The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1894-08-27
RANDOM PoLlrIoAL NOTES

ton were not altogether pleasing to the
Democrats who composed 1t, and it Is
probable that seeds sown by tho dis
satisfied element during the proceed.
iuss. and after the Adjournment. will
yield fruit. Il was not harmonious
convention, as everybody knows by this
time. The lack OF harmony was not
due TO the contest over candidate for
Congress, but TO the fact that the con.
yentloa was made 10 Of 10 great a
variety OF Demonstration the proiec.
ZIONIST, who would be Republican II
it were not for the fact that lie has been
n Democrat go long, to tho free trade,
single tax and FREQ silver advocate, VINO
10 extreme enough and visionary
enough to DO Populist, only that he
hasn't faith that the populist organi.
zasion Is destined to live much longer.
II Is almost impossible for convention
made up Of so many elements to be
harmonious In the discussion Of ques.
lions ot party policy. SO when tho
question OF adopting q declaration on
tho tariff situation came up tho three
cornerod fight which everyone knew
would come, was instantly on. There
was tho element which was for accept.
ing tho sonate bill rs Is step in the
direction OF tariff reform" aud COM
lnending tue eHorts OF tho house to pass
tho Wilson bill; also tho clement that
wanted to dcnouuco both the house
and the senate bills, consuming the
senate for ita betrayal OF tho Demo.
cratic party, and the house Cor its
cowardly surrender OF principle: and
the element that wanted special reso-
luton denouncing the Democratic sena.
tors, including our own West Virginia
senators.
between the three the convention
succeeded in getting itself into tur.
moil and there was much bitterness Of
feeling shown. A party may divide
over tho choice Of candidates and unite
again after the nomination Is made, but
differences Of opinion as to tho vital
principles OF tho party are irrecon-
cilable, and n convention row between
factions representing extreme views in
variuhly leaves ita sting. One faction
or tho other is defeated, blu. it never
snrronders tho principle it fought for.
This fact was brought out Significantly
ut Clarksburg, when tho radical free
trade element in tho convention, led by
the followers OF John ]. Davis. fought
hard for tho minority report from the
committee on resolutions, which repu
dated all compromise tariff positions
and denounced tho representatives Of
tho party in Congress in unmeasured
terms as towards and traitors. This OF
course carried with 1t an advance de-
nunciatiou Of President Cleveland,
should he allow the tariff bill to be-
come n law. The defeat OF this report
aud tho acceptance OF the majority
straddle OF the tariff situation only
served to increase tho bitterness Of the
radical faction. They were very re-.
Specialize minority of tho convention.
and the keynote OF what ia to BIO ex-
pected OF them was sounded in advance
BY John J. Davis. whom in his eloquent
apeech ho declared that he and his fol-
lowers never would surrender their
principles by voting to sustain what he
said was an infamous and cowardly sur.
render OF Democratic honor. and
asked the Democrats OF tho First dis
trict how tIioy could go before tho
people and ask for an endorsement un-
der tho present circumstances. lie
challenged them TO deny tho charges
that Republicans werc making against
them. and when he paused for reply
there was no response.
80
Democrats may snoer at what Mr.
Davis said. but they cannot deny that
they arc docpIy impressed with the
significance OF the situation US outlined
by him, and with the attitude OF those
who, speaking in the sanc limo, sup
ported tho minority resolutions. IL WIS
significant under tho circumstances that
tho minority report received twenty OF
Harrison county's twenty-five votes. 1t
showed tho Harrison county ropresen'
tatiyes to DO almost unanimously III
sympathy with Mr.. Davis views. The
minority resolution also received n
aprinkling OF votes from other counties,
indicating that good proportion OF the
convention arc not in favor OF slnltIty-
ing themselves by voting to vimdscate
m uufaithfuI Congress. I'owhat oxtcnt
those proceedings will effect tho vote in
November remains to DO aceu, but It IS
certain that the enthusiasm Tor tho
Democratic Cause ns represented by tho
peculiarly constructed platform adopted
will not no shared bya respectable pro-
portion OF the party. Sir. Howard goes
before the people on platform con-
dsmning the surrender Of tho Dems'
cratic house aud apologizing for tho
senatorial compromise with protection.
Eo cannotg 20 into Harrison county orany
other county, and toll tho radicals there
thut no docs not endorse that platform.
lIe must defend tho position adopted by
tho majority OF the convention, Tor no
will not DO permitted TO evado the qucs'
ton; neither will he bG permitted to
gcneralize. lie will fnd il ombArruss.
ing to DO thus handicapped, but he must
take his medicine.
Noxt comes the Second district Demo-
cratic convention. Strictly spcNkiuE. II
will not be convention. "a Wilson
ratification meeting" would DO n moro
appropriate namO for it. But it prom'
laos to be mn important event, and will
attract more than local attention. IL
is expected that Mr.. Wilson will not bG
the only national leader who Will be
present to add ccldt ts the OCCASION
Speaker Crisp is among those who are
expected; at least Ito has boon an
nouncOd, and it 10 hoped to make tho
affair n hippodromo which vii! b" in
the nature Of M opcning OF the cam
paign in district in which coming
evonts will DO watched by tho entire
country. There IL strong opposition
10 Mr., Milsoll'H denomination among