The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1896-07-03
WILD FOR ALTGELD.,
ILLINOIS DEMOCRATS COM
PLIMENT HIM
Whole Convention Rises and Shouts His
Praises-President Cleveland bitterly
MISUNDERSTANDING for silyer-Pres-
emit Tariff Law satisfactory.

fEORIA, liz, June G4.-When tho
Democratic state convention assem-
blcd this afternoon, Alexander M.
Bell was chosen temporary chairman.
In his speech he sounded the keynote
OF the convention as follows: .:Eour
years ago we nominated a man for the
Presidency from the state of New
York in spite OF the protests Of the
delegation Of that state. May God.
forgive us for it. There must be- .
limit even to divine wrath. for we
have since then been beaten as with a
scourge OF scorpions At that election
we carried almost every state and
achieved the most complete victory at
the polls in the political history of
this land. Our hopes were then bright.
We felt that our party had come INTO
power to stay. But alas, our Presi-
dent, forgetting the tariff issue on
which he SO grandly won, brought
confusion into his party by striking
down with .t%raltorous hands the only
apology that still remained for the
coinage Of the peoples silver. AS y
result W. years ago VIZ were routed
al every point, ana to-day the Demo-
cratic hosts OF Illinois nave no repre-
sentative in the halls of Congress-"
The speaker then dwelt at length
ON the silver convention and declar-
atoms OF last year, and declared that
1t started the great silver Democratic
movement ali over the West and
South. Then he denounced the Re-
publican national conventions gold
declarations and applauded Teller.
bolt, and continued: "What will our
national convention do? viii the
East control its action and write It's
platform? Rest assured that it will
exhaust every effort to do so. Iwould
have Il national convention declare
its purpose ~fear!essly and explicitly
and let those bolt who will. I am
tired of following New England or
New York. Let imperial Illinois lead
the way. Let Illinois be henceforth
the empire State. We are told by
some CT our friends that we must have
harmony IN the party, and that for
harmony sake we must compromise,
we must concliiale, wa must straddIe.
There will be no straddling this cam
paign. We must be Ii to l men or
gold men,"
The temporary chairman was FREE
quently interrupted by applause.
When he made his bitter attack on
President Cleveland there was an out
burst of applause lasting several min
utes. A moment later: lie paid q com
pliment to Governor Altgeld, and the
whole assemblage arose and shouted
and threw up hats and handkerchiefs.
There was another demonstration of
applause when he referred to the free
coinage of silver. When he finished
the great audience gave vent to deaf
ening applause.
The ticket to be named at the con.
vention, according to those best in
formed, will be as follows: Governor.
John p. Altgeld, secretary OF state,
I. j. Medill of Rock Island; treasurer,
William 7. Prickett OF Yay@lorville,
attorney general, A. S. Trude, of
Chicago; auditor, B. Brinton Of Tus-
cola; delegates-at-large, John I. Alt
geld and Judge s. F. Mcconnell of
Chicago, w. n. Hinrichsen Of Jackson
vile, and ex-Congressman George b.
Fithian OF Newton, or G.. i. Parsons
of S~hawneetown.
Altgeld is not a candidate, but the
nomination will be forced upon him
by reclamation and he will be COM
PEELED to accept
1T was given out by one of the free
silver leaders that the platform would
first declare fo, the free and unlimited
coinage Of silver at the ratio of 10 to
l, and other planks would be for a
reform in the taxation and revenue
laws OF the State. It will declare that
recognizing the fact that as the gov
eminent has no other means Of paying
the expenses than by a protective tar
iii, the present tariff laws should not
be disturbed.