The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-05-29
Followed By Representatives of
Eleven States.
GO TO ANOTHER HALL
Where They Organize Another
Convention.
PrOhibitiOnists Refuse to Adopt
a Silver Plank.
Nominate Levering for Presi-
dent-FOr Prohibition Alone.

Pittsburg, May 29.-The Prohibition
national convention refused to endorse
the free silver plank, and John P St.
John, with many followers. left the han
and organized a separate convention
The ticket nominated is as follows:
For president. Joshua Levering, Of
Maryland; for vice president, Hale
Johnson of Illinois.
The candidates were placed upon the
thinnest kind Of a narrow guage"
platform. embodying merely the prin-
cipIe of prohibition and even omitting
the woman suffrage plank. which has
been a feature Of its platforms for years
past Ex-Governor John p st. John.
seconded by nearly all the western dele
gates, made gallant fight for the free
coinage of silver and Helen NJ. Cougar
Of Indiana. and Mrs. L. A. Pool of New
York. struggled in vain for woman suf-
frage, but the narrow guage people con
trolled the convention and took every
thing.
When the nomination for president
was reached the name of Cas- E- Bent
ley of Nebraska, the broad guage can
didate. was not presented, his boom
having been bursted by the oVerWhelm-
ing defeat of the silver forces at the
q
midnight before the last business was
concluded and the convention ad-
jOurned
ist nominee for president, is a prOmi-
nent coffee merchant of Baltimore. He
is 55 years old, reputed to be very
wealthy and is president of the z NJ
e. A. He was formerly a Democrat
but has been connected with the Pro
hibition party since 1884, and has for
some years past acted as vice chair
man Of the state executive committee.
He ran on the Prohibition ticket last
fail for governor, receiving the highest
vote every cast in the state for the
party. NIr. Levering was pronounced
in his views on the questions at issue
and previous to the convention stated
positively that he would not accept the
nomination upon a free silver or broad
guage platform.
In the afternoon session Governor St
John spoke for the free silver plank.
declaring he would vote for free silver.
not only because he considered it right,
but because his constituents instruct
ed him to- and the debate continued
until nearly O'Clock when a vote was
finally reached. which resulted 3S7 for
and 427 against the plank. The victory
of the narrow guage faction and the
defeat of free silver were greeted with
wild applause, and it was some time
before the convention was able to pro-
ceed with the consideration Of the plat
form.
The broad guage element left the con
NentlOn hall late last night and OrganiZ-
ed q rump convention in another hall
Eleven state chairmen were among the
boilers and "a states are represented
They are today considering the for
nation of a new party and motion to
adopt q platform and nominate candi-
dates for president and vice president.
MI Moore of Nebraska is presiding.
Among the prominent boilers are Hell
en- NJ Cougar of Indiana. ex-GOV. John
p. St. John, r. s. Thompson of Ohio
editor of the New Era. John Lloyd
Thomas of New York and L. 3. Logan
of Ohio.
A motion to name the new party the
National party was lost.
Pittsburg. May 29--The new national
committee of the PrOhibitiOn party was
in session until nearly 4 o'clock this
morning completing arrangements for
the campaign Nominations for chair
man resulted in the reelection of sam
uel A. Dickie- Other officers We're elect
ed as follows:
Vice chairman, James A Tate, Ten
nessee, w. T. WarWen, New York. sec
retary; Samuel D. Hastings, Wisconsin,
treasurer. Members of the executive
committee in addition to the four Off
GERS. a A. Stevens. Pennsylvania: VIM.
Karskadden. West Virginia. John Hipp
Colorado; NOlney Cushing Maine
The selection of a place for perma-
nent headquarters of the committee
was referred to the executive commit