The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-07-09

ana the silver men In the Dlstr1ct OF 10
lumbia contend that there are many stron-
ger silver men available. But enc element
OF Mr.. Stevenson's strength is his record
assistant Postmaster-general under the
first Cleveland administration. Some days
ago a suggestion was made that plank
denouncing the merit system in the civil
service might add strength to the plat
form. In discussing this in connection
with the Stevenson boom one of the Mary
land gold man said Let them only nom-
mate Stevenson and I'll throw up my hat
like this" suiting the action to the phrase,
and" he continued. his nomination
would make an anti-civil-service-reform
plank Unnecessary
Mr.. Hill was not present in the hall at
any time during the morning session. He
entered, however, just as the afternoon
session opened, and while the Bryan crowd
was making another effort to get up
demonstration for him. Mr. Hills en-
trance put prompt end to the Bryan cries,
and for few moments the spectators
howlcd themselves hoarse for the New
Yorker Mr. Hill looked as fresh as could
be expected for man who had been meet
ing defeat after defeat. From the time
that he entered the resolutions committee
room until he left it he had been overruied
on every important matter. Even when ne
offered perfunctory resolution, indorsing
the administration of the Democratic
President, he was defeated.
At a quarter of o'clock, after twenty
four hours Of uninterrupted wrangling, the
committee on credentials made its report
on the Michigan case. The Importance or
this contest involving it did. the pos
sible control of the convention for the sill
yer men by a two-thirds vote, has been
sufficiently explained.
THE BALLOTING.
The speakers talked out with very COM
mendable plainness. 1t was nearly o'clock
before the voting began. Mr. Hill did not
speak He was utterly exhausted. After
spending nearly all night with the subcom-
mittee on the platform he snatched two
hours sleep and then spent several hours
in the credentials committee, making
speeches and doing missionary work. He
felt that the compromise was the best that
could be obtained. Besides, it was his In
tention to reserve himself for two hours
speech on the platform. The vote pro-
gressed very slowly. In almost every dele
CATION. some delegate challenged the ac-
curacy of the vote. The delay gave op-
portunity for missionary work among the
delegates The New York and Pennsylvan-
ia delegates had threatened to refuse to
vote. There was an anxious movement
when the clerk called New York. and
then the spectators shouted themselves
hoarse when Mr.. Hill announced New
York casts - votes aye" There was gen.
uine enthusiasm. even many of the dele
gates standing on their chairs to cheer.
Senator Daniel touched the electric signal
drowned the efforts of the band. The con-
vention chose to interpret New York's
ton that there would be no bolt and chose
to credit Mr. Hill for that determination.
At last the band gave up in despair and
for ten minutes more the convention hur-
rahed for Hill. Mr.. Daniel was utterly
helpless and pounded the desk with his
gavel. After endless effort some degree of
order was restored. which was. however.
interrupted when Mr.. Harrity announced
the vote OF Pennsylvania. thus indicating
that all danger of a bolt was over. The
result of the first vote was announced: 36S
votes in favor of the minority report throw
ing out all the contests of silver delegates
and thus keeping the 2s votes of Michigan
in the gold column, while 55S votes were
cast against it, thus defeating the gold men
by majority of 1S0-
The audience went wild again. the bands
played. men blew tin horns, boys blew
shrill whistles and pandemonum reigned.
The vote practically settled all the other
reports. The report of the radical free-sil-
yer men to turn out enough gold delegates
to turn the delegation's vote over to the
free-silver column was abandoned, and it
was evident from the vote that it could
not have carried. The majority report was
then adopted and the four unseated Mich
iganders walked out of the hall, deriving
such cold comfort as they could from the
sympathy given them by their more fortu-
nate gold colleagues who were not contes-
tees in the convention. The convention
breathed easier when the four delegates
| left All eyes turned to hear New York
and Pennsylvania The critical moment for
the bolt had come. They sat sullenly si-
| lent, but there was no bolt. Then there
| was comparative quiet, while Senator
White was elected permanent chairman
The dramatic moment of deepest interest
had come and gone and the expected sensa-
| ton had not been forthcoming.
READY FOR BUSINESS.
| With the disposition of the reports of the
| credentials committee and the effecting of
| the permanent organization the convention
| may be said to be ready for business.
1t was part of the programme to hold the
convention in session tonight until the
platform had been adopted, but Senator
Danidl's pitiful incapacity to control the
convention had caused much loss of
time that at 10 o'clock Field Marshal Jones,
| of Arkansas, was compelled to issue in
| structions to the silver men to vote for a
motion to adjourn. which would be made
| Immediately after Senator Whites speech.
Tomorrow, therefore. the convention set
ties down to the work for which it has real
| ly met namely, the ado otion of its plat
| form and the selection of it's candidates. 1t
| is evident that the convention will be in
session until Friday and 1t will not be sur
| prsing if the end of the week were reached
before the snarl in which the conflicting
elements in both gold and silver camps
| are entangled is unraveled.
| The center of interest tomorrow will be
the debate on the platform. 1t is lengthy
| document and the financial plank declar-
/ ing, of course, for the free coinage of sill
yer at the 16-to-1 ratio. is bungling mass
| of verbiage which sounds very much like
| some of the pompous and labarynthian ut
| terances which Senator Jones perpetrates
! on the floor of the Senate. This is the
clause of the report on which the debate