The sun., 1896-09-17
CONVENTION IN SESSION.
GOING THROUGH Il FARCE TO PRE-
SERVE THE STATE MACHINE.

and Chicago to he etstuitihed-Tho onaas r.
Grady. as Temporary Chairman, In Mie
Speech Goea Hack on MS Record at Chss
caEO and Talks in Favor OF Free Silver
The Convention AdIourns Untn To-day.
BUFFALO, Sept. l6.-Every Democrat in the
land who believes In the ancient principles OF
his party. and not In the Chicago demand for re-
pudiation, should have attended the first session
of the Democratic State Convention. which was
held In Buffalo's Music Hall to-day. Tho Con-
vcntion WAS painful spectacle OF the depths to
| which the party organization in tho State has
sunk. 1t is going through a farce at the behoas
OF the old Democratic leaders who have refused
to come hero. Not single Democratic leader
OF any renown was in the Convention. All were
| absent, while their dummies carried through
the programme agreed upon. This programme
is merely carried out for the preservation OF the
regularity OF the State machines and noth-
ing else. That ia the principle which ID
the foundation stone of this Convention
Every Democrat of high principles In tho
State is looking at this Convention with
utter det6stat!on. The Democratic leaders who
are handling it from a distance will not It 10
asserted, attain new eminence in our time. Tho
Convention stultifles every uttcrance of the
Democratic leaders Of the State Mt Chicago. It
stutifes every Democratic platform adopted In
the State since 1876. All of this debasing poiti.
cal qualification has been decided upon for no
other reason than to maintain the regularity OF
the Democratic machines in the State. Every
principle of high honor in the party has been
thrown to the winds for this purpose, and for
this purpose alone. Political leaders have been
frequently heard to say that the people are
prone to forget and to forget quickly. political
events. These political leaders bank this
fact, and they declare that the voters, in the
hurry and scurry OF everyday business
life, be relied upon to forget .
political circumstance. whether It be OF
great or little moment. 1t is not the purpose OK
the Democrats of high principle in the State 70
allow the work OF this Convention to 20 unfor-
gotten. The Democrats of high principle In
other States will also not forget the work OF
this Convention, and from this time on 1t IL
predicted that the Democratic organization OF
the State and Tammany Hall, and the KinRo
county organization, will be held up 10 obloquy
ana scorn. Every platform in every Demo-
cratic State Convention for twenty years has
| declared for sound money and high Demo-
cratic principles The Saratoga Convention.
which was held June "a, declared for sound
money. The New York delegation at Chicago.
following instructions at Saratoga, spoke up
for the honor of the Democracy OF
the State. Senator Hill at Chicago. in
one of the greatest speeches OF his
career. denounced the Chicago platform. and
the New York delegation refused to participate
in the work of that Convention after the plat
form was adopted. Yet the State Convention
which began Its sessions here to-day. and which
10 under the complete control OF Senator Hill,
Senator Murphy. Richard Croker, and Hugh
Mclaughlin. stuitifed everything that was
| done at Saratoga aud at Chicago. II is speci.
men OF professional politics that will not be tol.
| Grated by the Democrats of the State. 1t is NOT
claimed that the Democratic leaders are at
heart in sympathy with the work OF this Com
vention. but i, is insisted that they should not
by their course allow the Democrats of other
States to believe that they have not only stulti-
fled themselves, but stultified the Democratic
organization of the Empire State.
Neither Senator Hill, Senator Murphy. Rtch-
| ard Croker. or Hugh Mclaughlin Is hero.
| They are represented by their minor lieuten-
| ants Never was Convention barren Of
| well-known Democrats. Even the delegates
| look at each other and wink. knowing full we'll
| that green goods game is going on. There il
| no sincerity in the Convention. There is no
| heart in 1t. All on the ground are fully aware
| that political gamble is going on, and nothing
| more. Some OF the friends of the Democratic
| leaders defend their conduct by declaring that
| the New York delegation in the next
| Democratic National Convention must re-
| tain its autonomy as the regular organization
OF the State II ii is to have any influence. They
| will be smashed out of existence on election
day and that after that the regular Democratic
organization Of the State will be In position to
| do advantageous work toward rejuvenating the
| party. Meantime the Democratic organization
| OF the State is forced to become drab and .
! kissing to all Democrats of high principles who
| do not believe in subordinating tho ancient
principles of the party for the sake OF carrying
| out the terms OF a political gamble.
~ ,;a ha1, al axxtth ~
| national colors and there a band. John O.
| Sheehan, the acting leader of Tammany Hall,
was the biggest Democrat on the Convention
floor, although William Henry Clay SulZer got
| the greatest ovation One of Mr.. suffers friends
up in the gallery acted as his advertising agent
and herald. On the advent OF the Hon. William
| Henry Clay this advertising agent whose name
| is Capt. De Manville, and who was once a mem-
ber OF the Thirteenth Regiment of Brooklyn.
sang out, Three cheers for tho peoples candi.
date, William Sulzer." Capt. De Mauvllo
varied his calls for Sulzer by declaring, That's
| the man the people want for Governor" and
There are no goldbugs on William Sulzer."
| These sentiments evoked an ovation for Mr.
| Sulzer, and Mr.. Sulzer smiled as II il was the
| crowning event In his career.
| Chairman James w. Hinkley lost no time in
| getting the Convention under way. This was
| the last time that he was TO preside as Chair
| man of the Democratic State Committee, whose
| duty II :s TO start the work of the Convention.
| Beside him on the platform was Charles R.
| Defrecst, clerk OF the Democratic State Com
| mttee and this was Mr.. Defrecsts last time to
| preside RS clerk of Democratic State Conyen-
| tion. There was no fuss and no feathers and no
| enthusiasm and no anything. Chairman Hnk-
ley whacked his gavel and made the simple an-
| nouncement that, by direction of the Domo-
| cratic State Committee, the Hon. Thomas +.
| Grady of New York had been selected to bo
temporary Chairman Of the Convention, and
after that Mr.. Hnkley perpetrated one OF his
| little jokes. lie named Norman +, Mack OF
Buffalo and Norton Chase of Albany, two OF
| the new Democratic Goiahs in the State, to es-
cort Senator Grady TO the platform. The
silver-tongued orator OF Tammany Hall. as he
walked down the Rsles between Mr.. Mack and
| Mr.. Chase, did not seem TO mind his company at
| all. He has never had political affiliations with