The San Francisco call., 1896-05-15

many wanted to speak upon 1t that the
time limit had to be drawn, and only five
minutes was allowed each speaker.
Clarence A. Wilson of Los Angeles was
the first 10 claim the floor and attempted
to show that an effort had been made to
railroad the platform through.
He spoke in favor OF the Hall motion
and was followed by Rev. John A. b. Will
son of Los Angeles, who said that while
those who favored the platform as pre-
sented by the committee called themselves
broad-gauee men, and took pride in 1t,
they should be classed with anything but
broad-gauge people. He was very bitter
against those who wanted to treat on the
various important issues OF the day, and
insisted that instead of being wise states
manship. it was demagogy to try to
touch upon the issues outside of the
principle of prohibition and that of
woman suffrage. He told those who
favored the broad-eauge platform that
they had got into the wrong party and
that they should be in Sacramento instead
of on the floor of the Prohibition Conven-
tion in Stockton.
Vice-Cha .rman Kellogg of the State Cen
trai Committee was the next to catch the
eve of the chairman. 1--WE see now" said
he, that it is really a test whether we
shall adopt broad-gauge or a narrow
gauge platform. have ridden ON mar
row-gauge railroad and I have ridden on a
the time pleasantly on both, but never
knew a narrow-gauge railway to reach
across the continent. That is what we
want our platform to do. We want it to
meet the wants OF the people clear across
this country"
T. H. Lawson of Alameda then made a
telling speech in favor of the platform as
presented by the committee, after which
Hall of Los Angeles, who made the mo-
ton to cut 1t short and leave only the pro-
hibition and woman suffrage planks in,
secured the floor and fought for his mo-
ton. AS with the Rev. Wilson he repre-
seuted the southern element that did not
want the broad-gauge platform and he
worked hard against it.
Chairman Glass of the State Central
Committee made one OF the best argu-
ments of the dav in favor of the commit
tees report, and said that the platform
presented by them was the ablest that the
party had ever formulated. He said that
he hoped it would be adopted without any
changes, and that if this was doEe it
would help in getting better platform at
the Pittsburg convention.
1--WE are a political party" said he,
land not milk-and-water prayer
meeting"
DR.. Rowell of Auburn and Rev. E. B.
Winning of Contra Costa spoke in the
same line, the latter taking pains to roast
the railroads and other monopolies during
his address. Thompson of San Francisco
and Humphrey of Alameda both favored
Halls motion and poured a little hot shot
into the camp of the enemy.
Finally Chairman Dunn of the conven-
ton resigned the chair and made the last
and most telling speech of the day against
the adoption of the motion and in favor of
the platform as presented by the COM
mittee.
"The silver plank will not drive any
voters out of the party" said he. "Weare
standing for prohibition, but if other
accepted the nomination as United States
Senator at your hands, but if you don't
want TO make any effort to elect me all
you have to do is 10 vote for the pending
motion and cut off the party from the
issues of the day. The voters will say we
are afraid to face the issues that are vital
to the people or this land, and they will
not vote for any man or any party that is
afraid TO face the music"
1t was very evident that the majority of
the delegates were with him, for they gave
him rousing cheers at the conclusion of his
remarks.
The question was then put to the con-
vention on the adoption of Hairs motion
to cut the platform short. 1t was lost by
vote of 45 to "a, and then those who
fought the platform gave up and moved
for its adoption as a whole.
Rev. J. A. B. Wilson of Los Angeles and
the members of the Fresno delegation
asked to have their names recorded as
against the platform as finally adopted,
which was done. Some of the southern
delegation had been instructed to vote
against anything but the prohibition and
woman suffrage planks.
McCargar of Alameda got his resolution
on the Yountville Home before the house
and it was finally adopted. Thompson of
San Francisco bitterly opposed the resolu-
tion and said that ii was nothing but an
effort of some old Oakland soldiers to get
back at the management for having them
turned out of the home.
Mrs. Taynton of Berkeley introduced
the following resolution, which was car
ried:
We view with humiliation and disgust the
fact that the state of California is actively en-
gagged through the Agricultural Department OF
the State University in fostering the business
of drunkard-making and we protest against
the prostitution of the educational institution
TO the interests OF the wine-growers.
This closed the convention and then the
State Central Com mittee gathered to finish
its labors.