Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-06-22
OPENED IN ASTORM.
The Tears of Heaven Drip
Through the Wigwam
Upon Democrats
BEFORE THE GAVEL FALLS.
A Generous Assembly Greets the
Name of ]. G. Blaine With
CHEERS OF SINCERE SYMPATHY.
The Programme of Temporary Organization
Is Carried Out
A SQUABBLE OVER THE EMPTY SEATS
BEFORE THE GAVEL FALLS.
CHEERS OF SINCERE SYMPATHY.
The Programme of Temporary Organization
Is Carried Out.
A sQUABBLE OVER THE EMPTY SEATS

CHICAGO, June 2L-When IL o'clock,
the hour set for the opening Of the conven
tion arrived, not more than half the dele
gates were in their seats, while the empty
chairs in the gallery far outnumbered those
that were occupied. The air in the hall was
extremely hot and moist, and the most
prominent features of the scene were waving
fans and damp, mopping handkerchiefs.
Now and then, in the few succeeding
minutes, delegation entered in body and
was received with cheers, whereas the
members of other delegations simply
struggled in and dropped into their chairs.
At 11:5O o'clock the first shout went up
A blue satin banner, the ensign OF the
Horace Boies Club, of Davenport, La, was
borne forward to the convention floor, and
behind it came the rugged men who will sit
in the convention and vote for their Cover
nor to the last ditch.
Opened With n Tempest From the Sky.
About ten minutes after II, one of Chi
cago's characteristic thunder storms rolled
over the wigwam, and the hall was filled
with almost darkness, through which sharp.
quick flashes of lightning occasionally shot
and the building shook with several rounds
of rattling thunder. Umbrellas were raised
in all parts of the hall for protection from
various aggressive globules of water that
sneaked in through crevices in the roof
Among Others who thus shielded himself
from the fluid was Dick Croker, of New
York, who from under his spread umbrella
calmly surveyed the situation, so far as it was
visible in the gloom. After ten minutes of
uproar, the western edge of the storm
passed out over the lake. The sun then
revealed himself, and as the yellow light
streamed into the wigwam the crowd
greeted it with yell.
AT 12:40 P. NJ, Chairman Calvin S. Brice,
of the National Committee. raped his gavel
and the National Democratic Convention of
1892 was declared in order for business The
following were the words of the prayer by
Rev. John Rouce, pastor of Trinity Epis-
copal Church, which opened the conventions:
The First Prayer for the Unterrified.
Almighty God, Lord and Great Judge of
all earth, who hast created man in Thine i'm
age that he may do Thy will on earth as
Thy holy angels always do Thee service in
Heaven, vouchsafe to send Thy blessing
upon these, Thy servants, that they may be
guided bv Thy Holy Spirit to do such things
as are pleasing in thy SIGHT. Fill them with
wisdom and understanding. that truth and
justice may be promoted by their consult
alton, and piety and religion increased
throughout this land. Let all bitterness and
wrong, anger and evil-speak king, be put away
from them, with all malice, so that they
may discharge their duties to Thee, to each
other and to all men.
We adore and magnify Thy glorious
Majesty for all the blessings, many and
Thou SlOwered
Nation; and we beseech Thee to continue
Thy loving kindness, that 1t may flourish,
and true liberty abound. o, Thou who hear
est PRAYER, we are not worthy OF the least of
all Thy mercies: but hear Thou from heaven,
Thy dwelling place, and when Thou nearest,
Lord. forgive and sraciously hearken to
these our supplications, which we make in
the name and for the sake of Thy son, our
Saviour, Jesus Christ.
The prayer ended, Chairman Brice called
for the report of the Committee on tempo
rary organization. Hon. S. P. Sheerin, of
Indiana, Secretary of the National Com
mittee, read the list of officers recommended
for the temporary organization and it was
unanimously adopted without change, as
followsi
The Officers OF the Convention.
Chairman-Hon. William c. Owens, Ken
tucky.
Secretary-Hon. Simon P. Sheerin, Indiana.
Assistant Secretaries-Edward L. Merritt,
Illinois; William H. Doyle, Pennsylvania;
Tillery, Missouri: L. E. Rowley, Michigan;
Robert f. Wilson, Mississippi; Charles r.
DeFreest, New York; James Z. Strain, ITli-
nois.
Principal Reading clerk-Hon. Nicholas
Assistant Reading Clerks-Martin Nor
rison. Indiana; Cato Sells, Iowa; Bernard
Mirh II
Sergeant at Arms-Hon. Richard j. Bright,
Indiana
Official Stenographer-Edward B. Dickin-
son, New York.
General Adlai E Stevenson, of Illinois,
Hon. Charles L. Jewett, of Indiana, and
Hon. Thomas Wilson, of Minnesota, were
appointed as a committee to escort Tenn
porary Chairman to the platform. After a
greeting of applause Mr.. Owens spoke
thus:
Great dangers menace the Democratic
party. One is external, the other internal.
The first is the organized machinery of or
ganized capital, supported by the whole
power of the Governments; the second is the
tendency among Democrats to make issues
among themselves.
Two needs therefore, stand before us in
dispensable to success-unity and harmony.
OF the one. this chair and gavel stand rep
resentative; il remains for you to supply the
other. In this spirit 1 greet you, fellow
Democrats, as the advance guard of agrand
army sent forward to blaze pathway to
victory.
Must Succeed and Must Deserve Success.
need not tell you. Ifsyou work in wisdom,
the millions toiling in shop and mine and
field will rise and call you blessed. The roll
call Of theRepublic attests that its heart and
its conscience are with us in our war with
the representatives of greed. The best
thought of our party is a platform that
challenges the approbation of the people.
We can succeed. We must do more. We
must deserve success. Above the wreck, If
need be, of selfish combinations, We must
rear temple to the plain people, and build
a shrine SO broad that every lover of his
kind may kneel.
The burden must be lifted from the back
of toll, and to that end it has right to
demand that whoever bears our banner
must lift it above the smoke of conflict and
the din of faction, that every Democrat OF
the Union may follow its lead in exultant
and irresistible combat. Let US not mistake.
The gravity of the situation demands the
broadest patriotism and every needful
sacrifice. Our work but begins here. Under
the suns of summer and the frosts of
autumn, we must carry it forward with un-
faltering courage to triumphant close.
This again, must be q campaign OF educa-
tion. The study of the corn field, begun In
the West and South, must be carried into
every hamlet of the East and North. The
people must learn their true relation to the
tax -gatherer. They must learn that no rail
road president champions the tribunes of
the people; no taskmasters will write our
tariff bills.
The Chilean Trouble Referred To.
They must learn, too, that for personal
and political advantage their country was
menaced by the threat of war, and they will
learn with shame and regret that on the day
the warlike message OF the President was
read in the halls of Congress the peace re-
sponse of tho little eIgnt by ten Republic Of
Chile accepting the terms Of the Presidential
ultimarum, was read.in every capital OF the
world. Our opponents must be measured
The Fifty-first Congress, the blnckest page