The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1888-06-13
Democratic National Convention.

The convention assembled in the exhibit
| ton building in St, Louis on Tuesday, June
., and was called to order by Chairman
Barnum Of the national committee. He
made no speech There were some 10000
! people in the building. The banners of
many of the state delegations were deco
! rated with the Thurman bandana."
! Lieutenant-governo White of California
| was appointed temporary chairman and
made speech reviewing the recent demo-
cratic record and predicting that the demo-
Gratis would be victorious on the Pacific
coast He had not heard from Oregon
when he made that prediction. After an
nouncing the various committees, the con-
vention adjourned until Wednesday. The
| Vermont delegation was organized as fol-
lows: Chairman w III. II. Bingham; sec
rotary, George w. Smith; resolutions,
John H. Senter; credentials, Alexander
Cochran; organization, j. ID. Hanrahan;
committeeman, Hiram Atkins.
After the adjournment the mass Of dele
gates engaged in cauCusing on the vice
presidential candidate and Governor Gray's
friends made vain effort to check the
growing Thurman boom. The committee
on platform met and elected Henry Waiter
son of Kentucky chairman. About an hour
was occupied in receiving resolutions.
O'BrieD Of st. Paul wanted the pending ex-
tradition with Great Britain revised. Clarke
| of Texas wanted plank clearly indicating
the opposition of the party to prohibition
legislation. Hurst of Nevada wanted a
| resolution favoring the unlimited coinage
of silver. Dymond of Louisiana wanted
one favoring a total or partial reduction Of
! internal revenue taxation. Turpe of In
diana presented resolution favOring an
amendment to the civil service laws so that
worthy and qualified applicants from the
| victorious party would he selected for office.
| The subcommittee on platform was in ses-
sion good part of the night. No agree
ment on the tariff plank was reached up to
nine A. NJ. Wednesday. Albeit of New
Jersey, Turpie of Indiana, Watterson of
Kentucky, Yaple of Michigan Hellman of
Oregon Sims of Mississippi and Patterson
of Colorado were the members of the sub
committee that demanded an Endorsement of
the presidents message and a declaration
of tariff reform as tenet of the party, while
Burr of Connecticut, Cooper of New York
| German of Maryland and Dymond of Louis
lana had the protection interests in hand.
On reassembling the convention trans
acted some routine business Mallory of
Florida offered a resolution, which was re-
ferred endorsing the presidents tariff mes
sage. Hon. p A. Collins of Massachusetts
was elected permanent chairman and made
a speech Mrs. Merrwether of St. Louis,
who took prominent part in the prohibi-
ton convention, attempted to speak, but
the confusion was so great she could not be
heard, and she retired from the platform
with much disappointment and chagrn.
The nomination of a candidate for president
being in order, Mr.. Cleveland was put in
! nomination ny Idnlel lJOu6neTIy OF New
York in an eloquent speech. His reference
to the next president of the United States
carried the convention away. The applause
continued for several minutes and when
Dougherty concluded the cheering began
and increased in force. Horns, bells,
drums, etc, were provided with admirable
industry. The standards of the Southern
States were entwined with those of New
York, and the excitement was intense. All
the standards were saluted, the New
Nap1r1 A.l Hoe H. Il,
element and they in turn were received
with cheers. A large-sized portrait of the
president dropped in view, filling the center
of the space in the large painting of the
United States capitol which hung in the
rear of the speakers desk. Cleveland's
nomination was seconded by Mckenzie of
Kentucky, Twiggs of Georgia, Morrison of
Illinois and others, and the nomination was
carried by acclamation. The convention
then adjourned until Thursday.
The committee platform again met,
and the subcommittee reported its inability
to agree, the point at issue being the ques-
ton of reafiirming the tariff plank in the
1854 platform and the general Endorsement
Of the policy of reduction as indicated in the
presidents message. Watterson opposed
any allusion TO the 1884 platform, which he
deemed equivocal and indirect. German
favored reatfirming the tariff plank of 1884
on the ground of political eXpediency. By
a vote of twenty-five to nineteen the COM
mttee agreed to Germans proposition to
indorse and reiterate the tariff platform OF
1884. So the advocates of the " straddle
platform prevailed
The third day of the convention opened
with the most torria temperature of the
week. A good many of the delegates took
off their coats and vests and piled their
fans vigorously. The first business was the
presentation of the platform. in substance
as follows: THE democratic party OF the
United States, in national convention as
sembled, renews the pledge of its fidelity TO
the democratic faith, reaffrms the plat
form adopted by its representatives in the
convention of 1884 and indOrSeS the UtelCS
J expressed by President Clereland in his last
annual message to congress as the correct in
depreciation of that platform upon the question
Of tdrit reduction. We also indorse the eff
forts of our democratic representatives in
congress TO secure reduction OF excessive
! taxation" Then follows a review of Cleve-
, lands administration and glorfication of
! the record made by the party, which in
cudes this bald falsehood: Honest re-
form in civil service has been inaugurated
and maintained by President Cleveland, and
, he has brought the public service TO the
, highest standard of efficiency, not only by
rule and precept, but by example of his
own untiring and unselfsh administration
of public affairs. " The platform then con-
tinues "The democratic party will con-
tinue with all the power Conded to it, to
struggle to reform these laws in accordance
with the pledges of its last platform, in
: dorsed at the ballot-boX by the suffrages of
the people. All the industrious freemen Of
our land, an immense majority including
every tiller of the soil, can gain no advan-
tage from the excessive tax laws, but the
price of nearly everything they buy is
increased by the favortism of an unequal
system of tax legislation All unnecessary
taxation is unjust taxation. 1t is repug-
nant to the creed of democracy that by such
1, taxation the cost of the necessarieS of life
should be unjustly increased TO all our peo-
pie. Judged by democratic principles, the
, interests of the people are betrayed when,
by unnecessary taxation, trusts and COM
: bines are permitted to exist, which will UNI
duly enrich the few that combine to rob our
citizens by depriving them of the benefit Of
natural competition. Every democratic
rule of governmental action is violated
? when, through unnecessary taxation, vast
sum of money beyond the needs of an
economical administration is drawn from
the people and the channel of trade and ac-
cumulai ed as demoralizing surplus in the
national treasury. The money now lying
idle in the federal treasury resulting from
supertluous taxation amounts to more than