The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1892-06-23

pressiye, to say the least, in building
crowded far beyond its capacity for
ventilation.
New York's entrance was greeted with
cheers, anticipatory of coming scrim-
mage. Horace Boies bands came ac-
companied by the Iowa delegation, its
followers all waving their hats, and all
the Tammany men joining in with
shouts and cheers. All the other anti
Cleveland men joining in, thus seeming
to indicate that the purpose was to COM
bine on a successful Iowa governor
Chairman Wilson took his seat at 5:15,
but simply for the purpose Of enabling
Secretary Bell to announce kilograms
for delegates. Two minutes later Chair
man Wilson took his seat and tapped to
order Order was slow in coming, and
so was business. 1t was fully twenty
minutes before the convention was
called upon to listen to anything else
except the band.
An innovation in the usual course of
proceedings was made by the chairman
calling upon another reverend gentle
man for second prayer in the same
days proceedings. The gentleman Sc
lected for this service was Rev. Thomas
Il. Green, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The
reverend gentleman spoke with pene-
tration that should be the envy of the
orators who have addressed the conven-
tion. He prayed that they might choose
''of clean hands, pure heart, one who is
above all selfish ambition; one whose
aim will be his county and his God"
Then the band played, and the dele
gates sat perspiring, tanning themselves
and waiting for the platform. In the
midst of the turmoil and confusion u
delegate moved to adjourn to II o'clock
today. There were cries of "No," and
when the question was put and IA decisive
negative vote shown cheers went up
from the New York delegates, who rose
to their feet and cheered, waiving their
fans. A Kansas delegate got the floor to
present u resolution. Mr.. Powers, of
Michigan was standing on chair sup
ported by Don M. Dickinson, demanding
recognition. He got it in Il minute and
announced that the committee ON re-
solutions would be ready to report in
fifteen minutes. This was at 9 o'clock.
This was greeted with applause and the
band playhd "When Johnnie comes
marching home"
The first mention of Cleveland's name
in the convention was when Mr.. Villas,
in the first paragraph of the platform,
read ''from Madison to Cleveland" I'm
mediately there was u scene of widest
enthusiasm. In the midst of the excite
ment Michigan delegate rushed
through the hall holding the banner of
his state, with a portrait cf Cleveland
pinned across its face. 1t was passed
from delegates to delegate, and twenty
minutes passed before it was possible to
restore order.
Finally, at 6:32, the chair announced
that the committee Oh resolutions was
ready to report, and Mr.. Jones, chair
man of the committee, took the platform
to announce that he had invited Mr..
Villas, of Wisconsin, to read the plat
form, and the latter began to do so in
his most impressive style.
Mr.. Jones Mt the close of the reading
said: "On behalf of the committee on res.
olutions move the adoption of the plat
form as read"
This was met by cries of "No." Mr..
Neal, of Ohio, took the stand and said:
"As representative from the state of
Ohio, appointed on the committee on
resolutions, gave notice of my inten-
tion to present to this convention an
amendment to the section of the plat
form relative to the tariff have been
unable conscientiously to agree with the
majority of my fellow members upon
that section of this platform. l there
fore gave notice to the committee that
would move in open convention to strike
out all that section of the platform
after the words denouncing the McKin-
ley act aud to substitute the following:
"'We dcnounce Republican protec-
ton as fraud, a robbery of the great
majority of the American people for the
benefit of the few. We declare it to be
q fundamental principle of the Demo-
cratic party that the federal government
has no constitutional power to enforce
and collect tariff duties except for the
purpose of revenue only, and only de-
mand that the collection of such taxes
shall be lightened to the necessities of
the government and honestly and
economically administered
Mr.. Neal made brief and masterly
argument in support of his proposition.
His remarks were constantly interrupted
by applause. When he closed there
were cries for Watterson from the gal
leries and much confusion. Mr.. Wat
terson was finally escorted to the plat
form, where his appearance called forth
great applause. In his hand Mr. Wat
terson held book. AS he was about to
speak, a delegate was coming up the
aisle, and shaking hands with Mr. New.
Mr.. Watterson handed the book to the
secretary and said that he desired before
he spoke to have read an extract from
the Democratic platform of 1876. The
clerk read. Mr.. Watterson at the close
Of the reading inpressiyely said: "This
declaration of principles comes to us
with the impress of the wisdom and the
benedlction of that saint of Democracy,
Samuel j. Tilden."
The mention of the name was greeted
with loud cheers. Mr.. Watterson, con-
tinuing, referred to his past labors in
the cause of tariff reform and said when
he had seen that principle embodied in
message of great Democratic presi-
dent and embodied in the ST. Louis
platform he said: "Now my labors are
over; my fight is ended. The victory is
won and | cansgosto sleep. shall never
again be needed in Democratic plat
form committee, and can entrust to
younger and less experienced hands this
work OF my life. But when | liste ened
TO the extraordinary essay we have
heard from this desk | asked myself
whether we are indeed in a Democratic
convention or simply a Republican con-
vention, revised by james Ct. Blaine or
Benjamin Butler, for the tariff plank
we have listened to this evening is al
most identical in principle with the
minority report submitted to the DEM
ocratic convention in 1884 by Benjamin
F. Butler and voted down almost unani-
hously.
Mr.. Watterson further said he had no
dissertation to offer, but simply a state
ment of facts. Eth the convention
should reject this monstrosity and adopt
the simple, lucid and true amendment
offered, or, if it wanted to take time,
recomnit the whole matter. There was
great confusion in the galleries and cries
of Mills and Kissing, and the chairman
had to rap sharply TO order.
Mr.. Villas got the floor, and said that
he presumed that there WAS no one who
knew his record who did not know that
he had reiterated for many years every
statement iu the substitute offered. But
this resolution which it was proposed to
strike out WIS resolution reported to
the convention of 1884, over which he
presided, and it was presented by Will
lam r. Morrison, of Illinois, and no