St. Paul daily globe., 1892-07-01

stars shone
tonight on a united and to all appear
ances harmonious national Prohibit
tion party. but all the lat
ter part of the afternoon it
looked as though the party might split
IN twain. The platform was the cleaver
which had descended OH the party and
the conservative element found it hard
foreman in convention that indorsed
the most radical economic ideas of free
trade. large issues of currency and gov
ernment control of corporations, and
when declaration that prohibition was
the
Sole Test of Party Fealty
was defeated they felt that nothing re-
manned for them but reluctant and
sorrowful departure from the party.
Some of the leaders recognized the
danger ahead, aud after noisy, turbu-.
lent storm, in which all rules were
swept overheard, they succeeded in
ending the Prohibition ship to haven
OF peace by the reconsideration of the
action on the prohibition fealty resolu-
ton and its adoption as part of the
platform.
Dramatic scenes attended the storm,
and its climax was an inquisition of
William L. Wardwelf, the treasurer of
the Standard Oil company, and one of
the chief men in the Prohibition party,
by Mrs. Helen M. Cougar, member of
the party's national executive commit
tee.
The platform which caused this
trouble is broad. radical document.
The absence of a free and unlimited
coinage plank is noteworthy, however,
for the convention refused 10 accept
this plank of the majority of the reso-
lntions committee, and struck it from
the platform without replacing 1t with
any declaration Oh the silver Ques-
tiun.
The Sinevs of War.
DR.. j. q. Evans, of Abingdon, H.. at
the morning session presented a plea
for contributions to enable the national
committee to prosecute its,work. They
needed money, not for ''blocks of five,''
but to keep up the contest against the
liquor traffic. The liquor interest gave
money freely to the old parties, and
Prohibitionists ought to be as ready to
make sacrifice for principles as their
opponents were for money-getting. DR..
Evans succeeded in raising $4,000 in
two hours.
The reading of the report of the plat
form committee was the first thing in
order at the afternoon session, and the
convention promptly decided to limit
speeches upon it to five minutes each.
A minority report was signed by
twelve members, headed by James
Black, of Pennsylvania. The two re-
ports were read, and the convention was
in good deal of confusion over the
method OF proceeding with its consider
alton, but. finally, OH motion of ex-Gov.
st. john. the majority report was taken
up section by section. There was no
serious trouble until the financial and
silver planks were reached.
st. John for Silver.
There was warm discussion of the
merits of the silver question, ST. John
and Hipp, of Colorado, championlng
free coinage, and Carskadon, OF West
Virginia, opposing it. st. John OBJ
jected to the resolutions of Hartz and
of the minority as indefinite and so
bound up with conditions as to ba
meaningless.
''For Gods sake. he exclaimed, don't
let's do anything that will need a COM
mittee on Interpretation to explain it.
Free coinage of American silver would
not furnish the needed relief because
the production is insufficient. We have
70-cent silver dollar now, because in
1878 congress adopted the most damnable
robbery that was ever perpetrated.
Under Republican and Democratic rule
that system had been continued to the
present time, and if we have 7O-cent
dollar it is a Democratic and Repub-
lican 70-cent dollar. The opposition to
this free silver demand of the laboring
and farming interests finds its main
spring in Wall street,
There was babel of unnecessary noise
before vote could be had, but finally
the minority report was defeated on
rising vote. The majority plank, num-
Der three. relating to finance, was then
adopted without division.
Free Coinage Shelved.
The fight then came up on the fourth
plank declaring in favor of free coinage
of both metals. A vote was promptly
taken by the states, and free coinage
got a bad Knockout. The plank was
rejected by vote of 335 to 500. The
result of this action Is that the third
plank of the platform. enunciating the
financial policy of the Prohibition party,
remains in the platform, but there is no
plank in the platform on the silver
question.
The tariff fight promptly followed, ,and
it took few minutes only to defeat the
minority plank by large vote and to
adopt the majority plank. The reading
of the public school plank was greeted
with the l0udest applause of the ses-
sion. and an Illinois delegate. Gin be-
half of Illinois, where we are making
sthe fight for the little red school house."
moved its adoption. Its passage was
greeted with three vociferous cheers.
Anti-Fusionists Aroused.
The consideration of all the planks of
= init