Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-07-13
FRIDAY AND FIVE.
The Two Lucky Things in the
Chicago Convention.
FIFTH BALLOT 4 WINNER TWICE.

Choosing the Presidential Candidate on
Friday and His Running Mate on Satur-
day-sewall. OF Maine. Knocks the Per-
simmon and the Convention Closes Its
Labors-New National Committee Takes
Control with Jones, Of Arkansas, at It's
Head-Some Notes of Discomfort.
CHICAGO, July l3.-Saturday ended the
most remarkable national convention
since the Democratic party in 1850 was
rent asunder on the slavery issue Satnr-
day the convention completed the work
which split the party in twain on the
financial issue. Arthur Sewall, Of Maine,
a Bath shipbuildcr and an ardent free
| coinage man, was named for vice presi-
! dent on the ticket headed by William j.
Bryan, the eloquent young orator from
the prairies beyond the Missouri. Over l60
delegates to the convention. all Of whom
with the exception Of the gold delegation
from Wisconsin and portion Of the dele
cation from Minnesota, came from east
of the Alleghenys, refused to participate
in the nomination Of a presidential candi-
date on free silver platform. Over $50
declined to participate in the nomination
for vice president. Many of the delegates
had left the city in disgust.
Sewall Was Another Surprise.
1t did not require ticket to get into
the Coliseum on the last day. The
doors were thrown wide open and any one
who so desired could go in and take a seat,
fact that was not generally known, or
there probably would have been jam.
The nomination of Sewall for vice-presi-
dent was perhaps even more of q surprise
than that of Bryan for president. Bryan
had set the convention aiiame with his
eloquence, and his name WAS on every lip
when the balloting began, but Sewall s
name in connection with the vice-presi-
dency had hardly been mentioned. John
K Mclean, the Cincinnati editor. was the
most prominent candidate in the field
and had the nomination been made Fri
; day night he would probably have been
nominated
Reply to the Sectional Cry.
Senator Jones and some Of his associates
of the silver leaders came to the con
clusion that for geographical and Other
reasons the Maine man was the nosl
J available for the place ON the ticket with
Bryan. The strongest argument in hi:
would at once silence the cry that tht
, silver cause was sectional, an imputatior
the Arkansas senator wasquick to rebuke
when Tillman avowed that such was thu
p case in the convention on Thursday. Nc
g Lean decided not to be a candidate anf
9 gave directions to his friends in the Obi,
, delegation not to present his name, bu
the Mclean sentiment was SO strong tina
it could not be suppressed. Just as tn
contest had narrowed down to a race be
tween Sewall and Mclean the latte
through n personal telegram, which Wa
read from the stage, withdrew his name
and there was u stampede for Sewall.
Charm About That Fifth BALLOT.
The latter was nominated, as Bryal
was, on the fifth ballot w. r. Burk, o
California, nominated Sewall. On tn
first ballot fifteen candidates were vOte
for, Sibley, of Pennsylvania, receivin
l63, the highest number Of votes TIL
other votes were divided as follows: Nj
Lean, 10; Sewall, 100; Harrity, 81; Judg
Walter Clark, of North Carolina. 50; Ser
ator Daniels, of Virginia, IL; Bland, e.
Blackburn, 20; ex- Congressman William:
of Illinois, 81; George Fred Williams, c
Massachusetts, 10; Boies, 20; Pattison, c
Pennsylvania, 2; Senator White, of Cal
fornia; Fithlan, of Illinois, and Senate
Teller, of Colorado, l each. On til
second ballot there was an attempt t
stampede the convention to Bland, VIII
on this ballot received 29i votes. McLea
moved up to 15S, Sibley fell back to II
and Sewall dropped to 81.