The herald., 1896-07-09
,rity If a free silver platform was

3ority If a free silver platform was
adopted.
The Michigan debate was becoming
wearisome, so, when Delegate Brucker.
a smooth-faced young man from that
state began to talk the people began to
cry for a vote.
Mr.. Brucker however, stirred them
to a yell by declaring while he had al
ways been a free silver man, he believed
the silverites had enough delegates to
elect a free silver president on free
silver platform without committing
highway robbery.
Then the gold men were aroused to
a greater enthusiasm by Charles S.
Thomas, the Colorado member of the
national committee. who spoke in the
same strain. He said:
Gentlemen of the Conventional
would be a great mistake, in my opinion,
for this convention to do otherwise than
nominate a candidate representing the
wishes of the majority. 1t would be
graver one to secure such nomination
by overturning the officially expressed
wish of one of the sovereign states of
the union. cloud applause.) We were
charged on yesterday with the violation
of a Democratic principle, and the
charge, in my opinion, was not well
founded. If this majority report shall
receive the official sanction of this con-
vention, then those who made the charge
on yesterday may repeat it with truth
tomorrow.
It seems to me that where number
of weeks is necessary for an individual
to find out the fact that his virtue has
been debauched, that such virtue should
at least be received with some suspi-
cion by a national convention. If 1
understand this testimony correctly,
fraud has been detailed and presented
here, and have not heard it contradict
ed; then, If that is the case, so far as
the action of this convention is con-
cerned, it set the seal of it's approval
or objection or protest upon the fore
head of every one of this Michigan del
egation that was recognized by the ma
tional committee; and if that be so, it
does seem to me, in all candor, that we
should afford the precedents of party
and recognize the sovereignty of states
thus casting their vote under the unit
rule. We cannot under any circum-
stances transform ourselves into a re-
turning board and by going behind
these returns seat anyone except those
who have their credentials. If these
four delegates who are said to be not
entitled to seats in this convention are,
by reason of the manner in which they
have been chosen, not so entitled, then
it follows that every one of the twenty
eight delegates similarly commissioned
to this convention, is not entitled to
recognitino.
Judge Powers of Utah, ex- Congressman
Alabama, the first state called, start
Weadock of Michigan, and Delegate
O'Donnell of Colorado also spoke in IA
vor of seating the silver delegates from
Michigan.
At the close of O'Donnells speech.
amid loud cries of "Vote! Vote." from
the impatient crowd, Chairman Daniel
put the question, first on the adoption
Of the minarity report to confirm the
sitting delegates in their title to the
seats. The roll was called.
Alabama, the first state called, STRAIT
ed a revolt against the majority. AL
though silver delegation, a challenge
of her vote developed the fact that seven
votes in the delegation favored the gold
delegates. But under the unit rule Ala
bama's % votes were cast against the
minority report. The gold men got IL
out of California's IS silver votes. two
of which were cast by Senator White
and Congressman Mcguire.
Indiana's silver delegation furnished
eight of their thirty votes for the gold
delegates. Delegate Haldeman of the
Kentucky delegation, by a challenge, un-
covered two affirmative votes in that
delegation. There were three votes in
the Massachusetts, delegation for seat
ing the silver delegates, and one in Mary
land. Mr.. Stevenson of Michigan cast
the twenty-eight votes of his state, in
which there are twelve silver votes, in
favor of keeping the gold men in their
seats. There was wild cheering when
ex-Gov. Flower cast the seventy-two
votes of New York for the minority re-
port. 1t continued fully minute, when
the cheering suddenly swelled into
roar. The gold delegates mounted their
chairs and waved their handkerchiefs
while the galleries grew perfectly fran
tic. They shouted, whistled, stamped
their feet, flung their hats aloft and
turned the convention into a pande-
monfum. The enthusiasm rose and fell,
only to rise again like the coming tides
of the ocean. Up to that time it was the
most enthusiastic scene of the conven-
tion. Chairman Daniel tried to secure
order with his gavel, but the raps We're
swallowed up in the awful din as the
crack of toy pistol would be by the
roar of volley of 10O-ton guns.
The band broke in with the strains of
one of Sousa's popular marches, but it
had no effect upon the 10000 people who
were yelling like mad. When the music
ceased the demonstration grew fiercer.
The silver men were infuriated. They
were evidently convinced that the gall
leries were packed. Chairman Daniel
held up his hand for order, but he was
! not needed. He ordered the clerk to call
the roll, but that officials voice could not
penetrate the whirlwind of sound.
The silver men in the galleries hissed.
The silver leaders on the floor were mani
festly disturbed. Gov. Stone of Missouri
moved hastily up to the stage to con-
suit Chairman Daniel. Senator Cock
rell worked his way around to where the
Illinois delegation sat. Others moved
hither and thither 1t looked almost as
~ the silver men had hean stricken with