The Portland daily press., 1892-06-22
YOUNG MIR. OWENS'S RATHER
TAME ORATORY.
The Convention Organized With Lit
tie Show Of Enthusiasm,
BUT THEY BROKE INTO CHEERS
FOR JAMES G.. BLAINE.

That Was When Resolution of Sylmpa-
thy Was Offered, and the Scene Was a
Portland Spoke in Reply in Behalf of
the Maine Men.
CHICAGO, ILL.,, June 21.-The Demo
cratic convention was formally opened
today. An unexpected burst of sun
shine just before the opening lit up the
convention building and raised the al
ready super-heated temperature a few
notches higher. The first cheers, rather
feeble than otherwise, were drawn by the
entrance of Boies club at 11.50.
The New York delegation, headed by
Governor Flower, Bourke Cochran Mr.
Murphy and George Baines, came in di-
rectly afterward, and were received with
a Tammany yell. AS much as $40 seat
was asked for front seats in the gallery,
and they filled up very slowly at these
rates. There was hardly man in the
galleries who had not his coat off, and
some of them had Invested themselves
of collars and vests also. A flutter of
fans gave tremulous motion to the air.
Pennsylvania entered later, with ban
ner so much larger than any other of the
states that cries of ''Pull it down."
and s'Take reef in it'' were raised.
Directly afterwards a rain and thunder
storm arose, rendering necessary the
lowering OF the canvas around the air
and light spaces under the roof. The al
most cimmerian darkness thus produced
made the Chicago convention at midday
as gloomy for the time being as the Min
neapolis gathering was at midnight when
the electric lights were shut off. Occa-
sional
Bright Flashes of Lightning
lit up the hall. 1t was welcome relief,
and was hailed with cheers when the
band in the gallery back of the chairman
at 1915, struck up lively air. This
was not of long duration. In ten min
utes the hall began to brighten, and five
minutes later the sun was out again. At
IG.fE, SAull lAeNh l)ltSOis Od1lO W Cllc lIOuU
and standing with gavel in hand said !:
''The convention will come to order, |
have the pleasure of introducing the
Rev. John Rouse, who will open the pro-
ceedings with prayer"
The Rev. John Rouse is smooth
face, long-haired man, dressed in the ca
nonicals of the Episcopal church. He
looked over the assemblage for mo-
ment, and spreading his hands, he said:
''Order.' Then, folding his hands, he
began his prayer. Not fifty of the dele
gates stood during the prayer. At it's
conclusion, the temporary organization
was announced as follows;
Temporary Chairman-Hon. W. G. Owens of
Kentucky.
Secretary-S. P. Sheerin of Indiana.
Assistant Secretaries-W. III. Doyle of Penn
sylvania, Fl. Shepard of Virgin a, c. Tilley of
Missouri, L. A. Rowley of Michigan r. E. Will
son of Mississippi, g. Defreest of New York, j.
G. Swayen of Illinois.
Principal Reading Clerk-Hon Nicholas M.
Bell.
ergeant-at-Arms-Ho Richard J. Bright of
Official tenographer-Edward Dickinson of
New York.
The list was adopted without opposi-
tion, and the Chair appointed the follow
ing committee to escort the temporary
chairman to the platform: A. f. Steven
son of Illinois, G. W. Jewett of Indiana,
and Thomas Wilson of Minnesota Mr..
Owen arose and walked up the aisle with
the committee. Mr.. Brice retired, leav-
ing the space in front of the chairman's
desk to Mr.. Owen. The chairman said:
Mr. OWENS Speech.
1.-TWO great dangers menace the Demo-
cratic party. One is external, the other
internal. The first is the organized ma
chinery of organized capital, supported
by the whole power of the government.
The second is tendency among Demo-
Gratis to make issues among themselves.
Two needs therefore stand before us in
dispensable to success, unity and har-
mony. Of the one this chair and gavel
stand representative; it remains for you
to supply the other. In this spirit greet
you, fellow Democrats, as the advance
guard of a grand army, sent forward to
blaze a pathway to victory. How mo-
mentous is your responsibility, need not
tell you. If your work be done in wis
dom the millions toiling in mine and shop
| and field will rise and call you blessed.
The roll call of the republic attests that
| it's heart and conscience are with us in
our war with the representatives of
greed. The best thought of our party is
a platform that challenges the approba-
ton and invites the support of the people.
We can succeed; we must do more; we
deserve success above the wreck, if need
be, of selfish combinations. We must
rear a temple to the plain people and
build shrine SO broad that every lover
! of his kind may kneel. The burden must
be lifted from the back of labor. 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