Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1896-07-11

1909 ohy olohO vi cycS LUZ WulCu Jut
rolling waters have nameless charm.
Between the far horizon and the sur
face the artist mast draw a line, but
nature has surveyed it somewhere oce,
and beyond the reach of the human
eye. The sky reaches down some
where to limit obscure-a limit over
''the oceans hill"
Poetry aside. Our party is in
Chicago. The hustle is already on,
and up to this hour it has grown in
volume. The hayseed-not the South,
is in the saddle and his whiskers in the
wind. He does not know whether he
is for Boies or for Bland. Several
other questions bewilder him. but one
thing he does know-he is for "16 to ~
The fact of most local interest, how
ever, is that which concerns our friend,
Capt. John Sheridan. In the area
bounded by West Virginia and Mary
land no man has been more sought,
and he has been needed in the safe
councils Of sound money held by New
York and Pennsylvania. A friend of
Cleveland, he has also been a confdante
of Hill. So that when, as National
Committeeman, it came to vote npon
temporary chairman, he supported
the representative of safe money.
This expression of conviction did
not please the solid free silver delega-
ton from his State, even after the fol-
lowing paper had been unanimously
adopted:
WHEREAS, Capt John Sheridan has de-
clined reelection as member of the Demo.
cratic National Committee for the State of
West Virginia
Resotoed, That we take great pleasure IN
expressing our gratitude to him for his able
constant and efficient work in behalf of the
Democratic party IN our State, and regret his
decision to retire from the Committee and
especially do we heartily and thoroughly
appreciate the kindly interest he has mani
tested in looking after the welfare and COM
fort of the delegates and visitors to this con-
vention.
On Monday, therefore, while stroll
ing along the corridors of the Palmer
House he dropped into the sumptuous
quarters he had provided for his friends
to find them discussing a proposal to
repudiate and condemn his vote for
Hill. He listened until he got the
bearings. Then he arose and, in his
enthusiastically frank, open and
honest manner, delivered the follow
ing address:
Mr.. Chairman and Gentleman-I have
nothing to conceal and nothing to take back.
Everybody who knows me knows also that
| am a sound money democrat from con-
viction. My tenure as committeeman lasts
until my successor is elected. The State of
West Virginia gave me one vote in the
National Committee. That vote | will have
so long as hold the office and no less will
take. More than that, if l did not represent
the sentiment of this delegation. it was not
because you did not know my views Or if
any did not know them, none of YOU came
to find out. l was not consulted, and if
had been l should have voted the real in
terest if not the sentiment of West Virginia.
The vote was taken and the captain
sustained by 10 to- 2.
Mr.. St. Clair dissented from the
captains views but in most eloquent
speech sustained his action. His
terms otherwise were most COM
mandatory.
The first days session of the conven-
ton fully realized all the fears of the
safe money people. 1t was ''l6 to l or
bust" from start to finish. No more
pathetic scene was ever witnessed
than when ''The Lame Lion of Lynch
burg" John w. Daniel, the limping
Demosthenes of the Old Dominion,
took the gavel from the stately and
courteous Harrity.
Viewed from the platform, Mary
land occupies but little intellectual
space in the hall, otherwise so re-
splendent and magnificent. Over
IA 900 people were present yesterday,
but in the small hundred from the
Chesapeake bay there was only one
German all the way down from Fred.
Talbot to Vic. Baughman. Murray
Vandiver, ii is true, was there with his
chronic affllction of nodding assent to
everything pro or con he heard from the
platform. Spencer Jones also looking
unusually wise and saying nothing
incomprehensible. Then the unspeak-
able Eugene Higgins is here-a silver
man, it is said, rather a personal
prophecy of Senator Germans attitude
when the party cat has permanently
established headquarters on the silver
side of the financial fence. Gene al
ways looks with profound pity on what
Gen. Grant called Zone of them d-n
literary fellers." 1t is not contempt,
but pity, real pity.
The coliseum is vast framework of
iron, glass and wood-just the thing
for the l5,0Oo people who at this mo-
ment az o'clock, Wednesday, fill the
artificial plain and four hillsides that
front and rise from the presidents
chair. To the ear the music of the
occasion is also most impressive.
When sentiment is uttered upon
which all agree the roar rolls down to
the press platform with the thunder
of cor populi.
hn R nI sf.,