The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-07-15

While the delegates and every body
else in the house were yelling and
cheering, Chairman Harrity passed
the gavel over to Mr.. Daniel who took
it and spoke as follows:
MIR. Chairman of the National Dem
ocratic Convention: In receiving from
your hands this gavel, as the tempo
rary presiding officer of this conven-
ton, l believe l express a sentiment
which I am sure is unanimous that
no national convention was ever pre-
sided over with more ability or with
more fairness than by yourself.
Cheers and cries of 'Harrity T. "Har'
rityr) I can express no better wish
for myself than that / may be able IN
some feeble way to make my conduct
by your model and to practice by your
example. (Cbeers)
The high position, gentlemen, 10
which YOU have chosen me, involves
both great personal honor and a
keen responsibility. For the honor,
thank you. The responsibility would
wholly be inadequate to bear did de-
pend upon myself but your gracious
aid will make it easy and its burden
light. That aid I confidently invoke
from you for the sake of the great
cause under whose banner we have
| fought so many battles and which
now demands of us such staunch de-
votion and such loyal service. re-
gret that my name should have been
brought in even the most courteous
and serious complication with that OF
my distinguished friend, the great
Senator from New York, (applause,)
but the very fact that have permit
ted it to be done refutes the suggestion
that has been improvidently made on
this floor that either I or those whom
have the honor to represent. would
ever heap indignity upon that brave
and illustrious head. Great applause.)
No candid man, no dispassionate Judg-
ment, gentlemen, can ever mislnter-
pret your meaning. The Senator from
New York himself knows as you
know and as know that there Is no
personality in the preferment which
has been given to me. He must know
that the whole country watches these
proceedings and must know that 1t is
solely due to principle that this great
majority of Democrats stands for and
that they know I stand with them.
(Applause.) And that it is given IN
the spirit of the instructions received
by these representatives OF the people,
from the people, whom all Democrats
will ever bow to as the purest and
original source of all power. The
birth of the Democratic party was
coeval with the birth of the sovereign
ty of the people. 1t can never die
until the declaration Of American In
dependence is forgotten and that SOW
ereignty is crushed out. (Great ap'
plause.)
II am happy, gentlemen, TO know
that as the majority in this cOnven-
ton is not personal, neither in any
sense is it sectional. 1t blends the pal.
mettoes and the pines of Maine and
South Carolina. It begins with the
sun rise in Maryland and spreads into
sun burst into Louisiana and Texas.
(Applause) 1t stretches in one un-
broken column across the American
continent, from the Atlantic shores OF
the Old Dominion and Georgia, and it
shows it's silvery beams over the gold
en- gates of California, (Applause,) it
sends forth its pioneers from Piym-
outh Rock and wavss over the golden
wheat fields of Dakota. 1t has its
stronghold in Alabama and Mississippi
and its outposts in Minnesota, Florida
and Oregon. (Applause.) 1t sticks
like tarheel, (applause,) down IN the
old North State, and it writes sixteen
to one on the saddlebags OF Arkansas
with the traveller. Loud applause)
It pours down it's rivulets from the
mountains of West Virginia and
makes a great lake in New Mexico,
Arizona, Wyoming, Idaho, Utah, Ne.
vada, Montana and Colorado. 1t
stands guard around the national cap
itol in the District of Columbia,
(cheers,) and it camps on the frontiers
of Oklahoma. 1t sweeps like a prairie
fire over Iowa and Kansas, and puts
up a red light on the confines OF Ne
braska. 1t marshals its massive bat
talions in Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and
Missouri. Last, but by far from least,
when see this grand array and think
of the British gold standard that was
recently unfurled over the ruins OF
Republican promises at St. Louis, L
think, too, of the battle OF New Or.
leans, of which it is said: There stood
John Bull in martial pomp, but there
was old Kentucky. (Applause)
Brethren of the East, there is no
South, there is no North, there is no
East, there is no West in this uprising
of the people for American emancipa-
ton from the conspiracy of European
kings, led on by Great Britain, which
seeks to destroy one-half of the money
of the world and to make American
manufacturers, merchants, farmers
and mechanics mere hewers OF wood
and drawers of water.
"There is one thing golden, which,
permit me. in the same good humor
which has characterized your conduct,
to commend to you here. 1t is the gol.
den rule to do unto others as you would
have them do unto you. Forget not
the greed of devils and that an abso-
lutte acquiescence in the will of the
majority is the vital principle OF the
republic. Democrats as you have
been, Democrats as I trust you will ever
be, acquiesce gracefully in the will OF
the great majority of your fellow
Democrats and only ask to 60 with
them, as they have often gone with
you. (Applause.) Do not forget,
gentlemen, that for thirty years we
have supported the men that you have
named or President, Secretary Sey-
mour. Grsely. Tilden and Hancock,