The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-09-04
KEYSTONE DEMOCRATS.
SESSION OF THE STATE CONVBN-
TION AT HARRISBURG.

Chairman BANDS Allusion to Ex-
President Cleveland--The Platform
on State Issues Adopted Unsni-
mously-Robert Z. Wright of Allen
town Nominated for Auditor GEN
eral-H. 6. Tilden of Erie for Treas
urer.
HARRISBURG, PA, Sept 8. Promptly
at 1890 o'clock to-day Chairman Kerr of
the state committee called the democratic
state convention to order. At that hour
the Harrisburg opera house was filed with
a representative gathering of dem ocrats of
this state.
Chairman Kerr announced the following
as secretaries of the convention: Benjamin
M. Mead, J. F. Snyder, J. P. J. Sensen-
derter, George H. Hoffman, c. B. Keifer,
f. f. Bible, and ]. ID. Sell.
BASIS OF REPRESENTATION.
The representation in the convention
consists of 461 delegates. made up of one
representative for every 1000 votes, or a
fraction of l 900, cast for Gov. Pattison at
the last election.
Calling the role and the making of sub
stitutions consumed forty minutes. Nearly
all the delegates answered to their names.
Nominations for temporary chairman
were then in order. Herman Kretz of
Berks county nominated II. Willis Bland of
Reading Tor that position. and he was unRn-
imocsly chosen. Mr.. Bland was conducted
to the chair amid applause.
CHAIRMAN BLAND's SPEECH.
In his speech he expressed bis conscious
ness that the compliment paid by his Sc
lection as temporary chairman was paid
not TO himself, but to the $4,000 democratic
majority of old Berks county. Never in
the history of the party has
spicious or promising conditions never.
as now, was the public heart and mind SO
deeply wrought upon; never before did the
public so deeply feel the necessity for
change in the administration OF public
AFFAIRS never before was the feeling SO
strong that the ticket put in nomination to-
day would be SO whelmingly elected.
The campaign will be fought on local issues,
not on national ones. Nobody doubts that
the people Of Pennsylvania love the teach
ings of
THEIR OWN PRoPHET-GROvER CLEVELAND
Tremendous applause.l His defeat in the
last campaign has been more glorious
to him than any victory would
have been, for no thinking man can
help feeling that the lessons taught in the
democratic victories all over the country
since his defeat are tributes to the popular
ity of Grover Cleveland and the principle
he SO noblY represents Applause But
we are not going into national issues. 1t is
our duty TO the people that we turn out the
republican vampires who are now prostitut-
ing the public offices all over the state; it is
q shameful thing that the state treasurer,
auditor general, mercantile appraisers and
the great newspapers of Philadelphia should
join in conspiracy to plumber the treasury.
Applause The noble principle of Grover
Cleveland, that "public Office is public
trust" have been ignored, and they have
criminally made public Office the means of
private profit to the scandal of the good
people of tho state. The offices must be
wrenched from the grasp Of the spoilsmen
Of the republican party, who have for the
last twenty-five years held them through
prostitution and abuses.
PRAISE FOR PATTIsoN.
There has been but one democratic
| governor in this state in the last thirty
years. 1t is no disparagement to the emil
nent men who have filed the Office to say
that democrats stand peerless among them
| all. [Great applause.l In Robert E. Patti
son we have fitting representative of
those beautiful, those noble, those eternal
ideas of true political faith, enunciated by
the great Thomas jefferson. Applause and
cheers !
The convention at 10 o'clock took recess
until l 80 in the afternoon.
At the afternoon session George W. Skin
ner of Fulton county was made permanent
chairman. In his speech on taking the
chair Mr.. Skinner said the issues of this
campaign must be state Issues, pure and
simple, and uone others.
The platform was then presented and
adopted unanimously, each plank being
cheered as it was read.
NOMINATION OF CANDIDATES.
Nominations were then in order Robert
E. Wright of Allentown was nominated for
auditor general on the first ballot A l..
Tilden Of Erie received the nomination for
state treasurer on the first ballot
Delegates-av-larg to the constitutional
convention were then chosen.
A resolution sympathizng with Hon.
William l.. SCOTT, who is very Ill., was
adopted, aud the work of the convention
was ended. Some time, however, was de-
voted to hearing speeches from Nominees
Wright and Tilden.
THE CANDIDATES.
Mr.. Wright is a leading lawyer OF Allen
town, and is secretary of the Pennsylvania
worlds fair commission.
Mr.. Tilden has been a lumber dealer and
Is now farmer, aQQ IS regarded as the
representative of the Granger element of
the state. Heis at present deputy secretary
of the commonwealth.
THE PLATFORM.
Tho platform first re-aflrms devotion to
the national platform of 1884 and 1883 and
says:
We are, as we have always been, 10 favor of
an honest and economical administration of
public affairs; of limiting the expenses and re-
ducing taxation to meet the actual necess tiles
of the government, of a sound and stable cur
rency based on gold and silver, coined and cir
culated in such proportions as will keep them
parity of reform and revision of the tariff !;
of liberal but just pension laws, and Of all well
considered le lslation tending to increase the
rewards and tighten the burdens of labor.
We realize and affirm that the state election
of 1891 in Pennsylvania involves no issue of fed
eral politics; we appeal to honest and patriotic
citizens, regardless of past party affiliations to
unite in indicating the honor of the common
wealth. and redeeming the fiscal and auditing
departments of its government from official
abuses and corrupt pr actices.
Planks three to fifteen, inclusive, are de-
voted to the arraignment of the republican
administration of the state and city of
Philadelphia, because of John Bardsley's
transactions, and plank sixteen pledges re-
form in the administration, ead the punish
ment Of corruption. Plank seventeen is as
follows:
We denounce the corrupt and shameless
domination of Senator Matthew 8. Quay in the
politics OF the state, and arraign ana condemn
the Republican party for its servile acquiescence
in the leadership or man who has utterly
FaiIad 70 dafand hfmEalf from the yrava oh rs-au