Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1894-09-20
TOM JoHNsoN's MINORITY REPORT.
He Wants the United States senator
Elected by the Popular Vote.

He Wants the United States Senator
Elected by the Popular Vote.
When the applause had subsidized Hon.
Tom johnson submitted the following
minority report, signed by six members Of
the committee: I'VE favor the selection Of
United States senators By direc. vote OF
the people; and for the purpose OF prac-
t!cally etfecting that end We hereby direct
that the Democratic state central commit
t-=. in issuing the call for the state
convention for the nomination OF state
officers In the year ls95, Include therein
the announcement that candidate for
United States senator will he named ty
said convention, who shall receive the
support Of the Democratic members of the
legislature thereafter to Be- elected"
As the resolution had been discussed and
defeated in the meeting of the committee
or resolutions IS an anti-Brice measure
there was considerable demonstration
among the Brice men when it was read in
the convention. johnson spoke briefly
upon the minority report. lie said the
election OF senators by direct vote would
bring them closer TO the people and cited
the case of Palmer of Illinois. who was
the first Democratic senator elected in
that state since the war. John J. CLARK,
OF Mahoning county. secured the floor a..
the applause following Johnsou's speech
had subsidized and threw the convention
into an uproar By stating that worth and
ability were no longer required in the
selection Of United States senators, but
the main consideration was the length OF
the purse.
Mingled misses and applause almost
drowned she speakers voice, but at inter
walls bis voice rang out clear and decisive.
An effort to declare hi:3 out OF order was
ruled on. b. Chairman Hurd. Jesse
Lewis. of Cr5aua, wanted til. convention
TO defer the question Of FL cling United
States senator by vote Of the people for
ole year. which was met by cries OF moi
Nu! General FinIay spoke i'll the inter
est Of harmony. Cries for johnson
brought the free trade congressman again
TO the front. and be said he did not be-
iieye that Brice had bought his seat in the
senate. aud he did not believe there was
any occasion for tue Ill feeling which
seemed to exist.
virgil l.. Cline. of Cleveland, thought
the people should be little nearer to the
senate, ana there was nothing to prevent
the people making their wants known to
their representatives. James P Seward
came to the front with an amendment to
take the sting out Of the minority report.
This proposed to strike out all which
followed the simple declaration in favor of
electing United States senators by direc,
yo.e- / he amendment was strongly
opposed, but was adopted by vote Of 457
to "a. The minority report was then
made a part of the majority report
the Tree silver plank was also the source
OF contention. Seven members of the
committee on resolutions, among them
Tom l.. johnson. Virgil L. Cline, Frank
Hurd and Congressman Pearson, submit
ted the following minority report: I'VE
believe in honest money, the coinage of
gold and silver. and q circulating medium
convertible into such money without loss
We ase opposed to free, unlimited aud in
dependent coinage Of silver at the present
ratio Of 10 to /. We favor the coinage OF
silver under such legislative restrictions
"a Will maintain the circulation OF both
gold and silver on parity, and we re-
affirm the doctrine Of the national Demo-