Evening star., 1896-07-09
to dress. shabby-coated. wearing heavy

silver chain across his breast he Instantly
drew the eyes Of the 10000 present They
tagontst. His thick-set, commanding form
was full Of defiance. His head. thrown
back. was round and compact. The fea-
lures, strong and powerful, wsre cast In q
lips thin and compressed. the jaw square
and pugnacious, but the sunken cavity
which marked his left eye gave to his face
a sinister expression. 1t was face once
seen never to be forgotten.
On one lapel Of his coat he wore q Cuban
flag. on the other q pitchfork. One mo-
ment the 10000 people held their breath
as he gasped. Then they broke forth.
Mr.. Richardson. who was welding the
gavel, with the aid Of the assistant ser
geants-at-arms quickly suppressed the
demonstration. His first sentence showed
but as he proceeded he pitched 1t in a key
SO shrin that 1t grated like file.
He was characteristic from the beginning
He realized that so far as the galleries
were concerned. he faced an audience which
he felt was largely hostile. He introduced
himself to the convention by saying that he
came before them not as "the lying news
papers had represented him to be-"
round Of applause from the pit greeted
this announcement, but it was drowned in
the storm Of Kisses from the galleries,
which were increased to a perfect whirl.
wind of sibilant sound as he added: Il
came from state which was the home Of
secession"
Tillman Kissed.
Senator TiIlman turned defiantly and
6ercely surveyed the vast congregation
who were Missing him. Then. with a con-
temptuous toss Of his head. he looked
down at the silver delegates before him.
his eyes blazing. end said, with a sneer:
There are only three things that hiss" :"
with a curl Of his thin lips, "a goose.
serpent and a man..
Raising his head and addressing the gal
leries, he shouted that the man who hissed
South Carolina forgot the history Of the
revolution.
This provoked a wild demonstration from
the silver men.
South Carolina in 1s6O." he said. lied
the fight In the democratic party which
while the galleries Missed, brought about
the war. and the war emancipated the
black slaves. Now" he said. sweeping his
arms through the air above his head. we
are leading the fight to smancipate the
white slaves"
This time tho silver men had their in
nings. but they did not applaud very lustt-
ly when he declared that with conditions
reversed he was willing to again see the
democratic party disrupted.
Repeatedly. as he proceeded. the galleries
Kissed. and several times the sergeant-at-
arms threatened to clear the galleries.
The silver men had a chance to shout
their approval when he declared that they
were adopting a new declaration OF inde-
pendence at 16 to l or bust.
The storm of Kisses issued forth again
when he repudiated the denial that there
was a sectional contest. Il say 1t IL a
sectional ISSUE" he cried. land it will pre-
vail"
After these pyrotechnic expressions. so
Of the man. he drifted into
to show the bondage of the
south and west to the east. and these dry
figures gave the hostile galleries another
Time" they shouted
This aroused the Senator again to angry
He paced the platform like
an enraged lion.
II know. I kpsw." he cried with arms
aloft. you are against us. There is not
a paper in this city that Is not in the power
of the money influences. They will not
give US a fair show. They characterize
US as bowling dervishes and silver luna
tics"
Many of the delegates crowded up the
aisles and stood at the foot of the stage.
studying intcntly the features of the re-
man before them. Continuing,
Senator Tillman declared that the only
way to avert a revolution would be to
lect man whose record would fit the
platform Soon the kissing began again
at some radical utterance. and the South
Carolinian took occasion to say that -Four
years ago the New York Senator was
hissed as 1 am now"
Where Is New York today" he asked
Where Is New York's LEADER" and from
the gallery came in the cry. I'm the SOUP"
which brought down a wave of cheers for
Hill. topped with foam of Kisses.
Tiliman stood waiting for the noise to
subside and then. using his hand before his
mouth as a speaking trumpet. called like
fog horn his defiance: You can just as well
understand that 1 am going to have my
say If l stand here till sundown.'
ft<1 20
parative quiet after the chairman had
pleaded with the auditors and threatened to
clear the galleries. and then he surprised
his hearers anew by an attack on Senator
Hill, because the Senator from New York
had refused to make the first speech on the
platform. and give South Carolina the reply.
Incidentally. he said that Hill despised the
President of the United States in 1892; since
him. He scorned him for assuming the role
of apologist for the administration.
DenouncinE the President.
gold.'' he began, whereupon hurrah for
Cleveland was shouted. which drew quite
hearty response from the galleries. The at
not find any marked demonstration of ap-
proval.
Now. 1 want you all to listen,' Tillman
shouted. and then he read the substitute
resolution. which follows:
I'VE denounce the administra ton of Pres
ident Cleveland as undemocratic and ty-
rannical. and as a departure from those
principles which are cherished by all lib
erty loving Americans. The veto power
has been used to thwart the will OF the
people as expressed by their representa-
tives in Congress. The appontive power
has been used to subsidize the press to de-
bauch Congress and overawe and control
citizens in the free exercise of their con-
stltutional rights as voters. A plutocrati,.
despotism is thus sought to be established
on the ruins of the republic. We repudia.e
the construction placed on the financial
plank of the last democratic national con-
vention by President Cleveland and Secre-
tary Carlisle as contrary to the plain
meaning Of English words and as being
an act of bad faith, deserving the sever
est censure. The Issue of bonds in time of
peace. with which to buy gold to redeem
obligations payable in silver or gold at
the option of the government, and the
use of the proceeds to defray the ordi-
nary expenses of the government, are both
unlawful and usurpaticns of authority de-
serving impeachment"
The first sentence was a firebrand, which
ignited a great blaze of Kisses and q coun-
ter flame Of cheers, which could not equal
resolution was fiercely hissed. He closed
with a warning to the delegates that they
must unite their tealcusies and rivalries Of
silver forces or victory for democracy
would be impossible.