The herald., 1896-09-27
Split on the Question Of Silver
Coinage
GEORGE FRED WILLIAMS
Leader Of the Mass achusetts Boilers at
Chicago
Nominated for Governor by Three Con-
ventions Favoring Silver-Dissatis-
fed Goldites Choose Another Man
associated Press Special Wire

Associated Press Special Wire
BOSTON, Sept. 26.-UUniue and pic
turesue as have been scores of notable
political contests in this city. none ap-
preached that which last night and to-
day wrought up the entire community
to its widest pitcN of excitement and
never has there been such anomalous re-
suit as was shown at the close of the day
when three conventions, held in differ
ent sections Of the city, named the same
man for the head of the ticket and that
man George Frederick Williams for
governor. The factional fight in the
ranks Of the hitherto united Massachu-
setts Democracy, can.be traced back to
the Chicago convention last July, when
IN the struggle between gold and silver,
George Fred Williams and few others
boldly left the majority of the Massa-
chusetts delegation and voted for the
free and unlimited coinage of silver.
Since that time the rift in the lutte" has
gradually become wider and bitterer and
charges of TRAITORS" and "would-be
dictators" have been used freely. The
climax came last evening when in the
big Bryan rally at Music hall, Mr.. Will
Jams accused the leaders of wanting to
control the state convention and re-
Quested all those who were in favor of
his nomination to stay all night in their
seats so that no move might be made
which would deprive them Of fulfilling
the program which had been marked
out by the silver leaders. Thus six hum
dred of his followers obeyed to the letter
and throughout the night the vigil was
kept Every kind of ingenuity was
tried to make the men vacate the hall.
The police were called upon to clear the
hall, but the young lawyers in the silver
movement were successful in preventing
this and as result the doors were kept
locked until $40 this afternoon.
Bright and early today thousands Of
men, scores of whom were delegates
from out of town, assembled around
music hall expecting the doors to be
opened at any moment that a compro-
mise might ensue. Overtures were made
by the members of the state central COM
mittee and they were rejected by the
men in possession of the hall who were
fearful of treachery.
The men on the outside then organ
lied in Hamilton place in response to the
suggestions of Hon. Timothy w. Coax
ly, the locked-in leader of the silver
men, and whatever business was trans
acted in the mall was endorsed by the
outside meeting. The state committee
men then went to Faneuil hall, where
conyention was held and the national
candidates and the Chicago platform
were endorsed and Hon. George Fred
Williams was nominated for the guber-
material honors. This action was pro-
tested by a number of gold standard
Democrats who withdrew in a body
and placed a ticket favorable to Palmer
and Buckner in the field on the nomina-
tion papers.
In Wesleyan hall, the state conven-
tion of the Populist party was held ana
Immediately they heard that Williams
haod been nominated as the free silver
candidate for governor they immedi-
ately followed suit and placed him at
the head of their ticket.
After the adjournment of the Demo1
cratic state convention, the gold stan
dard wing of the party decided to place
in the field, on nomination papers, a
ticket favorable to the nominee and
platform of the convention held in In
dianapolis early this month. This tick
ct, as fixed by the National Democratic
state committee of Massachusetts,, in
cludes Democratic electors and state
officers, the latter being governor.
Frederick o. Prince; lieutenant COVER
nor, James McConnell; secretary of
state. Waldo Linder; treasurer, Horace
H. Toby; auditor c. s. Spellman; at
torney-general, Harry F. Hurlburt.