Birmingham state herald., 1896-05-28
NOT TEMPERATE IN TALK Prohibition Convention Much of
 a Circus. POLICE WERE CALLED IN
 fs- -Y
 And the BIare of the Band Had to Drown the
 Uproar.
IT'S BROAD GAUGE vs. NARROW GAUGE
And Competent Gauger Seems to Be Lack ing, but Free Silver Asserts Itself Even in the Cold Water Hall.
 A Snappy Report.

21-The seventh national convention of
 the prohibition party was called to order
 In this city this morning in the. exposi-
 ton hall, which had been constructed
 jointly for this occasion and for a San
 gerfest, which is to follow immed ately
 afterwards. Right at the opening of the
 formal proceedings, when MT. Dickie, the
 chairman of the national committee, pre-
 sented the name of MT. A. A Stevens
 of Tyrone, Pa. as temporary chairman,
 the rebellion of the free silver minority
 broke out. MT. Chauneey w. Dunn of California, rose to a point of order, and
 asked MT. Dickie to rule upon it. He
 offered as substitute a minority report, substituting the name of Edward J. Wheeler as the temporary chairman in
 place of MT. Stevens. The minority docu-
 ment was signed by Ex-Governor St. John and others. ,-at
 MT. Dickie ruled the motion out of or
 der, and ordered MT. Dunn to take his
 seat. Mir. Dunn refused to do so for some time, and scene of uproar ensued,
 which brought half the convention to
 the.r feet, and a squad of policemen was called In to preserve peace. The aid of the band was finally invoked to drown
 the noise and allow heated tempers to cool ner
 When he could be heard, MT. Wheeler of New York, the gentleman named in the minority report as temporary chair
 man, rose and, for the sake of harmony,
 withdrew his name, although protesting against what he called an arbitrary and unjust rule. rars
 Then, at last, Temporary Chairman Stevens was permitted to deliver his opening address. The two factions of the convention are styled broad guage and ''narraw guage." The latter hold that the prohibition party should be a party of prohibition and nothing else The former think the party should de- clare in favor of free silver and woman suffrage. Chairman Stevens speech was of the narrow guage tone He believed that all other political issues have a tendency to. divide the prohibitionists and advised the convention to bear in mind that nothing would so gratify the supporters of the drink traffic as divis- ion in our ranks, or a fruitless contro- versy in this convention. "Let us stand back to back with our face to the foe; re- membering that thus united we stand, or divided we fall" The usual committees were appointed and at 12:30 the conven- tion took a recess until p. m.
 Rev. Dr. J. B. Granflll of Texas was elected chairman of the committee on platform, which is victory for the nar- row guage element of the party. Mrs. Helen M. Cougar was elected chairman of the committee on permanent organization, which is a victory on the other side.
 When the convention reassembled the committee on credentials reported 81( delegates present A resolution pledging the convention not to abate it's relentless war on the licensed rum power was or dered telegraphed to various religious bodies now In conference, also to congress and to Miss Francis E. Willard and Lady Henry Somerset in England.
 Mrc H a1,oi, at the committee on permanent organiza. tion, reported the name of Oliver W Stewart of Illinois, one of the broad. gaugers, as permanent chairman. MT Ferguson of New York presented a mi nority report on behalf of the narrow. gauge men, recommending the continu- ance of MT. A. A. Stevens in the chaii as the permanent chairman.
 A tangle over a point of order threw the convention into scene of confusion which lasted more than half an hour Much i'll feeling developed and Chairman Stevens himself was for long time re- | fused a hearing, but when at last he gained the attention of the disturbing clements he said that though he believed he had been put forward as a representa- tive of the element in the convention which believed in prohibition and non. divisive issues, and though he believed that on a call of the states he would be sustained, he desired to withdraw his name. This announcement was received with cheers and the report of the com mittee was then adopted and MT. Stewart was escorted to the chair, MT. Stevens retiring with the thanks of the conven tion.
 MT. Stewart, in taking the gavel sait | 1t was not part of his duty to outline tho | platform of the party and he promised l fair treatment to all.
 A motion made by Mrs. Cougar to holt l A meeting tonight in lien of a busin ass session was carried after considerable | opposition, and at 6:15 D. m. the conven | tion adjourned until tomorrow morning at o'clock.