in the less favored walks
of life to enjoy the benefits of their exertions
In other words, the Democratic administration
has set its utmost endeavors tc carry out the
platform on which our great reform VICTORY
was achieved. If the tariff has not been mod
flied, it is because of Republican obstruction
The existence OF an epOrlnouS surplus III tHt
treasury threatens the industries OF the coun
try, is a constant source of injury to tbf
consumer and men of moderate means, who
find it difficult to obtain monetary assistance
because of the withdrawal Of large portion
of the circulating medium. This unfortu
nate situation is directly attributable to the
policy of the Republican party, whose ain
has ever been TO encourage and enrich mo-
nopolies and to ignore the interests of the
masses.
"During Republican domiuancy many mil
lions of acres of the pnblic domain passed
into the hands of corporate and foreign syn.
dicates formed for the creation of individual
fortunes The obligation imposed as condi
tions precedent to the investure of title were
persistently violated by the bene6ciaries, ant
those violations passed unheeded until the
Democratic administration, in conformity
with the doctrines of the party, declared d
forfeiture, thus rendering to those seeking
homes in good faith more than forty millions
of acres which had been withheld by the Re
publican party for the benefit of selfish few
In conformity with the views of the President
statute has been enacted preventing the
acquisition of lands by those not citizens Of
the United States and restricting the power Of
corporations to obtain title to realty in the
Territories Ifpreceding Republican admin
4 I4l-. n,,.,