The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-08-16
He Had the Names of Brice, German and
Other Democratic Senators Cut
Off the Roll of DishonOr.
THREE-CARD MONTE GAME
One Platform Read and a Differ
ent One Given the Press.
Only One Office for Which There Was
More Than One Ballot-The COM
mittees Slate Went Through.


terday was the shortest and least interest
ing one. from a standpoint of enthusiasm,
ever held in this State. The recent county
Democratic convention was even better at
tended and the township convention was
productive of more contests. Less than one
thousand of the 1.747 delegates who were
elected to attend the convention were there.
At noon not half of the seats in. Tomlinson
Hall were taken, admission being free TO
whoever chose to enter the doors. That the
party is practically dead was in evidence
on every hand.
The ticket nominated is composed of men
not known outside of their small circle of
friends. Most OF the nominees are political
nonentites who crawled on the ticket be-
cause there was not enough interest in
brushing them aside. Half of the nomna-
tions were made by accamation. The nom
nee for State Treasurer was not even men,
toned candidate until half hour be-
fore the convention was called to order.
OF the ten places on the ticket the first four
were filed by acclamatlon and the fifth was
filled in a like manner after ballot
taken, but before the count was completed.
OF the other five places, only one OF them
developed a warm enough fight to make
a second ballot necessary. The call of the
roll showed another circumstance peculiar
to a party without confidence in success.
With few exceptions the counties divided
their votes equally between the candidates
named, showing an entire lack of interest
both on the part of the delegates and the
candidates. No efforts were made to change
votes in these instances.
The lack of interest prevented the usual
'hand-to-hand fight which disgraces almost
every Democratic convention. The only ap-
proach to a fight was in the Marion county
delegation over the small nomination of
State Geologist. Two three OF the dele
gates wanted TO dictate to the others just
how the entire vote of the county should
be cast, and then general row ensued not
reaching more serious proportions, how
ever. than a war of words. "Coxey" Shea
a local ward dictator. seemed to have mat
ters all his own way. Not more than twen-
ty-five of the 1876 Marion county delegates
were present at the time, but "Coxey' was
prepared to stand his ground with pocket
full of proxies While the wordy war was at
it's height Deputy United States Marshal
Foley appeared on the scene and demanded
to have voice in the matter. Some one
called out: He is no better than any other
United States marshal" This remark was
apparently the one thing necessary to pre-
cipitate a rough-and-tumble fight, and had
it not been for some of the cooler heads
among them Acknowledgement Robbins
there probably would have been some black
eyes taken home as souvenirs of the con-
vention. General Robbins and one or two
others quieted the delegation by agreeing
to divide the votes between the candidates.
The platform was put together by a COM
mittee containing and dominated by John
E. Lamb, railroad attorney and lobbyist for
the Whisky Trust; Mason j. Niblack, lobby
ist and attorney for the /. & V. railroad;
X. NJ. Hord. railroad attorney at Shelby
Vile: John c. Nelson. railroad attorney at
Logansport. and r. G. Bell, attorney and
lobbyist for the Pennsylvania railroad at
Fort Wayne. The last, about the worst of
the lot, was chairman of the committee
and read the report. Assisting and debating
to all this array of corporation talent was
81 Sheerin, the partner of Senator Brice,
the railroad magnate. and to his slick work
the delegates may credit the fact that they
were buncoed out of the platform which
they wanted and demanded in open con-
vention.
The platform. as originally written, and
as first adopted by the committee, did not
try to shield anyone 1t named the SEN
ators, which it denounced; gave their
names and characterized them as "Sena-
tors who. masqeuradlng as Democrats. by
threats TO defeat all tariff legislation, have
temporarily prevented the Democratic par
ty from carrying out it's pledges to the
people for tariff reform. as announced in
the Democratic platform of 1892" When
this part of the platform was read loud
cries came from all over the house demand
ing that the Senators who were unfaithful
to their party pledges be named in the
platform. Mr.. Bell made several attempts
to continue the reading but every time was
drowned by cries of name them" from all
parts of the house, and it seemed for a
time that IL would be impossible TO have
the platform read unless 1t complied with
the wishes of the delegates. Another at
tempt was made to finish the reading but
it was feeble compared to the yells of
"give US their Names" name them,"
"Brice." "Gorman,' etc, from all parts of
the house.
Mr. Sheerin, in his manipulation of the
platform, had not foreseen such emer-
gency as this. He thought. the convention
would quietly swallow anything the COM
mittee placed before 1t. The corporation
lawyer and lobbyist who was reading the
report was equal to the emergency, how
ever. MoIlonlnB Ior oruer ne Sdlu the
finger OF scorn will follow them along the
pathway OF life without naming them"
and then. before any one realized the fact
that they had been practically forced into
accepting a platform which condemned. yet
did not name the culprits. the reading was
continued. The true history OF why the
leaders of Democracy in this State erased
the names of Senators Brice. German.
Smith and Mcpherson from the condemna-