The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1896-07-03
ALTGELD FOR SILVER,
~RENOMlNATED BY the DE-
MOCRACY OF ILLINOIS.
He il Their Idol and Observation-Disclosures
Urged Upon Him Against His Most Ear
nest Protest-Delivers . Remarkable
Address Silver the Battle Cry.

O kAaNAN ~ Wv
head OF the ticket. He had no oppo-
nent, and a few moments before the
honor was thrust upon him, declared
he did not want 1t. he said SO at the
conclusion OF one of the most inn
pressiye speeches ever made before a
Democratic convention. He said he
was physically unable to lead the
fight. and his financial affairs were in
bad shape and needed his attention.
No sooner had he mentioned his de-
sire to retire from public life than
there came an imprisoned shout of
disapproval, not only from the dele
gates, but from thousands of people
who We're crowded in the hall. It
was a strange convention, and will
not soon be forgotten. 1t was in ses-
sion only a little over 1--WE hours.
Nearly all the candidates were nolni-
mated by reclamation. There was no
strife. There were no acrimonious
speeches save those directed against
the enemy.
The convention came out strongly
for free silver, and so instructed its
delegates-at-large to the National
convention. The platform was almost
Numerically opposite in ali its parts
to that OF the Republican party, and
the LOGO delegates voted unanimously
for its adoption.
The following delegates-at-large to
the convention at Chicago we're then
reported: John P. Altgeld and Sam
uel 2. Mcconnell, Chicago; W. H.
He%nrichsen, Jacksonville, and George
w. Fithian of Jasper county.
No instructions were given for Pres
ident.
Governor A1:ge,d's Address.
While waiting for the committee on
resolutions to report Governor Alt
geld stepped upon the platform. and
for several minutes there was the
most enthusiastic uproar that had
yet been witnessed. He was called
for, when he stepped forward and
said, in part:
-Four years ago our people met
under brighter skies. We swept the
country by such a majority that fdel-
itv to Democratic princip pies would
have insured supremacy for a quarter
OF a century. But before the inaug-
ural festivities had ceased at Wash
ington the head of the administration
sought strange gods and espoused
alien principles. The interests Of
money were placed above those of hui
manity. Organized greed was fed
with golden spoons, while the crv of
the husbandman was unheeded and
the sweat of the toilor brought him
no bread.
''Tne Republicans had inherited the
principles of Hamilton, according to
which the government should be a
convenience for the rich. Our Pres;-
dent tried to crowd them out and to
place his feet on this ground AS
the onths rolled by, every principle
that is vital to republican institution
was violated and every precept of JET
ierson, every doctrine fundamental to
Democracy, was trampled into the
earth. Since then defeat has followed
dishonor until we have lost even what
we formerly had.
"All might have been we'll if The
administration had respected repub-
lican institutions, and not used it's
great powers to increase the burdens
OF our people for the benefit of for
eign and Eastern shylocks.
But the spirit Of Democracy is i'm
mortal.
To-day the Democratic hosts are
again mastering on the plain. I'm
fortunately, we have pursued a course
which ha led men to question our
Democracy, and to doubt our profess
sions. We have allowed ourselves to
be Influenced by men who have not a
drop of Democratic blood in their
veins
1.-THE first thing necessary for us to
do is to stand for something definite.
stand for those principles upon which
the hope of humanity depends. II we
do this, and once show the people that
we are in earnest, no power in this
land can prevent our shaping the
policy and guiding the destinies Of the
republic.
Mark Hanna's Trust.
Last week there was held in st.
Louis a convention which will be-
known in history as Mark Hanna's
trust. Railroad attorneys. corpora
ton agents, lobbyists and those men
who have made millions out of the
government, and are looking for an
other harvest by governmental aid.
were not only IN control, but filled
every place from chairman to page.
1t was the most brazen effort on tho
part Of organized greed that was ever
witnessed in this country. If the
Democratic party will be rue to it's
mission, if it will not weaken itself
with compromises, or destroy it's
strength by adopting a neutral course.
then the ticket placed in nomination
at st. Louis will be dead long before
the frosts of November come. If the
Democratic party will declare for an
American policy, if it will boldly de-
clare that we must be true to our
selves, and look after American in
terests first, we will sweep this
country.
He was followed by Champ Clark Of