The San Francisco call., 1896-04-04
Harvard Wins the Victory After
a Bitter Contest by the
-. WeSternerS.
THURsTON AS A PEACEMAKER.
Diplomatic Wording of Plank in the
Platform Relating to the PreSi-
Dental Nomination.

CHICAGO, I'LL, April 3.-The delegates
10 the fifth annual convention of the
American Republican College League be-
brought them to Chicago in two sessions
to-day. The next convention will be held
in Minneapolis James Martin Perkins of
Harvard Law School (senior class of '96)
was, after a warm contest, selected as
President of the league for the coming
year. The resolutions contained no in
::dorsement of any particular candidate for
the Presidential nomination. Routine
d. business occupied the morning session.
- Just as a recess was ordered Senator
John NJ. Thurston of Nebraska came into
Steinway Hall and was presented to the
;. convention by President Vaughan. To an
:: inquiry from the body of the hail, "What
about the Presidency?" he retorted amid
applause: Il have to be careful now what
say in public. l will be delegate to the
National Convention at St. Louis and it
would be indelicate of me to say at this
time who am for. 1 shall indorse the
friend of the plain people"
The Senator went on to suggest that it
was the boys of to-day that would be the
leaders of the Republican parry in the near
future, and continued: "In your hands
rests the welfare OF the country. Study
the problems of the United States as dis
tinguished form OF government. Our first
duty is to our own people. No policy of
the world as against the interest of the
United States will suffice US. We should
see that our resources, industries and
labor are preserved to the people of our
own country. We owe duty to our own
people, and American protection domi-
mates our entire country.
''All other problems will be gone forever
from the hour that every man can earn an
honest dollar every day in the year.
There will no longer be cry for better
monetary policy than we have to-day.
Not long ago wealth was arrogant. 1t in
sisted that it could take care of itself To-
day it is seen that wealth and capital has
felt the depression as deeply as labor.
Labor also was for a time arrogant. 1t
said it would dictate its own terms Now
both have discovered the essentials of
prosperity. No longer is there division.
Capital and labor are both for the policy
of self-protection, and what is good for one
is good for both.
% ''Open factories mean prosperity for
both classes; closed factories the fall of
both classes. The brilliant future of the
Democratic party is behind it, and behind
it forever. There is no question of the
policy of the United States to-day.
stand here and do not fear that the right
man will be nominated at st. Louis in
June. The November affair of election
will onJv be a ratification of the nomina-
tion by the great people of the United
States.
When the convention reassembled the
Committee on credentials reported that
thirty five universities and colleges,
stretched across the country from Massa-
chusetts to California, were represented
An addition to the report recommending
that an extra delegate be granted to Prince
.ton, Yale, Harvard and Ann Arbor upon
compliance with certain financial require
ments OF the constitution, provoked a
heated debate lasting three hours, and
which at one time threatened to break up
the convention in disorder and disrupt the
league. The real issue at stake was the
. gaining of four votes by the friends of
James Martin Perkins, the Harvard can
didate for the presidency of the league.
Led by the Nebraska delegation and as
sisted by those OF Cornell, who were
soundly berated by their Eastern brethren,
the Westerners made bitter fight against
the proposal, and ultimately defeated it py
one majority. At one stage of the pro-
ceedings Senator Thurston was called upon
TO act as peacemaker, but contented him
self with general homily on the beauties
of harmony.
At another stage nearly half of the
dol dad ht,
started for the door, Weaver shouting that
they were willing to go out and work for
the Repu blican party but not for ma
chine. They finally yielded, however, to
the pleadings of President Vaughn and an
eloquent pacifcatory speech from E. J.,
Ousted OF the University of Wisconsin,
and resumed their seats. When the bal
lot was taken they carried their point
The report of the committee on resolu-
tions was adopted without debate, the
chair overruling delegate who wanted a
more explicit declaration on the money
question. 1t reaffirmed the doctrine of
protection to American industries and the
principles of commercial reciprocity as
enunciated by James G. Blaine, indorsed
the Monroe doctrine and expressed SYM
pathy with the Cuban revolutionists,
coupled with the opinion that they were
entitled to the granting of belligerent
rights. The financial plank read as fol-
lows
1--WE believe in an honest and sound
. National currency, currency whose char
acter shall in no way impair or diminish
the National credit at home or abroad,
honest money and chance to earn it by
honest toll, currency with which to
measure our exchanges that shall be as
sound as the Government and as untar-
nished as its honor
The skiliful and diplomatic wording of
the paragraph relating to the Presidential
nomination evoked prolonged laugher and
applause. thread:
''We favor for nomination in the ap-
proaching Republican convention, and his
election as President of the United States,
q man whose pure and strong personality