Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1892-06-22
INCIDENTS OF THE SESSION.
Heralded by an Electric Storm-Points
of Owens Speech.

of Owens Speech.
The foregoing gives briefly what the
convention did at its first session. 1t
isn't very interesting reading, but that is
no sign that nothing of interest to any one
not politician took place during the
session. There was less of interest, how
ever, yesterday than on Tuesday June Z.
for the reason that the result did not eeem
so certain at Minneapolis--to outsiders
as it does here. 1t seemed yesterday
morning that everybody had settled down
to the conviction that it was Cleveland,
and that there wasn't any fight on worth
taking hand in. This made the crowd
Ia the wigwam less demonstrative than
they would otherwise have been.
The Rain Descended.
Just before the convention was called to
order storm came up which, while it
lasted, was as severe as to rain, thunder,
and lightning as any of the numerous
meteorological disturbances of this very
stormy season have been. 1t was over in a
few minutes, however While it was GO
ing on some of the people in the gallery
got vet, and "A leak in the roof made its
presence known right over the Tammany
seats, causing the delegates to put up
umbrellas. The discomfort was of brief
duration, for the storm soon passed away,
and the sun was shining brightly when
Owens took his place and grasped the
gavel.
A Look Over the Scene.
Just at this time the scene WAS one to re-
member. There We're about 1900 per.
sons in the hall Right before and all
around the temporary chairman sat the
TGDreSpnfl NJ a-tr he
men who lead its battles rejoice in its vic
tories and mourn over its defeats There
they spread in front of him veritably
a sea of faces which for the moment was
bewildering in its vastness. The desk he
stood at had its history, for it was the one
used in the convention of 1854, at which
Cleveland and Hendricks were nominated
ihe sea of faces rose, wave on wave, almost
10 the roof in front of him and behind him.
1t was truly an audience to inspire mod
ern Demosthenes.
Encloses Lot of Space.
What does the Wigwam look like inside.
Well, like circus tent three times as big
as any you ever saw. The effect of the
decorations was lost in the immensity of
space and the depressing obscurity of the
Opaque atmosphere. The thousands of
yards of bunting and the collection of
papier mache spread-eagles, portraits of
dead heroes, and emblazoned allegories of
Fame and Victory were barely discernible,
and their effect was lost in the cavernous
depths of almost limitless space. The
people seated on the farthest seats can see
but not hear, and they need good glass
to see satisfactorily. Features on the
stage are not discernible from the gallery
with sufficient clearness to be recognized
L V.y D.. l. L,,sr
ing, and thoughtful people looking at it
ask: "Where is this thing going to stopt"
Down with the Tariff"
So this was the scene before Tempo
rary Oh airman Owens as he rose to make
his opening speech. It's keynote was an
intense opposition to the Mckinley bill.
In order that this measure should be
swept from the statute book unity and
harmony were the prime necessities in the
Dem ocratic party. He wanted a cam
paign Of education carried ON in the east,
which he thought needed it now more
than the west The Fifty-frst congress,
he said, wrote the blackest page in our
legislative history and the elections i'm
mediately thereafter condemned it with q
unaminity that finds no parallel in history.
He revived the charge that President Har-
rison had for political advantage misreps
resented to the country the status of the
Chilian imbroglio, and closed with re-
mark about how the Marshal Ney Of the
Republicans went down at Minneapolis 8
before the bread AMI butter brigade.
As THE DELEGATES ENTERED.
Lack Of Recognition of Prominent Men
Too Hot to Cheer.
At the first, when the people began to
take their seats in the Wigwam. 1t was
gratefully cool, but as the building filled
up the heat increased, and the closing of
the canvas covers over the "clere story
an open space all round the roof for light
and air-during the rain storm made it
still hotter. 1t also made the hall so dark
that little could be seen, and during the
TINE the daleg"tions We're entering no